do you say 'char star' or 'character pointer'

[johnhpus]

I was talking to a guy on the phone not too long ago, and he said something about a "char star", pronounced so that the two words rhyme.

I've heard it before of course, but I've been working remotely for the past two years and rarely have to speak about programming on the phone as I prefer email.

I have always said "character pointer" and "char star" sounds crazy to me.

[Crashy]

Here in France we mainly say "char étoile" which means "char star"

[Kojack]

I say char pointer or character pointer.

[johnhpus]

That's weird, the forum insists on changing my close " to a & when it's the last character. Maybe a space at the end will help.

Edit:

I guess not. Even ". seems to turn into a &. Oh well, I can settle for '

[syedhs]

I like char pointer. My C++ interior monologue also mention it as 'char pointer'

[Kencho]

My brain learned to associate the word "asterisco" ("star") with the concept of pointer long ago XD

I commonly use "char asterisco" ("char star") but say "char pointer" to myself.

[nialscorva]

If I'm reading code, I say it like "kar star". If I'm talking about the concept of a character pointer while not looking at code, I'll occasionally say "character pointer" or "C string". Dunno why.

[Kaze Youkai]

I say char pointer or character pointer.

Ditto.

[twilight17]

I say char pointer or character pointer.

Same but I say "char pointer" more.

[nullsquared]

I pronounce it ...












S-T-D string

[darke]

I tend to be varied, though I don't think I've ever used "character pointer". More like, "char star", "char pointer", "that needs to be unsigned char, not char", "why is that not a std::string?", "if this was std::string I wouldn't have spent the last couple of hours chasing down that buffer overflow".

Yes, I have slightly bitter feelings as to the wonders of a char*.

[xadhoom]

Char star! (strictly speaking the german equivalent: "Char Stern")
It has less syllables and is easier to say...

[volca]

How would one describe various parts of this code over the phone?
(Enigma decoder, or so it was said)

Code: Select all

#!/usr/bin/perl -s                          
                                                      sub R{int$_[0]||
                              return vec$_[1],$_[2]/4,32;int$_[0]*rand}($R)
                           =$^=~'([\]-\`])';sub F{$u=0;grep$u|=$S->[$_][$_[0]>>
                              $_*4&15]<<$_*4,reverse 0..7;$u<<11|$u>>21}$t=$e
                               ||$d?join'',<>:(($p,$d)=($R,1),unpack u
                               ,"(3=MCV7%2W'<`");@b=@t=0..15;for(
                           ;$i<length$p;$i+=4){srand($s^=R$R,$p
                        ,$i)}while($c<8){grep{push@b  ,splice
                     @b,R(9),5}@t;$R[$c]=R(2       **32);@{      
                $S->[$c++]}=@b}@h=0..7;@o       =reverse          
              @h;while($a<length
            $t){$v=R$R,$t,$a;
 $w=R$R,$t,($a+=8)-4;
   grep$q++%2?$v
    ^=F$w+$R                  
     [$$R]:(                                       $w^=F$v+$R[$$R]),$d?(@h,(@o)
     x3):((                                        @h)x3,@o);$_.=pack N2,$w,$v}
     print

Or this one (a perl Japh)

Code: Select all

not exp log srand xor s qq qx xor
s x x length uc ord and print chr
ord for qw q join use sub tied qx
xor eval xor print qq q q xor int
eval lc q m cos and print chr ord
for qw y abs ne open tied hex exp
ref y m xor scalar srand print qq
q q xor int eval lc qq y sqrt cos
and print chr ord for qw x printf
each return local x y or print qq
s s and eval q s undef or oct xor
time xor ref print chr int ord lc
foreach qw y hex alarm chdir kill
exec return y s gt sin sort split

Perl code can make people sick (Although I still love that language).

"Char Pointer" here.

[Kencho]

How would one describe various parts of this code over the phone?
(Enigma decoder, or so it was said)

Code: Select all

#!/usr/bin/perl -s                          
                                                      sub R{int$_[0]||
                              return vec$_[1],$_[2]/4,32;int$_[0]*rand}($R)
                           =$^=~'([\]-\`])';sub F{$u=0;grep$u|=$S->[$_][$_[0]>>
                              $_*4&15]<<$_*4,reverse 0..7;$u<<11|$u>>21}$t=$e
                               ||$d?join'',<>:(($p,$d)=($R,1),unpack u
                               ,"(3=MCV7%2W'<`");@b=@t=0..15;for(
                           ;$i<length$p;$i+=4){srand($s^=R$R,$p
                        ,$i)}while($c<8){grep{push@b  ,splice
                     @b,R(9),5}@t;$R[$c]=R(2       **32);@{      
                $S->[$c++]}=@b}@h=0..7;@o       =reverse          
              @h;while($a<length
            $t){$v=R$R,$t,$a;
 $w=R$R,$t,($a+=8)-4;
   grep$q++%2?$v
    ^=F$w+$R                  
     [$$R]:(                                       $w^=F$v+$R[$$R]),$d?(@h,(@o)
     x3):((                                        @h)x3,@o);$_.=pack N2,$w,$v}
     print

Or this one (a perl Japh)

Code: Select all

not exp log srand xor s qq qx xor
s x x length uc ord and print chr
ord for qw q join use sub tied qx
xor eval xor print qq q q xor int
eval lc q m cos and print chr ord
for qw y abs ne open tied hex exp
ref y m xor scalar srand print qq
q q xor int eval lc qq y sqrt cos
and print chr ord for qw x printf
each return local x y or print qq
s s and eval q s undef or oct xor
time xor ref print chr int ord lc
foreach qw y hex alarm chdir kill
exec return y s gt sin sort split

That's simple: "I'm sending you a couple code snippets to your email. Good luck decrypting them."

[nullsquared]

1) auto-syntax-formatter
2) ...
3) profit?

[Jabberwocky]

(Enigma decoder, or so it was said)

Code: Select all

#!/usr/bin/perl -s                          
                                                      sub R{int$_[0]||
                              return vec$_[1],$_[2]/4,32;int$_[0]*rand}($R)
                           =$^=~'([\]-\`])';sub F{$u=0;grep$u|=$S->[$_][$_[0]>>
                              $_*4&15]<<$_*4,reverse 0..7;$u<<11|$u>>21}$t=$e
                               ||$d?join'',<>:(($p,$d)=($R,1),unpack u
                               ,"(3=MCV7%2W'<`");@b=@t=0..15;for(
                           ;$i<length$p;$i+=4){srand($s^=R$R,$p
                        ,$i)}while($c<8){grep{push@b  ,splice
                     @b,R(9),5}@t;$R[$c]=R(2       **32);@{      
                $S->[$c++]}=@b}@h=0..7;@o       =reverse          
              @h;while($a<length
            $t){$v=R$R,$t,$a;
 $w=R$R,$t,($a+=8)-4;
   grep$q++%2?$v
    ^=F$w+$R                  
     [$$R]:(                                       $w^=F$v+$R[$$R]),$d?(@h,(@o)
     x3):((                                        @h)x3,@o);$_.=pack N2,$w,$v}
     print

Free Willy.

[twilight17]

1) auto-syntax-formatter
2) ...
3) profit?

Underpants Gnomes!?

[Azgur]

I usually say c-string
Char star just sounds wierd though. Definitely char pointer over char star.

[nikki]

I never really read code out loud to anyone much, so I'm not sure. I think I'd say 'char star' though.

[syedhs]

I never really read code out loud to anyone much, so I'm not sure. I think I'd say 'char star' though.

Well one of the software development processes is code review for which the programmer, has to read out loud for others in the panel to hear. I find the process a little ridiculous, as the benefit is less than the hassle, I *think*.

[nullsquared]

Wait, you seriously need to actually read the code aloud?

Do you actually say all of the symbols or do you say it logically, like "void function main?"

[psquare]

My C++ interior monologue also mention it as 'char pointer'

'Interior Monologue'
That's good stuff.

[syedhs]

Wait, you seriously need to actually read the code aloud?

Do you actually say all of the symbols or do you say it logically, like "void function main?"

Yes you are right, as ridiculous as it first occured to me, 5 years ago. And you also have to read aloud symbols like 'open bracket', 'close bracket' and stuff. Back then I sub-contracted with a multinational s/w company which attain CMM level 5 and they do require me to read aloud those lines. Duh - just imagine how much of the productivity goes down to drain.

[Kerion]

Character pointer, because that's the proper way to say it. Asterisk is the operator character, not the meaning of the operator. If we called pointers stars, I guess "char star" would be the correct term, but we don't, and it's not. Do you call char& a "char ampersand" or a character reference?

[nikki]

Wait, you seriously need to actually read the code aloud?

Do you actually say all of the symbols or do you say it logically, like "void function main?"

Yes you are right, as ridiculous as it first occured to me, 5 years ago. And you also have to read aloud symbols like 'open bracket', 'close bracket' and stuff. Back then I sub-contracted with a multinational s/w company which attain CMM level 5 and they do require me to read aloud those lines. Duh - just imagine how much of the productivity goes down to drain.

Heh... Not just productivity, but concentration too. I'd be rolling on the floor laughing out loud if one of my colleagues would do that.