Re: iconv query

[Barbara Morris <bmorris@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Bruce Vining wrote:
> I disagree (kinda). The iconv() API is documented in the Information Center
> using a C style prototype. As the call interface is documented using C
> conventions I believe it is very helpful (dare I say essential) to know that
> the API expects the documented parameter to be passed by value.
>
> The caller certainly needs to know the capabilities of the calling language
> and that passing a pointer to X by value is equivalent to passing X passed
> by reference, but knowing how to (correctly) call the API in the first place
> is rather important.

I agree that it's absolutely critical to know that the first parameter 
for iconv() is passed by value.

I'm just quibbling that in general it's usually helpful to think of 
"type*" parameters in C as being "type passed by reference" rather than 
"pointer to type passed by value".  Even when coding in C, it's 
important to know when the caller can modify the value, and for me at 
least, "passing a pointer to this variable" doesn't express that concept 
as immediately as "passing this variable by reference" does.  When I 
code my_fn(&my_var), I don't actually think "I'm passing this address", 
I think "I'm passing this variable by reference".