what is cdecl

**Kenny McCormack** · Mar 4 '08, 04:55 PM

Re: what is cdecl

In article <dc9961c7-c740-4f15-88a8-206ef195648b@8g 2000hse.googleg roups.com>,
Amandil <mazwolfe@gmail .comwrote:

>Hi, all.
>
>I know this is not standard C, but I see the word cdecl used as a type
>qualifier (?) in external declarations - including the standard
>headers - and I'd like to know what it means (and how they it's used).
>It is, as far as I know, an extension to std C by several compilers.
>(Some use __cdecl instead, which is allowed by the standard.)
>
>This may be off-topic on clc because it's not standard, but I believe
>an extension that is common to many compilers isn't so far off the
>mark. I apologize if I'm wrong on that point.
>
>-- Marty Amandil (not quite ready to face the firing squad)

As far as the dorks in this NG are concerned the use of the "cdecl"
"qualifier" is no more (and no less) relevant to the price of hay in
Kansas than is the use of the "ThroatWarb ler Mangrove" "qualifier" .

**Mark Bluemel** · Mar 4 '08, 05:05 PM

Re: what is cdecl

Amandil wrote:

Hi, all.
>
I know this is not standard C, but I see the word cdecl used as a type
qualifier (?) in external declarations - including the standard
headers - and I'd like to know what it means (and how they it's used).
It is, as far as I know, an extension to std C by several compilers.
(Some use __cdecl instead, which is allowed by the standard.)

When I want to know such things I use Google. Did you try that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_cal...ventions#cdecl probably
tells you what you want to know.

This may be off-topic on clc because it's not standard, but I believe
an extension that is common to many compilers isn't so far off the
mark. I apologize if I'm wrong on that point.

From my brief examination of the webpage cited above, I get the
impression that it's a) platform-specific and b) not restricted to
C implementations . I'd say it's pretty off-topic. The firing squad
are loading their weapons, it's probably time for a final cigar...

**Amandil** · Mar 4 '08, 05:25 PM

Re: what is cdecl

On Mar 4, 12:07 pm, santosh <santosh....@gm ail.comwrote:

Amandil wrote:

Hi, all.

>

I know this is not standard C, but I see the word cdecl used as a type
qualifier (?) in external declarations - including the standard
headers - and I'd like to know what it means (and how they it's used).
It is, as far as I know, an extension to std C by several compilers.
(Some use __cdecl instead, which is allowed by the standard.)

>

This may be off-topic on clc because it's not standard, but I believe
an extension that is common to many compilers isn't so far off the
mark. I apologize if I'm wrong on that point.

>
It's a compiler attribute to specify the C calling convention for that
function. A calling convention specifies the machine level interface of
that function, i.e, where the function expects it's arguments, where it
returns it's return value, whether it pops of it's arguments or whether
the caller must do that and other such details.
>

<etc. Snipped for brevity. I hate long quotes>

Thanks. I basically know about the C calling convention, so I
understand your answer well enough. I hadn't known about cdecl being
related to those, though.

-- Marty

**Kenny McCormack** · Mar 4 '08, 05:45 PM

Re: what is cdecl

In article <fqjv30$eii$1@a ioe.org>,
Mark Bluemel <mark_bluemel@p obox.comwrote:

>Amandil wrote:

>Hi, all.
>>
>I know this is not standard C, but I see the word cdecl used as a type
>qualifier (?) in external declarations - including the standard
>headers - and I'd like to know what it means (and how they it's used).
>It is, as far as I know, an extension to std C by several compilers.
>(Some use __cdecl instead, which is allowed by the standard.)

>
>When I want to know such things I use Google. Did you try that?
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_cal...ventions#cdecl probably
>tells you what you want to know.

Note that, according to the dogma of clc, Wikipedia is a) the work of
the devil and b) completely unreliable. If you don't believe me, feel
free to use Google Groups and you'll see.

So, one certainly can't use Wikipedia as a suggested reference resource
and still expect to keep one's Clique membership in good standing.

Furthermore, and I'm now speaking entirely seriously, without
tongue-in-cheek, maybe the OP would actually *like* to hear your
opinions. Maybe he actually would prefer the commentary of real, live,
honest-to-goodness humans, instead of sterile cold reference material.

Ever think of that?

P.S. Of course, once he's spent some time in CLC, he'll realize that
there aren't any real, live, honest-to-goodness humans here, but that
doesn't mean he can't come in with honest expectations.

**Robbie Hatley** · Mar 5 '08, 01:05 AM

Re: what is cdecl

I was all set to say that "__cdecl" and "__stdcall" were C and C++
keywords, because they always turn blue in every IDE I've used.

But, on looking for them in the standards, I see that just aint so!

On doing some googling, it seems these are mostly (or perhaps solely)
Microsoft Windows features. They appear not to be used in any other
operating system. Try asking about them in the following groups:

comp.os.ms-windows.program mer.win32
microsoft.publi c.win32.program mer

But in a nutshell, these two declarators specify how the stack is
used when a function is called. For "__cdecl", the calling function
does the stack clean-up; for "__stdcall" , the called function does
the stack clean-up. Also, "__stdcall" doesn't handle functions with
variable number of arguments. In practice, "__stdcall" is used for
all API callback functions, and "__cdecl" is used for everything
else.

--
Cheers,
Robbie Hatley
lonewolf aatt well dott com
www dott well dott com slant user slant lonewolf slant

what is cdecl

what is cdecl

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