Ouch!! Stuck on a C synthax problem , any help ?

[pistol350]

Does anyone know how to convert this simple line to Aurora ?

s_bitmap * loadbitmap(char *filename, char *packfile);


I may be wrong,
but what i understand is that a pointer "s_bitmap"
is passed to the loadbitmap() function.
But i also think that s_bitmap is the type that must be returned by the function

So to Aurora,
assuming that a char type can easily be replaced by a string type (not really sure though  )
we may have :

Declare  loadbitmap(char *filename, char *packfile),s_bitmap;

But if my suggestion is correct, What happened to the pointer that was passed to the function

I need a few explanations please 
thanks!

[Ionic Wind Support Team]

Simpler than you think.  A pointer is returned from the function, and two pointers are passed.   In reality two strings are passed.

declare loadbitmap(string filename, string packfile),pointer;

[pistol350]

Thank you Paul!

But i am still a bit head ache  since i wonder why in C it is needed to pass the pointers to the strings and to the function,
I mean does the string type have a native pointer while the char type not ? 
(weird question )



Edit :  Also ,let's say that the declaration was :  s_bitmap loadbitmap(char *filename, char *packfile);

Would it be this in Aurora ? :                           declare loadbitmap(string filename, string packfile),s_bitmap;

I am pretty sure of the answer but ,better searching for light by asking instead of remaining in doubt 

[Ionic Wind Support Team]

C doesn't have a native string type.  It is handled by an array of CHAR and a pointer to that array is used.

Edit :  Also ,let's say that the declaration was :  s_bitmap loadbitmap(char *filename, char *packfile);

Then you would have to have the definition of the stucture s_bitmap. and it would be:

declare loadbitmap(string filename, string packfile),s_bitmap

[pistol350]

Then you would have to have the definition of the stucture s_bitmap. and it would be:

declare loadbitmap(string filename, string packfile),s_bitmap

Yes , it is exacly what i have.
Thanks again!

I got One more troublesome line.This one is the kind of very troublesome LOL :

extern int __near joy_init(void);

What i understand is that there is a function which is "joy_init(void)" .
Probably declared to return a data of int type .
But what "the hell" is " __near "  ?
A variable , a structure , another type 
And finally, what would be an equivalent for Aurora since i don't see anything by myself 
Thanks!

[Parker]

I think you can just leave it out. There's no Aurora equivalent, and I think that __near has to do with what kind of jump statements are emitted by the compiler.

[pistol350]

LOL !!!
Thanks Parker!
There must be a way!

[Ionic Wind Support Team]

__near is ignored in most modern C compilers.   It has to to with memory segments and 16 bit code.

[pistol350]

thanks Paul!
Things are clearer now!