6/10    Hi, what is "volatile function" in C (or is it C++)?  Thanks.
        \_ They're used when writing vaporware.
        \_ I imagine it's a method that operates on a volatile object (?)
           \_ Uhm, no... that wouldn't make much sense, now, would it?
              I've never used or see someone use "volatile" in all the
              years that I've been coding C (it's been 15+ years now).
              According to K&R the volatile modifier is used only
              variables that supposedly could be modified outside of
              the executing program. In the years since the original
              K&R during ANSI meetings there has been some debate over
              what "volatile" actually means and there hasn't been
              a satisfactory answer. I've never heard of anyone using
              "volatile" on declaring a function, I'm not even sure
              if that would pass the compiler...
              -williamc
              \_ Wow, way to look like a fucking dumbass again. "Just
                 because I've never seen volatile used means it, like,
                 doesn't make sense, or something!" Here's a snippet
                 from the C++ standard:
                 "[Note: volatile is a hint to the implementation to
                  avoid aggressive optimization involving the object
                  because the value of the object might be changed by
                  means undetectable by an implementation... In general,
                  the semantics of volatile are intended to be the same
                  in C++ as they are in C."
                 And in C, the volatile type specifier generally denotes
                 something like a memory-mapped IO address, so it's not
                 some totally abstract theoretical thing.
                        \_ Or a variable modified by a signal handler.
        \_ Google says that they are functions that can return control
           to some point other than where they were called from.
           \_ Uhm, that would be highly problematic.... -williamc
              \_ Uhm, you are an idiot.  This is about as problematic as
                 exceptions (that's exactly what they are designed to do).
                 Now I am sure volatile isn't implementing exceptions in C,
                 but your comment's ignorant regardless.
                 \_ Actually, it would be highly problematic in a C program,
                    because C doesn't implement exception handling.
                    It's apparent that YOU have never done any C
                    programming (no, this is not Java, and C++ exception
                    handling is still pretty broken). In addition,
                    you appear to fail to understand how exception
                    handling is implemented in general. -williamc
                    \_ Ok, let me try small words.  Poster: "functions that
                       can return control to some point other than where
                       they were called from."  You: "That [returning control
                       in this way] would be highly problematic."  Except
                       this is NOT highly problematic because that's exactly
                       what exceptions do.  You are a moron.
                       \_ It is nice to see people get hot and bothered and
                          make fools out of themselves by flaming on a topic
                          other than politics. Sir, I salute you for caring
                          so much about typecast functions.
                          \_ (Why) I oughta (knock) your block++ off;{!!;}
                    \_ You've never heard of setjmp and longjmp?
                 \_ youse guys are all cracka's!
                 \_ have any of you ever kissed a girl?!?