C array types are weird

2 days ago

Array types in C (T[n]) are distinct from pointer types (T*), but array expressions decay to pointers to the first element.
The sizeof operator works differently on arrays versus pointers, returning the total byte size for arrays but pointer size for decayed pointers.
Function signatures treat array parameters as pointers, losing size information, unlike when using pointers to arrays.
A hypothetical improved C could treat arrays like structs, passing by value to avoid confusion, with copying implications.
The @ operator from GDB is suggested as a syntax for constructing arrays from pointers, allowing explicit length annotation.
Array slicing could be made natural with syntax like iota[1]@2, addressing length metadata issues in current C.
The -> operator's design is discussed, with an alternative syntax proposed to emphasize pointer-level operations.

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