The first declaration tells the compiler that someArray
is at least 100 elements long. This can be used for optimizations. For example, it also means that someArray
is never NULL
.
Note that the C Standard does not require the compiler to diagnose when a call to the function does not meet these requirements (i.e., it is silent undefined behaviour).
The second declaration simply declares someArray
(not someArray
's elements!) as const, i.e., you can not write someArray=someOtherArray
. It is the same as if the parameter were char * const someArray
.
This syntax is only usable within the innermost []
of an array declarator in a function parameter list; it would not make sense in other contexts.
The Standard text, which covers both of the above cases, is in C11 6.7.6.3/7 (was 6.7.5.3/7 in C99):
A declaration of a parameter as ‘‘array of type’’ shall be adjusted to ‘‘qualified pointer to type’’, where the type qualifiers (if any) are those specified within the
[
and]
of the array type derivation. If the keyword static also appears within the[
and]
of the array type derivation, then for each call to the function, the value of the corresponding actual argument shall provide access to the first element of an array with at least as many elements as specified by the size expression.
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