Question

#include <stdio>
int main(){      

       int x = 4;  
       int y = 3;  
       int z;

       z = x---y;
       printf("%d" , z);
       return 0;
}

The gcc compiler in Linux Mandriva evaluates it as (x--)-y.
I am confused as to why is it so.
It could have been x - (--y).

I know some of the answers would tell me to look at precedence tables. Ihave gone through all of them, still the doubt persists.

Please anybody clarify this.

Answer 1

The rule is “when getting the next token, use the longest sequence of characters possible that constitute a valid token”. So --- is -- followed by a - and not the other way around. Precedence has actually nothing to do with this.