Question

Is it possible to recast the a variable permanently, or have a wrapper function such that the variable would behave like another type?

I would want to achieve something I posted in the other question:
Typecasting variable with another typedef

Update: Added GCC as compiler. May have a extension that would help?

Answer 1

Yes, you can cast a variable from one type to another:

 int x = 5;
 double y = (double) x; // <== this is what a cast looks like

However, you cannot modify the type of the identifier ‘x’ in-place, if that is what you are asking. Close to that, though, you can introduce another scope with that identifier redeclared with some new type:

  int x = 5;
  double y = (double) x;
  {
      double x = y; // NOTE: this isn't the same as the 'x' identifier above
      // ...
  }
  // NOTE: the symbol 'x' reverts to its previous meaning here.

Another thing you could do, though it is really a horrible, horrible idea is:

  int x = 5;
  double new_version_of_x = (double) x;  // Let's make 'x' mean this
  #define x new_version_of_x
  // The line above is pure evil, don't actually do it, but yes,
  // all lines after this one will think 'x' has type double instead
  // of int, because the text 'x' has been rewritten to refer to
  // 'new_version_of_x'. This will likely lead to all sorts of havoc