GNU Info

(gcc-295.info)Complex

---

Next: Hex Floats Prev: Long Long Up: C Extensions

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Complex Numbers
===============

   GNU C supports complex data types.  You can declare both complex
integer types and complex floating types, using the keyword
`__complex__'.

   For example, `__complex__ double x;' declares `x' as a variable
whose real part and imaginary part are both of type `double'.
`__complex__ short int y;' declares `y' to have real and imaginary
parts of type `short int'; this is not likely to be useful, but it
shows that the set of complex types is complete.

   To write a constant with a complex data type, use the suffix `i' or
`j' (either one; they are equivalent).  For example, `2.5fi' has type
`__complex__ float' and `3i' has type `__complex__ int'.  Such a
constant always has a pure imaginary value, but you can form any
complex value you like by adding one to a real constant.

   To extract the real part of a complex-valued expression EXP, write
`__real__ EXP'.  Likewise, use `__imag__' to extract the imaginary part.

   The operator `~' performs complex conjugation when used on a value
with a complex type.

   GNU CC can allocate complex automatic variables in a noncontiguous
fashion; it's even possible for the real part to be in a register while
the imaginary part is on the stack (or vice-versa).  None of the
supported debugging info formats has a way to represent noncontiguous
allocation like this, so GNU CC describes a noncontiguous complex
variable as if it were two separate variables of noncomplex type.  If
the variable's actual name is `foo', the two fictitious variables are
named `foo$real' and `foo$imag'.  You can examine and set these two
fictitious variables with your debugger.

   A future version of GDB will know how to recognize such pairs and
treat them as a single variable with a complex type.