2005-09-03 Frank Ch. Eigler <fche@elastic.org>

	PR 1292, by popular request.
	* parse.cxx (parse_functiondecl): Allow optional value/param type
	declarations.
	* stap.1.in: Document this.
	* tapset/*.stp: Convert most functions accordingly.
	* testsuite/parseok/twelve.stp, semok/seven.stp,
	semko/twenty.stp: Test this.

1 files changed, 12 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/stap.1.in b/stap.1.in
index 12fcad52..13f02e13 100644
--- a/stap.1.in
+++ b/stap.1.in
@@ -315,8 +315,18 @@ function thisfn (arg1, arg2) {
    return arg1 + arg2
 }
 .ESAMPLE
-Note the usual absence of type declarations, which are instead
-inferred by the translator.  Functions may call others or themselves
+Note the general absence of type declarations, which are instead
+inferred by the translator.  However, if desired, a function
+definition may include explicit type declarations for its return value
+and/or its arguments.  This is especially helpful for embedded-C
+functions.  In the following example, the type inference engine need
+only infer type type of arg2 (a string).
+.SAMPLE
+function thatfn:string (arg1:long, arg2) {
+   return string(arg1) . arg2
+}
+.ESAMPLE
+Functions may call others or themselves
 recursively, up to a fixed nesting limit.  This limit is defined by
 a macro in the translated C code and is in the neighbourhood of 30.