Technotes

Technote PT 30

July 1985

If you're using MPW Pascal, the syntax is usually

	partCode := TrackControl(theControl, startPt, @MyProc)

where MyProc is the procedure passed by pointer (using the @ symbol).

Because of the way that MPW Pascal (and some other compilers) construct stack frames, any procedure or function passed by pointer must not have its declaration nested within another procedure or function. If its declaration is nested, the program will crash, probably with an illegal instruction error. The following example demonstrates this:

	PROGRAM CertainDeath;

	   PROCEDURE CallDialog;

	      VAR
	         x : INTEGER;

	      FUNCTION MyFilter(theDialog: DialogPtr; VAR theEvent: EventRecord;
	                        VAR itemHit: INTEGER): Boolean;
	      {note that MyFilter's declaration is nested within CallDialog}

	      BEGIN {MyFilter}
	        {body of MyFilter}
	      END; {MyFilter}

	   BEGIN {CallDialog}
	      ModalDialog(@MyFilter,itemHit) {<------------ will crash here}
	   END; {CallDialog}

	BEGIN {main program}
	      CallDialog;
	END.

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