va_list is now an array of some (opaque ?) struct... gee thanks

A little trap in the new 64 bit ABI.

void   bar( va_list args)
{
   va_list   x;  
   
   x = args;
   return( va_arg( x, int));
}

does not work anymore. It gives the error

error: array type 'va_list' (aka 'struct __va_list_tag [1]') is not assignable

I was curious if there was any "obvious" change in functionality. Here is the part of a function calling bar disassembled for three different architectures. The disassembly shows, that it's the same internally, two pointers are pushed unto the stack (put into parameter registers).

x86_64
        movq    %rbx, %rsi
        movl    %r12d, %edi
        call    _bar

i386:
        movl    -12(%ebp), %eax
        movl    %eax, 4(%esp)
        movl    8(%ebp), %eax
        movl    %eax, (%esp)
        call    _bar

ppc:
        lwz r4,76(r1)
        mr r3,r29
        bl _bar

What does work in the old and the new world is

void   bar( va_list args)
{
   va_list   *x;  
   
   x = &args;
   return( va_arg( *x, int));
}

where I incur one pointer indirection due to syntax. I am still forming an opinion on that...