[Doxygen-users] Another question....

[woody <kn...@re...>]

It seems that Doxygen uses the prototype definition when it creates 
documentation for a function in the html and rtf files.

For example,

The actual definition of initiate_beep
static void initiate_beep (int duration,int off, char count)
{
// code body
}

the prototype:
static void initiate_beep (int duration,int offtime,char count);


The compiler is just fine with this, because all it cares about is the 
type.  However, doxygen picks up the prototype, and uses that as the header 
for the html and in the rtf file,
and puts only the body of the code under the header, showing the prototype 
as the parameters, which of course can cause problems in understanding and 
documenting code if the programmer
used different names for the same type.

of course in the body of the code, it is just   off    so *really* doxygen 
SHOULD be using the actual function definition, if there is one.
that is, if there is a function that matches the prototype as far as 
variable types, then the definition line where the function is actually 
found, should be used to
show the calling parameters, not the prototype.

This is easy to check.  Just create a function and a prototype, use 
different names for the same type parameters, and run through doxygen.

Doxygen should document code *as written*  or in construction terms "as 
built" rather than "as planned".
prototypes are "as planned" items, actual functions are "as written".

And YES, before anyone says anything else, IT IS BAD PRACTICE to use 
variable names that are different between function and prototype....