[mpweiher]

"Zero is not nothing."

Yes. In a computer, there is nothing that is nothing. You always have something that signifies nothing.

C pointers also do not hold "nothing". What you refer to as "nothing" is the address 0, which is a special value that the language makes certain guarantees about that you interpret as being "nothing" because of these guarantees.

[mikeash]

> C pointers also do not hold "nothing". What you refer to as "nothing" is the address 0, which is a special value that the language makes certain guarantees about that you interpret as being "nothing" because of these guarantees.

Of course. The point is that pointers have that "special value", while primitives do not. The integer value 0 is not the same thing.

[bostonpete]

You're both right. Zero does mean nothing. Also, zero is not a special value for integers like it is for pointers. Enough of this self-righteous debate.

[mpweiher]

Dude, that is exactly what I was saying...

[mpweiher]

I never claimed it was. Sheesh.