Matthew Woehlke wrote: > ...but this ("typeof(&((b)[0]))") seems like it might work, assuming > that "b" is a string literal, a [const] char*, or a [const] char[]. Yes, in fact, this does seem to work: #define S_OR(a, b) ({typeof(&((a)[0])) __x = (a); ast_strlen_zero(__x) ? (b) : __x;}) This macro appears to work fine, compiles in all our existing usage situations (combinations of char *, char [], const vs. non-const) and provides the side-effect-safe evaluation of its arguments I was looking for in the first place. Thanks! -- Kevin P. Fleming Director of Software Technologies Digium, Inc. - "The Genuine Asterisk Experience" (TM)