Avoid raw C types with dimensions

Declare types rather than using raw C types so that if your implementation changes, you don't have to do a lot of editing by hand. It's much better to declare a type (via class definition or typedef) that represents the abstract concept, and to phrase your declarations that way. This lets you change your implementation by editing the original type definition.

long time; short mouseX; char *menuName; typedef long TimeStamp; typedef short Coordinate; class TString { ... }; ... TimeStamp time; Coordinate mouseX TString menuName;

NOTE A typedef doesn't introduce a new, distinct type; it's just a synonym. Also, the compiler doesn't warn you if you mix it with any other type that is defined synonymously.

For more information about raw C types, see "Bad assumptions" on page 140.