char* (*name())[]; Is this statement array of function pointers?

Question

This statement has made me thinking. I end up with a conclusion function pointer returns the array of character. But I am not able to give proper reasoning to myself.

Answer 1

Read it like this (using Clockwise/Spiral rule):

char* (*name())[];

1) Find the identifier.

char* (*name())[];
        ^^^^

"name is a"

2) Move right.

char* (*name())[];
            ^^

"name is a function accepting any parameter and returning"

3) Can't move right anymore because of the right parenthesis, so move left.

char* (*name())[];
       ^

"name is a function accepting any parameter and returning pointer to"

4) Can't move left anymore because of the left parenthesis, so keep going right.

char* (*name())[];
               ^^

"name is a function accepting any parameter and returning pointer to an array"

5) Can't move right anymore because we're out of symbols, so go left.

char* (*name())[];
    ^

"name is a function accepting any parameter and returning pointer to an array of pointers to"

6) And finally, keep going left, because there's nothing left on the right.

char* (*name())[];
^^^^

"name is a function accepting any parameter and returning pointer to an array of pointers to char".