The last example is incorrect: int foo(int (*array)[3]) { return (*array)[1]; } // VLA pointer That is not a "VLA pointer" - there is no variably modified t

The last example is incorrect: int foo(int (*array)[3]) { return (*array)[1]; } // VLA pointer That is not a "VLA pointer" - there is no variably modified type here, that is just an ordinary pointer to array type, that worked perfectly fine as written back in your grandfather's C89.