Arrays are already distinct types. char c; &c; // type is char* char arr[20]; &arr; // type is char (*p)[20], pointer to array of 20 char (A

Arrays are already distinct types. char c; &c; // type is char* char arr[20]; &arr; // type is char (*p)[20], pointer to array of 20 char (A small quibble: the term "type compatibility" in C doesn't mean implicit convertibility. Two types are compatible if they're literally the same type, and in just a few other cases. You can assign an int value to a long object, but int and long are not compatible, even if they happen to be the same size.) The problem with dropping implicit array-to-pointer conversion is that it would break most existing C code. It would be a great idea for a new language. Suggested reading: Section 6 of the comp.lang.c FAQ, <https://www.c-faq.com/ https://www.c-faq.com/>. The relationship between arrays and pointers in C is admittedly confusing; this is the best resource I know of for explaining it.