When is char* safe for strict pointer aliasing?

Question

I\'ve been trying to understand the strict aliasing rules as they apply to the char pointer.

Here this is stated:

It is always presumed that a

Answer 1

Correct, the second example is in violation of the strict aliasing rules, so if you compile with the -fstrict-aliasing flag, there's a chance you may get incorrect object code. The fully correct solution would be to use a union here:

union
{
  SocketMsgToRecv msg;
  char msgBuff[100];
};

recv(socket, msgBuff, 100);

printf("Got Msg: a: %i, b: %i", msg.a, msg.b);