Maybe this will help ....

#define CAST(new_type,old_object) (*((new_type *)&old_object))



Example of CAST macro at work

union {
char ch[4];
int i[2];
} my_union;

long longvar;

longvar = (long)my_union; // Illegal cast
longvar = CAST(long, my_union); Legal cast


found on the internet used in a linux project ...