Functions that return structures

I've been trying to create a code that includes structures produced at various event times by a function. Since it was clear that my structure-producing function was not working, I decided to try building a very simple code that just produces a structure from a function.

Not surprisingly, it doesn't work either. It returns an error saying "funs returning structs/unions illegal '=makepoint(1,1)' ".

Code:

 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <time.h>	
 #include <math.h>

struct point {
	int x;
	int y;
};
struct point makepoint(int a, int b);	

int main() {
	struct point point1;
	
	point1=makepoint(1,1);
	
	printf( "done" );

	getchar();
	return 0;

}

struct point makepoint(int a, int b) {
	struct point new;
	
	new.x=a;
	new.y=b;
	
	return new;
}

I presume I'm making a really elementary coding error.

new is a local instance of point that'll be destroyed once the function returns. generally passing around and returning full structs creates alot of unnecessary overhead. instead, try passing a pointer to the struct.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <time.h>	
 #include <math.h>

struct point {
	int x;
	int y;
};
void makepoint(int a, int b, struct point *ppt);	

int main() {
	struct point point1;
	
	makepoint(1,1,&point1);
	
	printf( "done" );

	getchar();
	return 0;

}

void makepoint(int a, int b, struct point *ppt) {
        ppt->x=a;
        ppt->y=b;
}

This is how to do it with dynamic memory.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>	
#include <math.h>

struct point {
	int x;
	int y;
};

struct point * makepoint(int a, int b);	

int main() {
	struct point * point1;  // declare a pointer 
	
	point1=makepoint( 1, 1 );  // a pointer to the struct is returned 
	
	printf( "done. x=&#37;d, y=%d\n", point1->x, point1->y  );

	free(point1) ;   // release the struct's memory 
	
	getchar();
	return 0;

}

struct point * makepoint(int a, int b) {
	struct point * mypoint;  // Declare a pointer to a point struct 
	mypoint = malloc(sizeof(struct point) ) ;  // Obtain dynamic memory  
	
	mypoint->x=a;  // assign values 
	mypoint->y=b;
	
	return mypoint ;  // return the pointer to the struct 
}

Originally Posted by Burra

It returns an error saying "funs returning structs/unions illegal '=makepoint(1,1)' ".

What compiler are you using?

Originally Posted by Dave_Sinkula

What compiler are you using?

Good question. As it happens, I was using Miracle C, and when I switched to CodeBlocks, it worked (after I renamed "new").

Thanks, Bleech and Todd.