Various errors with pointers

[Covalent]

I'm trying to do a program that randomly generates 12 digits, not equal to 9, using pointers. But I get some pretty nasty errors and I just can't understand what's wrong. I'm using XCode on Mac OS X.

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

void random(int * pnt1, int * pnt2, int * pnt3, int * pnt4, int * pnt5, int * pnt6, int * pnt7, int * pnt8, int * pnt9, int * pnt10, int * pnt11, int * pnt12);

int main()
{
	int a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l;
	a=b=c=d=e=f=g=h=i=j=k=l=9;
	
	random(&a,&b,&c,&d,&e,&f,&g,&h,&i,&j,&k,&l);
	printf("&d&d&d&d&d&d&d&d&d&d&d&d",a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l);
	getchar();
	return 0;
}


void random(int * pnt1, int * pnt2, int * pnt3, int * pnt4, int * pnt5, int * pnt6, int * pnt7, int * pnt8, int * pnt9, int * pnt10, int * pnt11, int * pnt12)
{
	int rando;
	int i;
	
	for(i=0;i<12;i++)
	{
		do
		{
			rando=rand();
			rando=floor(rando/1000000000);
		}
		while(rando=9)
		
		
			
			if(i==0)
			{
				pnt1=&a;
				*pnt1=rando;
			}
			else if(i==1)
			{
				pnt2=&b;
				*pnt2=rando;
			}
			else if(i==2)
			{
				pnt3=&c;
				*pnt3=rando;
			}
			else if(i==3)
			{
				pnt4=&d;
				*pnt4=rando;
			}
			else if(i==4)
			{
				pnt5=&e;
				*pnt5=rando;
			}
			else if(i==5)
			{
				pnt6=&f;
				*pnt6=rando;
			}
			else if(i==6)
			{
				pnt7=&g;
				*pnt7=rando;
			}
			else if(i==7)
			{
				pnt8=&h;
				*pnt8=rando;
			}
			else if(i==8)
			{
				pnt9=&i;
				*pnt9=rando;
			}
			else if(i==9)
			{
				pnt10=&j;
				*pnt10=rando;
			}
			else if(i==10)
			{
				pnt11=&k;
				*pnt11=rando;
			}
			else if(i==11)
			{
				pnt12=&l;
				*pnt12=rando;
			}
		}	
				
	}}

Sorry for the quite long "if" sequence, but I didn't want to try a switch right now.

So the errors I get are :

1- Conflicting types for 'random' for my function prototype and declaration
2- Syntax error before the first 'if'
3- Syntax error before every 'else if'
4- From 'pnt3' and the rest, I get : 'pnt3' redeclared as different kind of symbol
5- Syntax error before '}' token

And the warnings:

1-At my function definition, I get, for every pointer from 3 to 12, "previous definition of 'pntX' was here"
2- From 'pnt3' to 'pnt12' after the *pntX=rando, I get, "type defaults to 'int' in declaration of 'pntX'"
AND "initialization makes pointer from integer without a cast"

So, what have I done wrong?

[whiteflags]

What a mess! How about we start over after we learn about arrays.

[Covalent]

What a mess! How about we start over after we learn about arrays.

Yeah well, I know it would be better, but we just can't use Arrays, specification in the homework ^^' Else I would have done that :P Same thing for character chains, we can't use them.

[tabstop]

For 2 -- do whatever while () ;
The punctuation is important. Also rando=9 is not what you want.
Also a through l are not defined inside random. The fact that you don't get that warning worries me.
And your printf statement is going to surprise you.

[Covalent]

For 2 -- do whatever while () ;
The punctuation is important. Also rando=9 is not what you want.
Also a through l are not defined inside random. The fact that you don't get that warning worries me.
And your printf statement is going to surprise you.

Wow, yes, that ; after the while indeed fixed a lot of things! Thx for that!

The while (rando=9) is there so the random generation number continues until I get a number else then 9.

For your third sentence, I don't get what you mean about the random function.

EDIT: Ok I just realized that the first statement in every 'if' block was useless since my pointers were already there. Now, I only got 2 errors remaining, concerning my prototype and function declaration.

I get "conflicting types for 'random'". What does that mean?

[tabstop]

The while (rando=9) is there so the random generation number continues until I get a number else then 9.

You don't have to believe me -- you can wait until you get the program working. I promise you every number you get will be 9. (Well, of course; you are assigning 9 to the variable rando, after all.)

For your third sentence, I don't get what you mean about the random function.

EDIT: Ok I just realized that the first statement in every 'if' block was useless since my pointers were already there. Now, I only got 2 errors remaining, concerning my prototype and function declaration.

I get "conflicting types for 'random'". What does that mean?

You shouldn't get conflicting types for random based on what you have posted here. Does your source match what you posted?

[iMalc]

When fixing errors, always start with the first error, the one that is earliest in the file. Often many of the others can be taken care of by fixing that first one.
You aren't generating random numbers properly. It wont work at all on a 32-bit machine I epxect.
Anyway I think you must have misunderstood what you're supposed to write. I don't think your teacher would mean for you to ridiculously write a psuedo-array like that. You can just generate digits one at a time and output each one immediately.

[Covalent]

You don't have to believe me -- you can wait until you get the program working. I promise you every number you get will be 9. (Well, of course; you are assigning 9 to the variable rando, after all.)

But if I write while (rando!=9), wouldn't that make loop my function until I do get a 9?

You shouldn't get conflicting types for random based on what you have posted here. Does your source match what you posted?

Here is my code corrected.

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

void random(int * pnt1, int * pnt2, int * pnt3, int * pnt4, int * pnt5, int * pnt6, int * pnt7, int * pnt8, int * pnt9, int * pnt10, int * pnt11, int * pnt12);

int main()
{
	int a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l;
	a=b=c=d=e=f=g=h=i=j=k=l=9;
	
	random(&a,&b,&c,&d,&e,&f,&g,&h,&i,&j,&k,&l);
	printf("&d&d&d&d&d&d&d&d&d&d&d&d",a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l);
	getchar();
	return 0;
}


void random(int * pnt1, int * pnt2, int * pnt3, int * pnt4, int * pnt5, int * pnt6, int * pnt7, int * pnt8, int * pnt9, int * pnt10, int * pnt11, int * pnt12)
{
	int rando;
	int i;
	
	for(i=0;i<12;i++)
	{
		do
		{
			rando=rand();
			rando=floor(rando/1000000000);
		}
		while(rando==9);
		
		
			
			if(i==0)
			{
				
				*pnt1=rando;
			}
			else if(i==1)
			{
			
				*pnt2=rando;
			}
			else if(i==2)
			{
				
				*pnt3=rando;
			}
			else if(i==3)
			{
				
				*pnt4=rando;
			}
			else if(i==4)
			{
				
				*pnt5=rando;
			}
			else if(i==5)
			{
				
				*pnt6=rando;
			}
			else if(i==6)
			{
			
				*pnt7=rando;
			}
			else if(i==7)
			{
				
				*pnt8=rando;
			}
			else if(i==8)
			{
		
				*pnt9=rando;
			}
			else if(i==9)
			{
			
				*pnt10=rando;
			}
			else if(i==10)
			{
			
				*pnt11=rando;
			}
			else if(i==11)
			{
			
				*pnt12=rando;
			}
		}	
				
	}

Anyway I think you must have misunderstood what you're supposed to write. I don't think your teacher would mean for you to ridiculously write a psuedo-array like that. You can just generate digits one at a time and output each one immediately.

I wanted to do that with a single pointer, but I just don't know how to..

[Oester]

Try rename your random function..

[Covalent]

Ok, I renamed and it's working, thank you!

And I saw what you meant by "what you will get will be interesting", I corrected the &d in the printf for %d.

But now, I always get the same numbers, 001010011201, which means my random function isn't working at all.

Anything I should look at?

[cas]

I get "conflicting types for 'random'". What does that mean?

I'd guess that your system is providing a function called "random", so your declaration is conflicting with that. POSIX systems provide random() in stdlb.h, and other systems may be similar.

You can either rename your function (the better idea) or tell your compiler to be a strictly C compiler. This is possible in gcc with the -std=c89 option. If you do this, your compiler won't be allowed to use the name random.

Renaming is better, in my opinion, because there's probably a good chance you'll wind up wanting, at some point, to use POSIX features (or whatever your implementation provides) that will disappear if you're using plain C.

[tabstop]

If you mean that every time you run the program, you get the same answers, that's expected and perfectly normal. If you mean that each of your twelve numbers is the same number, then that's bad.

[Covalent]

Ok I just forgot to add srand(time(NULL)); in my declaration. Still, every 12 digit number I get only has 0-1-2, never something else...

[Oester]

You have to seed your rand() function.. Put srand(time(NULL)) in your main function.

[tabstop]

Ok I just forgot to add srand(time(NULL)); in my declaration. Still, every 12 digit number I get only has 0-1-2, never something else...

Well, since your MAX_RAND is probably 2147483647, yes you will never get anything bigger than 2. Did you mean %10 instead of /1000000000?