pass by value / passy by reference

I'm experimenting with pass by value/reference and im having trouble maybe someone can help.
ill just post a simplified example of the problem i am having. i know it has something to do with pointers but everything i try doesent work.

Function call

Code:

       readname (fin, a, emp);

emp has no value when brought into function

function

Code:

void readname(FILE* fin, struct emp a[1024], int num_emp) {        
        
        fscanf(fin, "%d", &num_emp);        
       
        printf("%d", num_emp);
}

num_emp = 2 when it prints in the function

then in main i print emp right after this function runs to check its value... ant it's 0 again.

do i need an ampersand somewhere?

thanks for the help.

You need to pass a pointer to emp if you want the called function to change its value in the calling function.

Code:

readname (fin, a, &emp);

Code:

void readname(FILE* fin, struct emp a[], int *num_emp) {        
        
        fscanf(fin, "%d", num_emp);        
       
        printf("%d", *num_emp);
}

By the way, the size of the array is unnecessary; the compiler will treat struct emp a[1024], struct emp a[], or struct emp *a as just a pointer to a struct emp. Also, although I guess it's legal to have both a struct emp and an int emp in your program, it seems unnecessarily confusing. Why not use a different (and more descriptive) name for the int, such as int num_emp as you did in readname()?

Originally Posted by R.Stiltskin

Also, although I guess it's legal to have both a struct emp and an int emp in your program, it seems unnecessarily confusing. Why not use a different (and more descriptive) name for the int, such as int num_emp as you did in readname()?

i have it named that in the actual code i just changed it to set the function call apart from the function more clearly. i didnt realize i made the struct and the int both the same name.

i tried exactly what you posted a few times and i get the same output plus a [warning] "comparison between pointer and integer"

Originally Posted by ominub

i tried exactly what you posted a few times and i get the same output plus a [warning] "comparison between pointer and integer"

That does not relate to the code we have posted here. There must be something wrong elsewhere in the program (the warning should tell you which line). In the code I posted, I assumed that in the calling function, num_emp is defined as
int num_emp, NOT int *num_emp. Which is it?

i wont change anything this time other than shorten it. i thought changing it would help but it only made it worse i guess. here...

Code:

void readempname(FILE* fin, struct employee a[1024], int num_emp) ;

int main() {

    int emp;

        readempname(fin, a, emp);

        printf("%d\n", emp);

}


void readempname(FILE* fin, struct employee a[1024], int num_emp)  {

int     i=0;
    
        // read in  # of employees
        fscanf(fin, "%d", &num_emp);
        
        //read in first name / last name / pph
        for (i = 0; i < num_emp; i++) {         <--------- Getting warning on this line after i apply your suggested changes.
            fscanf(fin, "%s", a[i].first);
            fscanf(fin, "%s", a[i].last);
            fscanf(fin, "%lf", &a[i].payperhr);
        }

        printf("%d\n", num_emp);
}

output is:

2
0




did that make more sense? that is what i have now.

Warning is because when you pass &emp to the function, you have to use *num_emp for the comparison.

then it just crashes and doesn't print anything. no errors or warnings just a pop up window that says the program has stopped working.

Post the code that crashed.

PM okay? its an open assignment.

Just post the same section as before, after the changes you made.

Code:

void readempname(FILE* fin, struct employee a[1024], int *num_emp) ;

int main() {

    int emp;

        readempname(fin, a, &emp);

        printf("%d\n", emp);

}


void readempname(FILE* fin, struct employee a[1024], int *num_emp)  {

int     i=0;
    
        // read in  # of employees
        fscanf(fin, "%d", &num_emp);
        
        //read in first name / last name / pph
        for (i = 0; i < *num_emp; i++) {         
            fscanf(fin, "%s", a[i].first);
            fscanf(fin, "%s", a[i].last);
            fscanf(fin, "%lf", &a[i].payperhr);
        }

        printf("%d\n", num_emp);
}

The only error I see there is that you forgot to change num_emp to *num_emp in the last printf statement, but that shouldn't cause it to crash. I suggest you move that printf statement to immediately after the fscanf that reads in the value for num_emp, just to be sure that the input is OK (it should print before it crashes). Then you can start looking for the next error someplace else.

i put the printf right after the fscanf and it still crashed without printing num_emp

i tried something a little different and it works but its a little sketchy... what do you think?

Code:

void readempname(FILE* fin, struct employee a[1024], int *num_emp) ;

int main() {

    int emp;


        // read in  # of employees
        fscanf(fin, "%d", &emp);

        readempname(fin, a, &emp);

        printf("%d\n", emp);

}


void readempname(FILE* fin, struct employee a[1024], int *num_emp)  {

int     i=0;
    
        // i took the fscanf out of the function
        
        //read in first name / last name / pph
        for (i = 0; i < *num_emp; i++) {         
            fscanf(fin, "%s", a[i].first);
            fscanf(fin, "%s", a[i].last);
            fscanf(fin, "%lf", &a[i].payperhr);
        }

        printf("%d\n", *num_emp);
}

aparently, you arent supposed to have scanf s to replace the variable passed in when you are using pass by reference. but isnt that the point? pass by ref is confusing.

Sorry, I just looked again at the code you posted in #11. You also forgot to change the fscanf statement in readempname(). Look at my code in post #2 more carefully. num_emp is already a pointer, so you shouldn't be using the & operator there.