warning: excess elements in array initializer

I'm not sure why this code is giving the error message "warning: excess elements in array initializer". I've taken a look at:

http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~grant/Teaching/COMP205/string.html

and the example at the bottom seems to be similar to what I'm doing with this code. Can anyone shed any light on the matter. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

Code:

const int accepted_files = 13;
/*compare user file types against file types accepted*/
int
file_type_compare(char *file_type)
{
    char *accepted_file_types[accepted_files] = {
            "mp3",
            "wma",
            "wav",
            "m4a",
            "ogg",
            "pmg",
            "pls",
            "m3u",
            "bmp",
            "gif",
            "jpg",
            "png",
            "tiff"
    };
    int f;
    for(f = 0; f < accepted_files; ++f)    {
        if (!strcasecmp(*accepted_files[f], *file_type))    /*precaution against the user using mixed or upper case*/
            return 0;    /*exit, matched a type*/
    }
    die(_("File type \"%s\" matched no type, accepted file types are: put something here\n"), file_type);
}

The compile error:

Code:

metadata.c:1202: error: variable-sized object may not be initialized
metadata.c:1203: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1203: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1204: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1204: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1205: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1205: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1206: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1206: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1207: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1207: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1208: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1208: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1209: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1209: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1210: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1210: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1211: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1211: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1212: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1212: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1213: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1213: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1214: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1214: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1216: warning: excess elements in array initializer
metadata.c:1216: warning: (near initialization for ‘accepted_file_types’)
metadata.c:1219: error: subscripted value is neither array nor pointer

The problem is that accepted_file_types is being declared as a variable length array. You probably need to change accepted_files to a macro or an enum.

Hey what's this:

Code:

      if (!strcasecmp(*accepted_files[f], *file_type))

You are confused by your own variable names!

Another problem about having near identical names is if you want to change one, you may be unable to do so using pattern matching without changing the others too.

Oh dear, confusing variable names! Revisions have been made. And the warning messages have disappeared. I'm not sure how placing a const int or a macro would create create such a difference when specifying a char array size. If you could explain it further i would really appreciate it . I did originally start using a macro but in Steve Qualline's book "Practical C", he really pushes that the reader should use const over define whenever possible because of immediate syntax checking and scope rules etc. But I'm not sure what to think now.

Code:

#define FILE_COUNT 13
/*compare user file types against file types accepted*/
int
file_type_compare(char *file_type)
{
	char *accepted_file_types[FILE_COUNT] = {
			"mp3",
			"wma",
			"wav",
			"m4a",
			"ogg",
			"pmg",
			"pls",
			"m3u",
			"bmp",
			"gif",
			"jpg",
			"png",
			"tiff"
	};
	int f;
	for(f = 0; f < FILE_COUNT; ++f)	{
		if (!strcasecmp(*accepted_file_types[f], *file_type))	/*precaution against the user using mixed or upper case*/
			return 0;	/*exit, matched a type*/
	}
	die(_("File type \"%s\" matched no type, accepted file types are: put something here\n"), file_type);
}

Shouldn't this:

Code:

		if (!strcasecmp(*accepted_file_types[f], *file_type))	/*precaution against the user using mixed or upper case*/

be this

Code:

		if (!strcasecmp(*accepted_file_types[f], file_type))	/*precaution against the user using mixed or upper case*/

Or you could leave out the array size such as the following...
char *accepted_file_types[] = {
The fact that you have initializers tells the compiler the required size.

Code:

char *accepted_file_types[FILE_COUNT] = {

Should really be:

Code:

const char *accepted_file_types[FILE_COUNT] = {

although it's not required.

Code:

if (!strcasecmp(*accepted_file_types[f], *file_type))

Should be:

Code:

if (!strcasecmp(accepted_file_types[f], file_type))

...both the *'s should be gone there.