Calling a function: syntax error before ']' token

Hey guys, I've got a problem that I'm hoping someone can shed some light on...

Here's the code:

Code:

---

//prototype//

void load_array_from_file(FILE* fp, int quote[], char roomletter[],
int length[], int width[], char paint[], char ceiling[],
double cost[], double setup_cost[],
int* plines_in_file);

//main//

main(){
      int* poption;
      FILE* fp;
      int quote, length, width;
      int* plines_in_file;
      char roomletter, paint, ceiling;
      double cost, setup_cost;
      load_array_from_file(*fp, quote[], roomletter[], length[], width[], paint[], ceiling[], cost[], setup_cost[], *plines_in_file);
      }

//function//

void load_array_from_file(FILE* fp, int quote[], char roomletter[],
int length[], int width[], char paint[], char ceiling[],
double cost[], double setup_cost[],
int* plines_in_file){
    fp = fopen("C:/Users/ASDF/Desktop/A/quotes.txt","r");
    if(fp == NULL){
          printf("Error\n");
          }
    else{
    fscanf(fp, "%d,%[^:],%d,%d,%[^:],%[^:],%lf,%lf", quote, roomletter, length, width, paint, ceiling, cost, setup_cost);
    printf("%d,%[^:],%d,%d,%[^:],%[^:],%lf,%lf",quote, roomletter, length, width, paint, ceiling, cost, setup_cost);
          }
    }

---

So there error code I get is:
In function 'main':
syntax error before ']' token

That is on line 33, which is this line:
load_array_from_file(*fp, quote[], roomletter[], length[], width[], paint[], ceiling[], cost[], setup_cost[], *plines_in_file);



Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Basically I'm trying to read certain values from a file and output it, but I'm stuck here.

Thanks in advance

If I change that line to:

void load_array_from_file(FILE* fp, int quote[], char roomletter[],
int length[], int width[], char paint[], char ceiling[],
double cost[], double setup_cost[],
int* plines_in_file);

It compiles but nothing happens when I run the program.

Your change works because you're just duplicating your prototype from line 3 without calling the function.

The fact that you'd write your code like that implies you haven't really dealt with functions/arrays/pointers before.
I'd work on how to define and call a function first before I'd play with pointers! It would probably lessen the confusion a bit.

I have dealt with functions, arrays, and pointers before, but more at a basic level.

The prototypes were issued by the professor.

What I've done now is taken the printf("") out of the function and placed it in main so that printf uses the values called from the function but it's not working right.

Code:

---

main(){
      int* poption;
      FILE* fp;
      int quote, length, width;
      int* plines_in_file;
      char roomletter, paint, ceiling;
      double cost, setup_cost;
     
      void load_array_from_file(FILE* fp, int quote[], char roomletter[],
      int length[], int width[], char paint[], char ceiling[],
      double cost[], double setup_cost[],
      int* plines_in_file);
     
      printf("%d,%c,%d,%d,%c,%c,%lf,%lf", quote, roomletter, length, width, paint, ceiling, cost, setup_cost);
      }

//function://
void load_array_from_file(FILE* fp, int quote[], char roomletter[],
int length[], int width[], char paint[], char ceiling[],
double cost[], double setup_cost[],
int* plines_in_file){
    fp = fopen("C:/Users/Vartan/Desktop/IPC/quotes.txt","r");
    if(fp == NULL){
          printf("Error\n");
          }
    else{
    fscanf(fp, "%d,%c,%d,%d,%c,%c,%lf,%lf", quote, roomletter, length, width, paint, ceiling, cost, setup_cost);
          }
    }

---

Output is:

2, , 7,28,", ,0.000000,0.000000

Any idea on how to fix it?

edit:

I should mention, the file contains the following:
531,A,10,10,b,n,96.00,100.00
531,B,15,15,b,n,144.00,0.00
531,C,20,20,b,n,192.00,0.00
533,A,11,11,r,n,123.20,100.00
533,B,22,22,r,n,246.40,0.00
534,A,10,16,p,n,166.40,100.00
534,B,20,32,p,n,332.80,0.00
535,A,10,10,b,y,96.00,100.00
535,B,15,15,b,y,144.00,0.00
535,C,20,20,b,y,192.00,0.00
537,A,11,11,r,y,123.20,100.00
537,B,22,22,r,y,246.40,0.00
538,A,10,16,p,y,166.40,100.00
538,B,20,32,p,y,332.80,0.00

Alright, I understand. That's probably a step in the right direction.

You should be passing the address of your variables to load_array_from_file() to use in fscanf() because fscanf() expects pointers in the first place.

Although the prototype for load_array_from_file() and your file format sort of imply that you shouldn't be dealing with individual variables and their addresses at all but instead arrays, and that you'd have a loop in load_array_from_file() to read each line. I'm a bit confused.

Ugh, it seems the post I just made disappeared.

edit:

I'm sorry, I should have mentioned that arrays WILL be a part of the program, but right now I'm just building the basic mechanics and am trying to make sure it correctly outputs what's stored on the file (eg 531,A,10,10,b,n,96.00,100.00). Right now it juts seems to be spitting out random numbers.

Could you please correct the code that seems to be wrong? Should I be assigning pointers to all my variables in the called function? Thanks

If anyone could tell me why my output from the fscanf/printf is:
2, ,8,32,", ,0.00,0.00

I would be eternally grateful. Thank you. I'll check this thread tomorrow morning.

edit:
Interesting. For fun I decided to modify the file path for the fopen portion, and it seems that no matter what I put there the output remains the same. The path and filename are all correct, but I'm assuming I'm doing something wrong with fopen. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? Wrong syntax perhaps?

Thanks

Your function correctly accepts pointers as that's what fscanf() needs, so you need to pass it pointers: either

Code:

---

load_array_from_file(&var_from_main, ...) // NOT var_from_main[]

---

or

Code:

---

load_array_from_file(array_from_main, ...) // same idea

---

Your output is bad because, if you haven't changed your code, you still aren't even calling your function! In the place of a function call, you've only shown 1) a syntax error and 2) a duplicate prototype.

Is there any chance you could rewrite the parts that are messed up? It's late and I've had a lot of issues to deal with lately. I'd like to see exactly what needs to be changed so I could better analyze my mistakes.

Thanks for your help so far, mdj441