problem understanding a pointer to an array of characters

[Satya]

Hi,

i am trying to learn how to declare a pointer to an array of characters. And here is the code i have written. But iam getting a warning saying assignment from incompatible pointer type p = s.

#include <stdio.h>


int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{


char (*p)[10]; // pointer to an array of 10chars
char s[10] = "Hello";


p = s;
printf("%s",p);
return 0;
}

can someone please explain me my mistake?

[tabstop]

s is not a pointer to an array of chars; it is a pointer to a single char (the first in the array). &s is a pointer to an array of chars. (They have the same value, because s points to the first member of the array, but they have different types.)

[Satya]

i never knew about this, i was always thinking s and &s are the same. thank you very much.

[grumpy]

s is not a pointer to an array of chars; it is a pointer to a single char (the first in the array).

s is not a pointer at all. It is an array of 10 chars. When the name of an array is used in a context where a pointer is expected, however, then the name of an array is converted to a pointer (with value equal to the address of the first element, and type of "pointer to element of array").