Thread: Array frustration

I'm really not sure how to approach this problem anymore.
I'm going to type it out really pedantically to try and figure it out for myself - but any suggestions greatfully received.

PROBLEM: Pick p numbers from n (n>>p) with no repetition.

SOLUTION: create choices[p] and delete p[i] from the source array at the ith step.

Easy, surely?

I have the feeling that I need to think a little more laterally than I am at the moment. Currently, I have a subfunction that deletes an element from the array - which requires wiping an array created in main, making a new one with the same name obviously and then returning to main pretending that nothing has happened. (It's a void function) - I think this is the main problem with my current approach.

Can you have a function that returns a pointer?

Then I could have:

[CODE]
*array=deletefrom(array, thisnode);
[\CODE]

array would get chopped up within the deletefrom function but it would be okay because you are effectively returning the array?

hmmmm

hmm... what about having a way to determine if a number was picked, e.g. a separate array of indices, or a search made on the array?

Thankyou.

A simple idea but so effective. I should be able to make everything work from here.