array question

[geo_c]

I am trying to figure out why this array assignment is invalid. Can someone please explain it to me?

#include <stdio.h>
#define SIZE 5
int main(void)
{
     int win[SIZE] = {5, 3, 2, 1}
     int loss[SIZE]

     win[SIZE] = loss[SIZE] // invalid ?

Is the assignment invalid because I am assigning one array to another as one whole unit?

Thanks.

[quzah]

You cannot assign arrays that way. You have to loop through the entire array, assigning one element at a time. Even if you use something like memcpy, you have to loop (because that's what it does, it just wraps it in a function for you).

Furthermore, your use of win[SIZE] is invalid, because SIZE would actually point past the valid useable elements of the array itself. Remember, array indexes go from win[0] through win[SIZE - 1].

Quzah.

[caroundw5h]

aside from the typographical errors i'm ignoring, and the puzzling intiialization in your first array - the short answer is yes. you can't assign an array to another array in C.

[moi]

both arrays are of size 5, which means you have elements from 0 to 4. element 5 is out of range, and your assignment tries to assign the value of loss[5] (out of range) to win[5] (also out of range)

recall from ansi, in array of size n, a pointer may point to array[n], but may not dereference it.

[sean]

If this is the cause of your confusion with SIZE, remember that only arrays of type char will have the null character at the end taking up one element.

[quzah]

If this is the cause of your confusion with SIZE, remember that only arrays of type char will have the null character at the end taking up one element.

This is wrong. Character arrays are not required to have a null character at the end. C strings require a null character, not character arrays. There is a difference.

Character arrays are not required to be C strings.

Quzah.

[quzah]

aside from the typographical errors i'm ignoring, and the puzzling intiialization in your first array - the short answer is yes. you can't assign an array to another array in C.

Assuming the origional poster fixes their semi-colon key, which seems to be not working, the array initialization is perfectly legal. It assigns the first four values, as listed, and by default assigns zero to the last uninitialized element.

Quzah.

[caroundw5h]

Assuming the origional poster fixes their semi-colon key, which seems to be not working, the array initialization is perfectly legal. It assigns the first four values, as listed, and by default assigns zero to the last uninitialized element.

Quzah.

knew that. just wondering why he did it.