Returning arrays from a function.

I've searched through the site and the forums, but I can't seem to find a clear answer. Can it be done? If so, what would be an example definition. If not, is there anything else that could be done, aside from using a global variable to get the same result?

>Can it be done?

No.[*]

>If not, is there anything else that could be done, aside from using a global variable to get the same result?

One usual way is to pass a pointer to the start of the array as a parameter, much like strcpy.



[*]Insert long discussion that offers various tricks and such that are almost but not quite returning an actual array.

Kinda thought so. I was already playing with the idea of passing a pointer but I hadn't quite figured out how to do it. I think I've got an idea now, though. Let me lay it out.

Code:

//Example code for dealing with arrays.
#include <stdio.h>

int index;
int entry[5];
entry[0] = 0;
entry[1] = 1;
entry[2] = 2;
entry[3] = 3;
entry[4] = 4;
int *entryptr = &entry;
int ansr[5];

/*return pointer*/ evaluate(int *ptr)
 {
  int answer[5];
  int *answerptr = &answer;
  for(index = 0; index <= 4; ++index)
    answer[index] = ptr[index];
  return answerptr;
 }

main()
 {
  ansr = evaluate(entryptr);
  printf("%i%i%i%i%i", ansr[0], ansr[1], ansr[2], ansr[3], ansr[4]);
 }

Would that give the output of "12345"?

>Would that give the output of "12345"?
No.

>int *entryptr = &entry;
The name of an array is almost always converted to a pointer to the first element, so the address-of operator is not needed.

>/*return pointer*/ evaluate(int *ptr)
If only the compiler understood comments:

Code:

int *evaluate ( int *ptr )

>return answerptr;
answerptr points to a local array, which will be destroyed when the function returns. The memory will no longer belong to you and likely contain garbage.

>ansr = evaluate(entryptr);
ansr is not a pointer, it's an array, and arrays cannot be assigned.

Mm-kay. I get all that (figured I made a bunch of stupid mistakes). What I can't figure out is how to return the answer without using a global variable. Here, let me give you a claraer idea of what I'm actually trying to do.

I'm trying to write two functions. InitIntArray and InitCharArray. They're going into my personal header file so I can use them in any program I write. They need to take three arguments: a pointer to the array to be initialized, the number of elements in the array, and what each element should be initialized to. Any ideas? Cause I'm out.

Code:

void InitIntArray(int *array, int size, int value)
{
   while ( size-- )
   {
      *array++ = value;
   }
}

For the character version, just use memset.

Wow. Thanks for helping, but I must be more of a newbie than I thought, cause I really don't get it.

EDIT: Nevermind. I plugged it into my compiler and messed with it for a bit. It was just the -- and the ++ that I'm not used to using in those instances. It makes perfect sense, now. Thanks a lot. ^_^ I'm happy now.

Is this easier?

Code:

#include <stdio.h>

void InitIntArray(int *array, int size, int value)
{
   int i;
   for ( i = 0; i < size; ++i )
   {
      array[i] = value;
   }
}

int main(void)
{
   int i, array[5] = {0};
   puts("Nothing up my sleeve...");
   for ( i = 0; i < 5; ++i )
   {
      printf("array[%d] = %d\n", i, array[i]);
   }
   InitIntArray(array, 5, 42);
   puts("Presto!");
   for ( i = 0; i < 5; ++i )
   {
      printf("array[%d] = %d\n", i, array[i]);
   }
   return 0;
}

/* my output
Nothing up my sleeve...
array[0] = 0
array[1] = 0
array[2] = 0
array[3] = 0
array[4] = 0
Presto!
array[0] = 42
array[1] = 42
array[2] = 42
array[3] = 42
array[4] = 42
*/

Bah, pooie. My edit was too slow. I got it after all.

Just one more question. While I was searching earlier, I read about a delete operator being used on a pointer. Is it only for pointers or can it be used on anything?

Originally Posted by Jaken Veina

Just one more question. While I was searching earlier, I read about a delete operator being used on a pointer. Is it only for pointers or can it be used on anything?

In C++ delete is used to free memory that was allocated using new, which is pointed to by some pointer.

Right, I forgot about that part. So, once you declare a variable, there is no way to "re-declare" it or "un-declare" it, inside its function.

why would you want to do that?

Well, in the program I'm working on, I need to be able to scan and read character strings of any size. To do that, I'm going to make a function to declare a local array of ten elements and scan the input into that. If the input is larger than ten characters, it will create more ten element arrays as it needs them. What it will do once it reads a \n, is count how many characters there are and create an array with just that many elements and copy the input into that array. But, since I have my entire main function looped indefinately so that the program will run again after it evaluates the entry, I need a way to get rid of the old array so that a new one can be declared. If it can't be done, I have an idea that should work, but this will just be easier.

realloc is your friend, so long as you use it correctly.

Quzah.

Ahh. Gotcha. Thanks a lot.