c++ -- returning an array from function

Ok i have a small problem where i have a function that generates an array of characters. However, if i try to return that array i get a mess of errors. I think that i need to use a pointer to do it however, all the examples i saw used integers and did not work for me. This project i am working on is over my head, but that is how i learned all my other programing languages so please understand that my errors may just be newbie errors. Thanks! ~p4plus2~

...and if it helps here is the function:
i know i could combine the separate for loops but i left em apart since its was for a debugging reason and will not be there in my final product.
This also may not be the best way that i can accomplish what i am doing, but i think it is probably a better learning experience to do it the long way, however feel free to suggest another way to do this so if i make a new version maybe i will try a method suggested.

Code:

char start_rubik(){
	char cube[6][3][3];
	char color[] = {'b', 'o', 'g', 'r', 'w', 'y'}; 
	for(int i = 0; i != 6; i++){	
		for(int b = 0; b != 3; b++){
			for(int a = 0; a !=3; a++){
				cube[i][b][a] = color[i];
			}
		}
	}
	for(int i = 0; i != 6; i++){	
		for(int b = 0; b != 3; b++){
			for(int a = 0; a !=3; a++){
				std::cout << cube[i][b][a];
			}
			std::cout << "\n";
		}
	}
	return cube;  //this is that nasty array i can't figure out.
}

For anybody who didn't guess, this script (once combined with all its other functions) will be a rubiks cube command line.....as stupid of an idea as that is i think it is a great learning experiance

I think I posed the same thread when I signed up to these forums… but, what I ended up doing was passing an array to the function by reference… so something like this

Code:

void start_rubik(char cube){
	char color[] = {'b', 'o', 'g', 'r', 'w', 'y'}; 
	for(int i = 0; i != 6; i++){	
		for(int b = 0; b != 3; b++){
			for(int a = 0; a !=3; a++){
				cube[i][b][a] = color[i];
			}
		}
	}
	for(int i = 0; i != 6; i++){	
		for(int b = 0; b != 3; b++){
			for(int a = 0; a !=3; a++){
				std::cout << cube[i][b][a];
			}
			std::cout << "\n";
		}
	}
}

edit: i just found my old thread... and i was told there that arrays are passed by reference automatically... so that should work...

i get the error:
tutorial.cpp: In function ‘void start_rubik(char)’:
tutorial.cpp:11: error: invalid types ‘char[int]’ for array subscript
tutorial.cpp:18: error: invalid types ‘char[int]’ for array subscript
from g++ when trying to compile like that :|
lines 11 and 18 are the [i][b][a] lines

edit:
after reobserving your code i come to question why would i use cube as an arguement when that should be my result...

The function is returning a single char. To return the array you need to return a char *. Also, you need to dynamically allocate the room for the array with new. Otherwise, when the function ends the array goes out of scope and gets trashed.

Originally Posted by Loic

I think I posed the same thread when I signed up to these forums… but, what I ended up doing was passing an array to the function by reference… so something like this

Code:

void start_rubik(char cube){
	char color[] = {'b', 'o', 'g', 'r', 'w', 'y'}; 
	for(int i = 0; i != 6; i++){	
		for(int b = 0; b != 3; b++){
			for(int a = 0; a !=3; a++){
				cube[i][b][a] = color[i];
			}
		}
	}
	for(int i = 0; i != 6; i++){	
		for(int b = 0; b != 3; b++){
			for(int a = 0; a !=3; a++){
				std::cout << cube[i][b][a];
			}
			std::cout << "\n";
		}
	}
}

edit: i just found my old thread... and i was told there that arrays are passed by reference automatically... so that should work...

What array? You're passing a single char by value to the function.
This is how you pass an array by reference:

Code:

void start_rubik( char*** cube )
or
void start_rubik( char cube[6][3][3] )

@kernel how do i dynamically allocate more room for the array(remember i am a newbie :|)


@cpjust
my function made an array IN the function, that funtion was a suggested one i should try and i couldn't make it work(if i understand what you said...) and yes i tried adding [6][3][3] to that version too

I do not want to add the array as a reference

You cannot return an array by value. You can return an array by reference, but to do that you must first store the array somewhere.

Since this is C++, the best way is to instead of using a function, use an object that holds an array inside it, and have those functions that would modify the array directly be methods of that class.

@kernel how do i dynamically allocate more room for the array(remember i am a newbie :|)

use "new" and "delete"

at this stage, a reference would be a better solution IMHO.

The problem with returning a pointer to an array allocated on the stack (char asdf[10]) is that the memory is deallocated when the function returns, and you end up accessing random things that happen to be in memory where the array used to be.

I have not got to classes yet sadly...I have been trying to get a grasp on lower content first....to an extent i have it all down but pointers keep dragging me down.....i decided to make this script just to practice what i already know....and since other languages like php are able to return arrays and it is written in c++ i just figured it would be possible...

well thanks for all input i suppose i will trash this scrip(for now untill i am better)


EDIT:
would it be possible to write all the contents of the array to a file to use in another function? i don't really know how i would do it.....

Originally Posted by p4plus2

@kernel how do i dynamically allocate more room for the array(remember i am a newbie :|)

In this case the syntax is:

Code:

char (*cube)[3][3]= new char[6][3][3];

Also the return value would be

Code:

char (*start_rubik())[3][3]{
  ...
  return cube;
}

Notice that since the return type surrounds the function name and arguements, in exactly the same way that is surrounds the variable name above.

Or alternatively:

Code:

char (&start_rubik())[6][3][3]{
  ...
  return *reinterpret_cast<char(*)[6][3[3]>(cube);
}

Here you are returning an array reference. The advantage of this is that the 6 is preserved in the type.
EDIT: This one requires a cast.

But you don't want to do that because generally functions are not expected to make the user de-allocate the object as required here.

>> would it be possible to write all the contents of the array to a file to use in another function? i don't really know how i would do it

That's possible but laughably slow.

Do you have a book you can look at? You need to learn about C++ functions and arrays as parameters.

Code:

char *start_rubik(){
	char *cube = new char[6*3*3];
	char color[] = {'b', 'o', 'g', 'r', 'w', 'y'}; 
	for(int i = 0; i != 6; i++){	
		for(int b = 0; b != 3; b++){
			for(int a = 0; a !=3; a++){
				cube[i][b][a] = color[i];
			}
		}
	}
	for(int i = 0; i != 6; i++){	
		for(int b = 0; b != 3; b++){
			for(int a = 0; a !=3; a++){
				std::cout << cube[i][b][a];
			}
			std::cout << "\n";
		}
	}
	return cube;  //this is that nasty array i can't figure out.
}

At some point you need to call delete cube[] (or whatever you store the return value in) to return the memory to the heap

**EDIT**
was typing when King Mir posted

Originally Posted by cpjust

What array? You're passing a single char by value to the function.
This is how you pass an array by reference:

Code:

void start_rubik( char*** cube )
or
void start_rubik( char cube[6][3][3] )

I'd recommend:

Code:

void start_rubik( char (&cube)[6][3][3] )

So that you cannot pass an array with a different first dimension.

The char *** version is uses when the array is not in continuous memory; it gets allocated differently than I showed above. In this case I think it makes more sense to use continuous memory.

Another option is to make the array in the function static. Then you can return it by reference without allocating memory for it. It won't be multi-thread safe, but since you're just starting out, you probably won't be using threads any time soon anyways.

Originally Posted by citizen

>> would it be possible to write all the contents of the array to a file to use in another function? i don't really know how i would do it

That's possible but laughably slow.

Do you have a book you can look at? You need to learn about C++ functions and arrays as parameters.

i do not have a book, just using various internet resources....

@everybody else i will be looking at your posts, need time to acctually think through and test each one...