this code COMPILES, but DOESNT WORK

the problem is that in the set of if-statements (not the one in the function), the second two situations never are true. the code in them is never executed. but, i know that i am actually checking for the right things because if i put an exit(0) in the one that checks for page1, it exits. if i put exit(0) in the others, it never exits. in the beginning i set active_page to page 1 with: active_page = page1;

now, will that make things actually go to page1, not active_page when i blit like this:

masked_blit(ship, active_page, 0,0, x, y,640,480);

???? (because thats what i want to happen)

get what i mean? i want things to always blit to either page1 2 or 3, not actually onto active_page. active_page is used for telling what page to blit to.

Code:

BITMAP *ship, *page1, *page2, *page3, *active_page, *title;

flip_page(&wPage, &page1, &page2, &page3, &active_page);

if(active_page == page1) //this statement WORKS OK
		{
			clean_bitmap(page3);
		}
		if(active_page == page2) //statement never becomes TRUE
		{
		    clean_bitmap(page1);
		}
		if(active_page == page3)
		{
			clean_bitmap(page2);
		}

void flip_page(int *wPage, BITMAP** page1, BITMAP** page2, BITMAP** page3, BITMAP** active_page)
{
	if(*active_page == *page1)
	{
        active_page = page2;
		*wPage       = 2;
	}
    if(*active_page == *page2)
	{
        active_page = page3;
		*wPage       = 3;
	}
	if(*active_page == *page3)
	{
		active_page = page1;
		*wPage       = 1;
	}

}
END_OF_FUNCTION(flip_page);

now that i think of it, active_page might not really be POINTING to the pages. it BECOMES the pages. therefore, we always blit onto active_page....or something like that. I DONT KNOW IM SO CONFUSED

flip_page(&wPage, &page1, &page2, &page3, &active_page);

I think you should at least change this... to

flip_page(wPage, &page1, &page2, &page3, &active_page);

.....reading my reply to my own post....i came up with this: and i think i am CLOSER to achieving what i want, it still does not work though.

Code:

void flip_page(int *wPage, BITMAP** page1, BITMAP** page2, BITMAP** page3, BITMAP*** active_page)
{
	if(*active_page == &(*page1))
	{
        *active_page = &*page2;
		*wPage       = 2;
	}
    if(*active_page == &(*page2))
	{
        *active_page = &*page3;
		*wPage       = 3;
	}
	if(*active_page == &(*page3))
	{
		*active_page = &*page1;
		*wPage       = 1;
	}

}
END_OF_FUNCTION(flip_page);

flip_page(&wPage, &page1, &page2, &page3, &active_page);

BITMAP *ship, *page1, *page2, *page3, **active_page, *title;

if(active_page == &page1) //always true
		{                        
			clean_bitmap(page3); 
		}
		if(active_page == &page2) //never true
		{
		    clean_bitmap(page1);
		}
		if(active_page == &page3)
		{
			clean_bitmap(page2);
		}

CHANGE IT TO...

flip_page(wPage, &page1, &page2, &page3, &active_page);

what you had...
flip_page(&wPage, &page1, &page2, &page3, &active_page);

IS WRONGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!>>>>>>>>>>>>................. .

Also, seriously I would consider getting rid of the (**) double pointers all together since they are cuasing so much headaches and they are not needed or being used correctly. If you need Double pointers, create them initially and not in the functions.

Like...
BITMAP** active_page;

wPage is NOT THE PROBLEM!!!!! DONT WORRY ABOUT wPage at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and look at THIS:

BITMAP *ship, *page1, *page2, *page3, **active_page, *title;

that is how its been declared my reply!

also, i want active_page to POINT to the other pages. i dont want it to have the same "value" of the other pages! so active_page is a pointer to a pointer!

now, with all taht said, here is the code which has NO SYNTAX ERRORS:

Code:

BITMAP *ship, *page1, *page2, *page3, **active_page, *title; 

active_page    = &page1;

flip_page(&wPage, &page1, &page2, &page3, &active_page);

if(active_page == &page1) //always true
		{                        
			clean_bitmap(page3); 
		}
		if(active_page == &page2) //never true
		{
		    clean_bitmap(page1);
		}
		if(active_page == &page3)
		{
			clean_bitmap(page2);
		}

void flip_page(int *wPage, BITMAP** page1, BITMAP** page2, BITMAP** page3, BITMAP*** active_page)
{
	if(*active_page == &(*page1))
	{
        *active_page = &*page2;
		*wPage       = 2;
	}
    if(*active_page == &(*page2))
	{
        *active_page = &*page3;
		*wPage       = 3;
	}
	if(*active_page == &(*page3))
	{
		*active_page = &*page1;
		*wPage       = 1;
	}

}
END_OF_FUNCTION(flip_page);

A pointer holds an address! 2 pointers can hold the same address, ie. they both can point to the same VALUE/DATA.

At least your pages, page_1 etc., don't need to be double ptrs(**). Active_page can be a double but it also does not need to be, and there is no real justification for the Triple ptr.

Usually you use a double-ptr when you have a matrix or vector and want to swap in the rows or columns into the ptr.

Code:

//Here's the code without any double pointers
BITMAP *ship, *page1, *page2, *page3, *active_page, *title;

active_page    = page1;

flip_page(wPage, page1, page2, page3, active_page);
if(active_page == page1) //always true
		{                        
			clean_bitmap(page3); 
		}
		if(active_page == page2) //never true
		{
		    clean_bitmap(page1);
		}
		if(active_page == page3)
		{
			clean_bitmap(page2);
		}

void flip_page(int *wPage, BITMAP* page1, BITMAP* page2, BITMAP* page3, BITMAP* active_page)
{
	if(active_page == page1)
	{
        active_page = page2;
		*wPage       = 2;
	}
    if(active_page == page2)
	{
        active_page = page3;
		*wPage       = 3;
	}
	if(active_page == page3)
	{
		active_page = page1;
		*wPage       = 1;
	}

}
END_OF_FUNCTION(flip_page);

Here's a question, DOES Clean_Bitmap() fxn take a pointer or not??

ok, i have a copy of it like that, but with that example, and i blit things onto active_page, will they actually go onto page1, 2, or 3?
thats whati want it to do

Try it, it should work. If it doesn't you can change it to explicitly set the values of the active_page , *active_page = *page1.

AHH, also something else - the if-statements outside of your flip_page() are not needed, only the first one will ever be true.

do this...

GET RID of the if-statements and add the clean_bitmap() to the flip_page() functions...

Code:

void flip_page(int *wPage, BITMAP* page1, BITMAP* page2, BITMAP* page3, BITMAP* active_page)
{
	if(active_page == page1)
	{
        active_page = page2;
		*wPage       = 2;
         clean_bitmap(page1); 
	}
    if(active_page == page2)
	{
        active_page = page3;
		*wPage       = 3;
          clean_bitmap(page2); 
	}
	if(active_page == page3)
	{
		active_page = page1;
		*wPage       = 1;
                                clean_bitmap(page3); 
	}

}
END_OF_FUNCTION(flip_page);

still nothing happens on the screen...

take a look at my main program, it does not work now, but i think the pages are actually "flipping" at least:

Yeah, I don't see where you actually initialized the pages to something. I know they were created but what is in them, show me where you have put a bitmap in them.