Thread: struct pointers and functions

Hello everyone

I want a struct in which one member is a pointer (arrProb) and the other is an integer to save the quantity of elements in the array.

Code:

typedef struct MODELOBJECT{
  
  int numObjects;
  double *arrProb; // TODO: Se tiene que hacer un realloc cada vez que se almacenar'a otro valor.

} ModelObject;

I make a malloc to define the size of data to store, but as you guys can see

And these are my problems
1. (See red line) How to allocate memory for the arrProb (although no apparent problems)

2. I have a compilation error in the function modelObject_printArrProb(ModelObject *modelObject)

Code:

$ gcc borrador1.c -o borrador1
borrador1.c: In function ‘modelObject_printArrProb’:
borrador1.c:11: error: request for member ‘numObjects’ in something not a structure or union
borrador1.c:13: error: request for member ‘numObjects’ in something not a structure or union
borrador1.c:14: error: request for member ‘arrProb’ in something not a structure or union

I want pass the structure as a pointer to another functions.

I hope guys can help me.

These is the complete code.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <malloc.h>
typedef struct MODELOBJECT{
  
  int numObjects;
  double *arrProb; // TODO: Se tiene que hacer un realloc cada vez que se almacenar'a otro valor.

} ModelObject;

void modelObject_printArrProb(ModelObject *modelObject){
	printf("modelObject.numObjects = %d",modelObject.numObjects);
	int i;
	for(i=0;i<modelObject.numObjects;i++){
		printf("arrProb[%d] = %f\n",i,modelObject.arrProb[i]);
	}

}


int main(){

	ModelObject modeloObjetos;
	modeloObjetos.numObjects=5;
	printf("sizeof %d\n",sizeof(modeloObjetos));
	printf("modeloObjetos.numObjects = %d\n",modeloObjetos.numObjects);
	printf("modeloObjetos.arrProb = %u\n",modeloObjetos.arrProb);
	printf("sizeof modeloObjetos.arrProb %d\n",sizeof(modeloObjetos.arrProb));
	modeloObjetos.arrProb = (double*)malloc(modeloObjetos.numObjects*sizeof(double *));
	printf("after malloc\n");
	printf("sizeof modeloObjetos.arrProb %d\n",sizeof(modeloObjetos.arrProb));
	
	printf("modeloObjetos.arrProb = %u\n",modeloObjetos.arrProb);
	int i;
	int tope = modeloObjetos.numObjects;
	tope = 10;
	for(i=0;i<tope;i++){
		modeloObjetos.arrProb[i]=rand();
		printf("modelo.arrProb[%d] = %f\n",i,modeloObjetos.arrProb[i]);
	}
	printf("=======================================\n");
	printf("sizeof modeloObjetos.arrProb %d\n",sizeof(modeloObjetos.arrProb));
	printf("modeloObjetos.arrProb = %u\n",modeloObjetos.arrProb);
//	modelObject_printArrProb(&modeloObjetos);

	return 0;
}

Best Regards

You use -> to access elements of structures that are pointed to.

>> printf("modelObject.numObjects = %d",modelObject.numObjects);

The variable 'modelObject' is a pointer, of course, which uses a different syntax for accessing members ('->', as opposed to '.'), eg:

printf("modelObject.numObjects = %d",modelObject->numObjects);

>> sizeof(modeloObjetos.arrProb)

This will always be sizeof(double*). The data that it points to doesn't affect this.

>> modeloObjetos.arrProb = (double*)malloc(modeloObjetos.numObjects*sizeof(do uble *));

Careful. Since you are allocating an array of double (not double*), the sizeof expression should be of type double.

Finally, don't forget to 'free' what you malloc.

thanks people that works really well. But i don't understand why because earlier i proof (.*) instead (->) and don't works either.

And how should make the memory allocation for my variable *arrProb whit other examples if i not use a malloc the program generate segmentation fault. but in this program not!

Thats the reason why i put this in the program

Code:

modeloObjetos.numObjects=5;
	modeloObjetos.arrProb = (double)malloc(modeloObjetos.numObjects*sizeof(double));

	int i;
	int tope = modeloObjetos.numObjects;
	tope = 10;
	for(i=0;i<tope;i++){
		modeloObjetos.arrProb[i]=rand();
		printf("modelo.arrProb[%d] = %f\n",i,modeloObjetos.arrProb[i]);
	}

This red line must generate an error. But nothing happen!!
Thanks again

Originally Posted by alfaceor

thanks people that works really well. But i don't understand why because earlier i proof (.*) instead (->) and don't works either.

Not sure what you are trying to imply here.

Originally Posted by alfaceor

And how should make the memory allocation for my variable *arrProb whit other examples if i not use a malloc the program generate segmentation fault. but in this program not!

You need malloc() to dynamically store the array of doubles that the pointer arrProb will be pointing at altho' I am still not sure what you're trying to say.

Originally Posted by alfaceor

Thats the reason why i put this in the program

Code:

modeloObjetos.numObjects=5;
	modeloObjetos.arrProb = (double)malloc(modeloObjetos.numObjects*sizeof(double));

	int i;
	int tope = modeloObjetos.numObjects;
	tope = 10;
	for(i=0;i<tope;i++){
		modeloObjetos.arrProb[i]=rand();
		printf("modelo.arrProb[%d] = %f\n",i,modeloObjetos.arrProb[i]);
	}

This red line must generate an error. But nothing happen!!
Thanks again

It doesn't generate an error because modeloObjetos is an object of type struct not a pointer to one and modeloObjetos.numObjects is the correct way of accessing a member of a struct object. If it were a pointer then you would use the right-hand arrow notation instead of a dot ie modeloObjetos->numObjects.

>> But i don't understand why because earlier i proof (.*) instead (->) and don't works either.

You can dereference the pointer, and then use normal structure access notation, eg:

printf("modelObject.numObjects = %d", (*modelObject).numObjects);

>> tope = 10;

That specific line won't generate an error, but it does introduce a bug, in that you may later overstep your array. The program may not crash, but this is only *pure* luck. It is nontheless incorrect.

Originally Posted by Sebastiani

That specific line won't generate an error, but it does introduce a bug, in that you may later overstep your array. The program may not crash, but this is only *pure* luck. It is nontheless incorrect.

I assume the malloc() is incorrect. So how can correct this bug?

>> I assume the malloc() is incorrect. So how can correct this bug?

Just as you have it now, eg:

Code:

modeloObjetos.numObjects=5;
modeloObjetos.arrProb = malloc(modeloObjetos.numObjects*sizeof(double));

The 'bug' I was referring to was the fact that you set the loop limit to 'tope', which may or may not be the actual length of the array.