Thread: Allocating array concept

Hi ;
Regarding to initializing array with size variable isn't allowed in c, what confusing me is that lets assume I have like this-
int n=add(5,6); //add is a function type int that return 6+5 which it's11
int array[n];
so this isn't allowed for allocating array, anyone could help me why? thanks alot.

I known is variable, but once the compiler read int array[n] , the variable n is already having value which is 11 ..so it's like int array[11] and it should be legal ..

thanks alot

Regarding to initializing array with size variable isn't allowed in c,

What makes you think that using a variable sized array is not allowed in c? If you use the C99 version of the C standard VLA are legal, I don't recommend their use but they are legal.

>If you use the C99 version of the C standard VLA are legal, I don't recommend their use but they are legal.

My education has now been updated. I too had assumed that they were not legal. Thank you!

Now I wonder how this feature is implemented, especially after noticing a program that actually uses it: Print the longest common substring - GeeksforGeeks

Perhaps the caller determines the lengths of two strings and passes them to the function because the variable-sized array must be allocated before the function does anything else. Does this two-dimensional array reside on the stack, or is it done with an implicit use of malloc() and free()?

What would happen if more memory were requested for this matrix than is available?

Now I wonder how this feature is implemented, especially after noticing a program that actually uses it:

Since the code presented in that link is C++, VLA are not allowed since C++ doesn't allow VLA so those snippets are badly formed and should fail to compile when using a strictly conforming compiler.

VLA are only truly available in C that is compiling to the C99 language standard, prior to C99 they were not allowed, and after the C99 standard they are optionally (implementations choice) available.

When using the C99 standard a Variable Length Array is allowed, the arrays are "automatic" variables probably on the stack, they act like "static" arrays as far as the use is concerned.

If you try to create arrays too large the program will crash.

Again I do not recommend the use of VLA, if you need runtime sized arrays I recommend you use malloc()/free() in C and std::vector or new/delete in C++.