Thread: Function to return pointer to structure

Hi,
How should I go about writin a function that takes no args and returns a pointer to a structure. the function prompts the user for some personal info and stores it in a structure.
Now, I am new at using function with pointers, but I am assuming that the declaration would look like:
Info* getdata ();
the struct definition could look something like
struct INFO{
char name[];
int age;
};
typedef struct INFO Info;
the function would ask the user to enter name, then to enter age.
how do you store the name and the age when you do the scanf?
Now what should the function def look like?

Thank you.

Any additional info on functions that return pointers would be appreciated.

Hi,

Your code should look like this:

Code:

typedef struct {
  char name[20];
  int age;
} Info;

Info* GetData() {
  Info *info;

  info = (Info *) malloc( sizeof(Info) );
  scanf("%s", info.name);
  scanf("%d", &info.age);

  return info;
}

You have to free() it later on. The malloc() is becoz you have to be able to access it outside GetData(). If you do not do a malloc() and return the address of a local variable instead, the variable would go out of scope as soon as the control exits the GetData() function (and AFAIK the compiler would flag a warning).

Hope this helps.

>The malloc() is becoz you have to be able to access it outside GetData()...
use of 'static' will help you in avoiding this.

I Prefer:

Code:

typedef struct {
  char name[20];
  int age;
} Info;

Info* GetData() {
  static Info info;

  scanf("%s", info.name);
  scanf("%d", &info.age);

  return(&info);
}

Originally posted by shaik786
use of 'static' will help you in avoiding this.

I Prefer:

Code:

  static Info info;

Right, but if the programmer wishes to have multiple copies of this struct then one has to have a malloc().

>Right, but if the programmer wishes to have multiple copies of this struct then one has to have a malloc().
malloc() before calling this function and copy the return value of this function to the malloc()'ed area.

>Yes but why? What would be the point? If you're going to just copy it somewhere else anyway, why bother even returning a pointer? Return by value.
Certainly, I agree, but since the subject of this thread was "Function to return pointer to structure", I only showed one way of achieving that.

Thank you for the intersting discussion.
Didn't know I had to use malloc. Got to go read up on it.
Thanks