Thread: Maximum array size?

  1. #1
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    Maximum array size?

    There appears to be a hard limit to the maximum array size allowed by c compilers of 2 to the 29th.

    Can anyone confirm that this is a hard limit (no way to adjust it that is)?

    Has anyone ever ran into it before, and if so what did you do? Note that it isn't a simple case of an array of char or some simple type. The actual array declaration is only 256 elements, but each element is a huge structure of structures that in some cases increase in size proportionally to the 256 element array that contains them (geez). I only need to double the index of the array, but doing so kills my compile due to array index size.

    I know this is a pretty odd situation, but someone may have ran into something similar sometime (I hope).

  2. #2
    Registered User hk_mp5kpdw's Avatar
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    Don't know about any absolute limit, but you might try compiler options/settings to increase the stack size. Also, is this data allocated within a function? You can try allocating it globally... or allocate it dynamically using malloc for instance. Those might be ways to get around that limit.
    "Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods."
    -Christopher Hitchens

  3. #3
    Code Goddess Prelude's Avatar
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    >There appears to be a hard limit to the maximum array size allowed by c compilers of 2 to the 29th.
    There's a hard limit, but it varies with each implementation. Read your compiler's documentation for ways of increasing the stack size, or use heap allocation for your array.
    My best code is written with the delete key.

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