Printing 2-dimensional array spirally

[Roaring_Tiger]

Hello,

Following code prints the 2-dimensional array spirally. Can anybody have better version or other ideas? Especially in highlighted areas.

Currently botton right element prints twice....

# include<stdio.h>

void printElement(int i,int j,int maxCol,int maxRow);


int a[4][4] =  {
				{1,2,3,11},
				{4,5,6,12},
				{7,8,9,13},
				{14,15,16,17},
				};

void main()
{
	int maxCol = sizeof(a[0])/sizeof(a[0][0])-1;
	int maxRow = sizeof(a)/sizeof(a[0])-1;
	int i = 0;
	int j = 0;

	while ( (i < maxRow) && (j < maxCol) )
	{
		printElement(i,j,maxCol,maxRow);
		i++;j++;
		maxCol--;
		maxRow--;
	}
	if ( (i == maxRow) && (j == maxCol) )
		printf("%d\t",a[j][i]);
}



void printElement(int i,int j,int maxCol,int maxRow)
{
	printf("%d\t",a[i][j]);

	if ( j < maxCol )
	{
		j++;
		printElement(i,j,maxCol,maxRow);
		printf("%d\t",a[j][i]);
		return;
	}
	if ( i < maxRow )
	{
		i++;
//		if ( i == maxRow ) 
//	                       return;
		printElement(i,j,maxCol,maxRow);
		printf("%d\t",a[j][i]);
		return;
	}
	else
		return;
}

[sand_man]

im not sure what you mean by 'spirally'
but i compiled this program and i dont really see any pattern at all
please explain the output your trying to get

[Roaring_Tiger]

With above program, it should print

1,2,3,11,12,13,17,16,15,14,7,4,5,6,9,8

Let me know, if you can provide better solution....

[quzah]

Here's a fun one:

#include <stdio.h>
#define YSIZE 4
#define XSIZE 4
int main( void )
{
        int yadder = 0, ycoord = 0, yhsize = YSIZE-1, ylsize = 1,
            xadder = 1, xcoord = 0, xhsize = XSIZE-1, xlsize = 0,
            printed = 0;
        int array[YSIZE][XSIZE] =
        {
                {  1,  2,  3,  4 },
                { 12, 13, 14,  5 },
                { 11, 16, 15,  6 },
                { 10,  9,  8,  7 },
        };

        for( printed = 0; printed < YSIZE * XSIZE; printed++, xcoord += xadder, ycoord += yadder )
        {
                printf("%d ", array[ycoord][xcoord] );
                if( xadder > 0 && xcoord >= xhsize )
                {
                        xhsize--;
                        xadder = 0;
                        yadder = 1;
                }
                else
                if( xadder < 0 && xcoord <= xlsize )
                {
                        xlsize++;
                        xadder = 0;
                        yadder = -1;
                }
                else
                if( yadder > 0 && ycoord >= yhsize )
                {
                        yhsize--;
                        yadder = 0;
                        xadder = -1;
                }
                else
                if( yadder < 0 && ycoord <= ylsize )
                {
                        ylsize++;
                        yadder = 0;
                        xadder = 1;
                }
        }
        return 0;
}

I'll let you decide if it's a "better solution".

[edit]
Moved initialization from for for the sake of forum width, and other minor width-friendly editing to variable initializations.
[/edit]

Quzah.

[Salem]

> void main()
I'm sure you said this wasn't going to happen again in some previous post....

[chrismiceli]

It was in this post where he said he wouldn't use it anymore.
http://cboard.cprogramming.com/showthread.php?t=56950