array of character pointers

**neandrake** · 06-07-2004

I'm writing a function that inserts a small list into a tree view control, and when the program gets certain input, it can have variable numbers of entries. ex:

char *numbers[] = {"one","two","three"};

my function has to calculate how many 'words' are in the array. I can't seem to figure out how to do this.

int num = sizeof(numbers)/sizeof(numbers[0]);
int num = sizeof(numbers)/sizeof(char*);
...

so far, num turns out to be 2, even if i add a "four" into the array. Anyone have ideas.

PS: I'm sorry if there's a post about this, but i searched many times and the search phrases i used didn't bring up anything useful.

**skorman00** · 06-07-2004

you can only use the sizeof(array) / sizeof(element) trick if you use it in the same block that the array was declared. Once you pass it to a function, it will see it as only a pointer, not a pointer to an array, so size of will return 4 instead of 4 * sizeof(element).

**neandrake** · 06-07-2004

are you saying that it's either very difficult or impossible to find the info i need?

**skorman00** · 06-07-2004

its neither impossible, nor difficult. You just have to let the function somehow know what the size of the array is. The easiest way to do that is pass it as an extra variable.

If your code is similar to what you posted, this will not concern you, but another note:
if you dynamicly create the array, the sizeof(array) / sizeof(element) trick won't work either. For that method to work, it has to be declared staticly (by that, I mean without using new).

**neandrake** · 06-07-2004

well, the problem is that the program doesn't know how many strings there are going to be. an example of it reading a text file (like an ebook) and the tree view is going to have to list chapters:

Code:

-Chapter 1
  +Page 1
  +Page 2
-Chapter 2
  +Page 1
  +Page 2
  +Page 3
  +Page 4

It's going to parse the text in a file and it won't know how many pages are in each chapter until it reads in the ebook.

note: the program doesn't have anything to do with ebooks, it was just an example i could think of.

**skorman00** · 06-07-2004

When you're parsing through the file, can't you keep track of how many pages you've read since the last chapter was recognized?

**neandrake** · 06-07-2004

well, it's not going to be from a text file. the information is going to be received from sockets. but im thinking about it and i guess it's possible to keep track of it the same way.

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