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I want to declare a global array and then use it in a few functions. When I want to assign any number to that array I face with this error:
Code:a.c:11:6: error: expected expression before ‘]’ token
n[]={1,2,3,4,5};
^
The code is:
Any help is appriciated. ThanksCode:#include <stdio.h>
int n[5]; // I need to define the array here to be global
int main ()
{
n[]={1,2,3,4,5};
for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
printf("n[%d] = %d\n", i, n[i]);
return 0;
}
Arrays can't be assigned.
They can only be initialised at the point of definition (i.e. line 3 in your code). After that, elements need to be assigned individually (e.g. in a loop) or values of memory locations need to be set (e.g. memset(), memcpy())
You cannot assign to an array after it has been defined; you would assign to its elements. You can initialise the array, but that has to be done at the point of definition:
One approach then is to forward declare the array as extern in a header file:Code:int n[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
then define it in a single source file.Code:extern int n[5];
That said, are you sure you need a global array in the first place? If feasible, you should declare the array local to a function, e.g., the main function, then pass it around to other functions as needed via a pointer to its first element (and also providing its size).
Why do you "need" to declare the array in the global scope. It is usually preferred to create variables in local functions and pass the variables to and from functions as parameters and return values.
You can't use assignment for arrays except when you declare them.
Jim
Many Thanks to all of you.
C really has it's limitations! Doing the same thig is just as easy as it can be in almost any other language but...
Any way! Thanks I'll try to avoid this somehow.
C++ has the same "limitation", but then it has a shared heritage with C. C# and Java also have the same "limitation", and while inspired in part by C, they are further apart. I can think of several languages with don't have such a "limitation", but they are more on the dynamic typing side, so they don't really count.Quote:
Originally Posted by khodam
When programming in C, program in C, not some other programming language.
Oh, rubbish. All real-world programming languages have practical limitations, including whatever favourite language of yours that works as you suggest. Yes, there are programming languages that allow working with arrays in the way you describe, but they are significantly outnumbered by languages that do not. Supporting such a capability involves several trade-offs that aren't always desirable.Quote:
Originally Posted by khodam