initialising an associative container

I was trying to initialise an associative container (map) in a function, but couldn't. Seems like whatever is initialised in the function stays in the function. That's natural for a function. So, how are we going to initialise the container in a function and use it in the main function. The initialising statement looks something like this:

map<char, int>phone_book;

Hmm.. your problem is very unclear. Are you trying to do something like this?

Code:

---

void someFunction() {
        map<char,int> phone_book;
        // do some stuff with phone_book
}

int main() {
        someFunction();
        // now try to use phone_book
        return 0;
}

---

You could make the container global, but that is generally bad idea. Other option is to let the function return a pointer to the map it created.

Code:

---

map<char, int>* CreateMap(void)
{
  map<char, int>* pMap = NULL;
  pMap = new map<char, int>;

  // do something here, like check pMap != NULL

  return pMap;
}

int main(void)
{
  map<char, int>* MapPtr;

  MapPtr = CreateMap();

  // remember to destroy the allocated map
  delete MapPtr;
}

---

By initializing pointer?
typedef std::map<char, char> CharMap;
CharMap* theMap;
void Init()
{
theMap = new CharMap;
}

or

CharMap* CreateMap()
{
return new CharMap;
}

Is this your problem?

sorry for the confusing question.

The below program works:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <map>
using namespace std;

int main() {
int i;
char ch;

map<char, int>table; //look-up table
map<char, int>::iterator p;

for(i=0; i<26; i++) {
table.insert(pair<char, int>('A'+i, 65+i));
}

cout << "Enter key: ";
cin >> ch;

p = table.find(ch);
if(p != table.end())
cout << "Its ASCII value is " << p->second;
else
cout << "Key not in map.\n";

return 0;
}

But when I build a map in a function like this:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <map>
using namespace std;

void BuildMap(void); // map building function

int main() {
int i;
char ch;

BuildMap(); // create table here

for(i=0; i<26; i++) {
table.insert(pair<char, int>('A'+i, 65+i));
}

cout << "Enter key: ";
cin >> ch;

p = table.find(ch);
if(p != table.end())
cout << "Its ASCII value is " << p->second;
else
cout << "Key not in map.\n";

return 0;
}

void BuildMap(void) {

map<char, int>table; //look-up table
map<char, int>::iterator p;

}

The main program does not reconise 'table' and 'p'. I'm using the STL(Standard Template Library) in C++.

hope this clarify the problem.
thanks for the previous reply.

Quote:

---

The main program does not reconise 'table' and 'p'

---

That's obvious because map and its iterator are local variables in the function BuildMap(). You have few reasonable ways. The one I prefer is to return the pointer to newly created map for the calling function from BuildMap() and initialize the iterator locally when you need it. So you don't need any global variables.

There is a code example for you in my previous reply. I hope this helps.