array of pointers to structs

I have created a struct, saved 100 entries of that struct into a file and will need to sort them by what ever means. I understand you can create an array of pointers to that struct like this:

Code:

---

struct test {
        int testDataNum;
        char testDataName[50];
};

struct test *testPtr[100];

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Now, say I have already loaded 100 entries into a file using fseek(), fwrite() according to sizeof(struct test). My question is; is there a way to read these entries using something like fread() and put their address(to the beginning of the struct) into the array of pointers? fread() returns the actual data according to the size specified, not the location. I want to be able to sort the array of pointers, dereferencing them, so I dont have to creat this huge multidemensional array then sort that. I only need to print out the sorted list, the information can stay unsorted in the file. How would I get the address of each struct in the file?

You'll want to malloc() the memory for each of those pointers:

Code:

---

testPtr[i] = (struct test*)malloc(sizeof(struct test));

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Then just fread() them one at a time:

Code:

---

fread(testPtr[i],sizeof(struct test),1,f);

---

If you plan on using fseek() and you want your code to work on a DOS/Windows machine, be sure to open the file in binary mode.

Don't forget to free() the memory :)

gg

Quote:

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You'll want to malloc() the memory for each of those pointers:

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why would I need to allocate the memory for the pointers when it already exists. the array has been declared it should have 100 (garbage) elements that will accept an address for type struct test. I want to get the address of each entry in the file and put them in the array. fread() will return the full entry, not the address in the file. Is there a way to get that address?

>>why would I need to allocate the memory for the pointers when it already exists.
The wording is confusing, that's all. You need to malloc() memory for each struct; the address returned by each call to malloc() will be stored in your array of pointers.

An example might be:

Code:

---

/* Untested */
  struct test single;
  struct test *testPtr[100];
  int i;
 
  for (i = 0;(fread(&single, sizeof(single), 1, fp) == 1); i++)
  {
    testPtr[i] = malloc(sizeof(struct test));
    *(testPtr[i]) = single;
  }

---

You give fread() the memory where is should place the read bytes, it doesn't return a pointer.
Also, you're previous code snipet declares an array of pointers, not an array of structs...
Study this code:

Code:

---

    struct test *testPtrArray[100];
    struct test testArray[100];

    printf("size of arrays: testPtrArray:%d, testArray:%d\n",
          sizeof(testPtrArray),sizeof(testArray));
    printf("size of elements: testPtrArray:%d, testArray:%d\n",
          sizeof(testPtrArray[0]),sizeof(testArray[0]));

---

So if you don't want to use malloc(), you can use the "testArray" declaration which will allocate space for 100 structs on the stack.

Then you can use fread() like this:

Code:

---

fread(&(testArray[i]),sizeof(struct test),1,f);

---

gg

I dont need 100 structs. I have the struct declaration there so I may write the correct byte size to hold the name and the info in a file. I have already written to the file with a different program. I need to read that information that was in the file. I dont need to allocate any memory because the information is in a file. I WANT to have an array of pointers. Those pointers will point to struct data type. I want them to point to the different byte locations in the file. Is there a way to get those byte locations in the file??? I will then put those address, which are struct address, in the array of pointers???

Thanks in advance and sorry for any misunderstanding, or miswording on my part.

Read this
and this

You can map the file into memory (using some "advanced" api's), or read the entire file into malloc'd memory yourself, or read in individual record(s) at a time.

That's all your options right there.


gg

thanks.