Sending a pointer to multi-dim array to a function

Is it wrong to do this:

Code:

---

int data[20][30];
int *dPtr = data[0];

myFunc( dPtr, 20, 30 );

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I want to send a multi-dim array to a function, but I want to have the function accept an array of any size. The sizes of each dimension are sent as arguments though, so I'm not flying blind.

I mean, I know this works, but I just want to know if I would be shot in a commercial environment for doing it?

And if it is evil, how else can I send multi-dim arrays to functions without explicitly specifying their length? Are VLAs the only way?

What you're basically doing is this
http://c-faq.com/aryptr/ary2dfunc2.html

An alternative is

Code:

---

myFunc( int**, int, int );
int data[20][30];
int *dPtr[20];
for ( i = 0 ; i < 20 ; i++ ) dPtr[i] = data[i];
myFunc( dPtr, 20, 30 );

---

But this has it's own attendant ugliness as well.

> but I just want to know if I would be shot in a commercial environment for doing it?
That depends on who you work for, and how good an argument you can present for doing it this way as opposed to any alternative.

My next question would be what is the variability of your array sizes?
a[10][10] to a[20][20] perhaps?
Larger? smaller?

Wow, that link you gave is exactly the solution I came up with. :eek:

Anyway, the arrays are simulating pixels in an image, so they could stretch out to a[1000][1000] or more depending on the image size. Why do you ask?

Depending on the situation, sometimes it's easier to just a single array as opposed to a matrix.

Code:

---

int data[20][30];
//could be
int data[20*30];

---

Oh yeh, I'll keep that in mind. The current problem spcifically defines the use of multi-dim arrays, but that solution looks pretty cool.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bivhitscar

Is it wrong to do this:
And if it is evil, how else can I send multi-dim arrays to functions without explicitly specifying their length? Are VLAs the only way?

---

Wrap it around a structure and have a void* pointer to whatever data you will need in the calling function along with the dimensions of the data, inside the strucure.

Example:

Code:

---

struct GenericDataPointer
{
    int x, y; // .. array dimensions
    void* pdata; // .. pointer to array of any size or dimension or anything else your heart desires.
};

---

More structure abuse!

Code:

---

struct abuse
{
    size_t x, y;
    int data[];
};
...
struct abuse *foo = malloc( sizeof( struct abuse ) + ( sizeof( int ) * (getx() * gety()) ) );

---

I think that looks about right. I never use these things.


Quzah.

Structs can actually be useful in these situations. You can create functions which take pointers to these structs, and do operations with the data.

Like

Code:

---

struct matrix
{
    size_t xsize, ysize;
    int *data;
}

void allocatenewmatrix(struct matrix *m);
void deletematrixmemory(struct matrix *m);
int foobar(struct matrix *m);
char *blow_job(struct matrix *m, char *input);
/* etc */

---

You mean kinda like the post 2 up from yours says? Oh, and the one right above yours also.


Quzah.

quzah, can you please explain size_t to me. I've seen it a lot and I've tried searching for a good explanation, but I still don't get it.

And thanks for the struct idea people, I didn't think of that.

size_t is an ANSI C standard data type of unsigned composition. It is safe to use for indexing arrays, because provided you don't run off the end, you'll never 'under read' your array. linky-link


Quzah.