: Problem updating a two dimensional array

Started by
12 comments, last by ghost1206 22 years, 2 months ago
This must be a very common and easy-to-solve problem, but I cannot find the right way. My problem is that I''ve created a function that fills a two dimensional array with data from a file. The problem is that the array seems not to be updated (the behavior of the program shows that) so I gather that I have passed the array by value (i.e. the function used a copy of the array and not the array itself) and not by reference. Here is the signature of the function: int data[100][50]; ... DDLoadMapData(int iMap[][50]){ ... So how do I pass a two dimensional array by reference? I read somewhere that a two dimensional array is always passed by reference but I am not sure if it''s correct. Please, help!
Advertisement
That should work, the problem is in your code, can you show the code of the function?
humanity will always be slaved by its ignorance
Sure, here it is:

extern "C" HRESULT DDLoadMapData(int *iMap[][60])
{
int fh;
BYTE buffer[8640];

fh = _lopen("map.dat", OF_READ);
if (fh != -1)
{
_lread(fh, buffer, sizeof(buffer));
_lclose(fh);
return DD_OK;
}

for(int i=0; i<60; i++)
for(int j=0; j<144; j++)
*iMap[j]=buffer[i+j];

// for testing purposes.
*iMap[2][3]=3;

return -1;
}

I forgot to mention that I call this with: "DDLoadMapData(map);" in case it is of any importance. It does compile fine but the array "map" is not updated with the values from the file. So I assume the iMap is a copy of map and not map itself. Or not?

Oops! Ignore the prvious one. This is what I tried:

extern "C" HRESULT DDLoadMapData(int iMap[][60])
{
int fh;
BYTE buffer[8640];

fh = _lopen("map.dat", OF_READ);
if (fh != -1)
{
_lread(fh, buffer, sizeof(buffer));
_lclose(fh);
return DD_OK;
}

for(int i=0; i<60; i++)
for(int j=0; j<144; j++)
iMap[j]=buffer[i+j];

return -1;
}
and you''re a beginner?
War is how Americans learn geography.
quote:
iMap[j]=buffer[i+j];

is this a typo?
it should be iMap[j]=buffer[i+j];

ok, I saw what happened it is not a typo
quote:
return DD_OK;

your function is exiting there , you must return after iMap[j]=buffer[i+j];
or do it inside th parenthesis before the return

Edited by - hewhay on January 18, 2002 1:54:12 PM
humanity will always be slaved by its ignorance
i''m supposing that by iMap[j]=buffer[i+j]; you meant
iMap[j]=buffer[i+j]; and the forum is taking th as an italic
humanity will always be slaved by its ignorance
Ya know I don't really know much about C which is what that looks like, but there are several things here I've never seen before:
int iMap[][50]
I have absolutly no clue what that is doing. I've never seen an empty array variable... Maybe thats normal in C I don't know. I guess thats just something about C i don't know, but sounds like something I might find useful if anyone wants to explain.

Edited by - Xanthen on January 18, 2002 2:03:21 PM
XanGame ProgrammerVolition Inc.
It just means that you know the second dimension of the array but not the first. It can only be done to the first dimension

so
int test (int arr[][50])

will treat an array like: int arr[2][50] like int arr[34][50] but it won''t accept arr[1][23]
humanity will always be slaved by its ignorance
Damn! Thanks hewhay! That was a very stupid mistake, sorry to bother you with that. There are times when I feel a real idiot.

I''ll try to redeem myself by explaining the iMap[][60] part. It''s a actually a pointer to a 60 int array. Never forget that an array is always a pointer for the compiler. So to represent a two dimensional array the compiler only needs a pointer to an array with a steady dimension (60 in our case). Thus, You can write iMap[][60] or (*iMap)[60] instead.

I still find the book writen for C from the Waite Group to be an excellent ref.

What I am not sure about, is how the compiler will treat the pointer. Will it use to make a copy of the array for use only in the function. Or will it simply generate a second pointer pointing to the same array. It must be the second one, since I am not noticing any severe overhead to the app.

As you can notice from my rediculous mistake, Lugie, yes I am a beginner!

This topic is closed to new replies.

Advertisement