«

Can somebody please explain why the following piece of code generates an
error unless I change q[top--] to *q[top--]:

typedef int Queue[10];
int top = 9;

void insert(Queue *q, int n) {
q[top--] = n;
}

$ gcc -c test.c
test.c: In function `insert':
test.c:5: error: incompatible types in assignment

Seeing as q is essentially a pointer to an array I assumed that I could
use array notation but I'm obviously mistaken so I'd just like to know why
it doesn't work.

Thanks.

--
"Being a social outcast helps you stay | ''.encode('rot-13')
concentrated on the really important |
things, like thinking and hacking." | [ RENT THIS SPACE ]
- Eric S. Raymond |

On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 13:57:40 +0000, Simon Morgan wrote:

> Can somebody please explain why the following piece of code generates an
> error unless I change q[top--] to *q[top--]:
>
> typedef int Queue[10];
> int top = 9;
>
> void insert(Queue *q, int n) {
> q[top--] = n;
> }
>
> $ gcc -c test.c
> test.c: In function `insert':
> test.c:5: error: incompatible types in assignment
>
> Seeing as q is essentially a pointer to an array I assumed that I could
> use array notation but I'm obviously mistaken so I'd just like to know why
> it doesn't work.

You are right that you can use array notation on the pointer, but since it
points to an array of 10 int, indexing it results in a member with type
array of 10 int.

In other words, q[i], which is equivalent to *(q + i), has type int[10],
to which you are attempting to assign a single int. Hence gcc complaining
about incompatible types.

I am going to assume that you are calling insert with the first parameter
being something like &myqueue where myqueue is declared Queue myqueye;

If that's the case, then the problem is not solved by *q[top--] since
that is equivalent to *(q[top--]) when what you want is (*q)[top--].

In other words, q[top--] results in the 10th (when in fact there is only
one) 10-int array, and applying * to it gives the first element of that
10-int array. Whereas (*q) results in the first (and only) 10-int array,
and indexing that with [top--] gives the 10th int in that 10-int array.

If my assumption is correct then there is no reason for you to pass a
pointer to an array in the first place; you should just pass in the array
itself. This will decay to a pointer as always but that pointer when
indexed will result in a member with type int rather than int[10].

So my advice is to change parameter Queue *q to Queue q unless you have a
good reason not to.

--
http://members.dodo.com.au/~netocrat

Simon Morgan wrote:
> Can somebody please explain why the following piece of code generates an
> error unless I change q[top--] to *q[top--]:
>
> typedef int Queue[10];
> int top = 9;
>
> void insert(Queue *q, int n) {
> q[top--] = n;
> }
>
> $ gcc -c test.c
> test.c: In function `insert':
> test.c:5: error: incompatible types in assignment
>
> Seeing as q is essentially a pointer to an array I assumed that I could
> use array notation but I'm obviously mistaken so I'd just like to know why
> it doesn't work.

See Questions 6.12 and 6.13 in the comp.lang.c
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list

http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html

In fact, it will probably do you good to read all
of Section 6. If you're still confused afterwards,
come back and ask again.

--

Simon Morgan wrote:

> Can somebody please explain why the following piece of code generates an
> error unless I change q[top--] to *q[top--]:
>
> typedef int Queue[10];
> int top = 9;
>
> void insert(Queue *q, int n) {
> q[top--] = n;
> }
>
> $ gcc -c test.c
> test.c: In function `insert':
> test.c:5: error: incompatible types in assignment
>
> Seeing as q is essentially a pointer to an array I assumed that I could
> use array notation but I'm obviously mistaken so I'd just like to know why
> it doesn't work.

exactly, q is a _pointer_ to an array.

(*q) is the array. hence the *q[...]


--
·O· Pierre Habouzit
··O
OOO http://www.madism.org

On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 16:16:26 +0200, MadCoder wrote:

> exactly, q is a _pointer_ to an array.
>
> (*q) is the array. hence the *q[...]

But isn't:

*(q+n) == q[n]

--
"Being a social outcast helps you stay | ''.encode('rot-13')
concentrated on the really important |
things, like thinking and hacking." | [ RENT THIS SPACE ]
- Eric S. Raymond |

Simon Morgan wrote:

> On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 16:16:26 +0200, MadCoder wrote:
>
>> exactly, q is a _pointer_ to an array.
>>
>> (*q) is the array. hence the *q[...]
>
> But isn't:
>
> *(q+n) == q[n]

I think you should read section 6. of the FAQ as suggested. you are mixing
some different concepts.

1- what you want :

q is a pointer to an array
(*q) is the array

and if you want the n-th (well n+1-th in fact) value of the array you
want :

(*q)[n]

which is roughly equivalent to

*((*q)+n)

2- what you don't want :

q+n is not what you mean.
q+n is a pointer to an array of 10 ints, that is n places after the one
pointed by q. by places I mean offsets of sizeof(*q) == 10*sizeof(int)

--
·O· Pierre Habouzit
··O
OOO http://www.madism.org

On Thu, 18 Aug 2005 00:03:26 +1000, Netocrat wrote:

> If my assumption is correct then there is no reason for you to pass a
> pointer to an array in the first place; you should just pass in the array
> itself. This will decay to a pointer as always but that pointer when
> indexed will result in a member with type int rather than int[10].
>
> So my advice is to change parameter Queue *q to Queue q unless you have a
> good reason not to.

Thanks for the explanation, your assumptions are correct. I was mistakenly
thinking that Queue *q was a pointer to the first element of an array and
overlooking the fact that seeing as a Queue *is* an array, that q is
already treated as a pointer to it's first element.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

--
"Being a social outcast helps you stay | ''.encode('rot-13')
concentrated on the really important |
things, like thinking and hacking." | [ RENT THIS SPACE ]
- Eric S. Raymond |

Queue is a type of int [10] ;
Queue * is a type of int (*) [10] ;

use:

void insert(Queue q, int n) {
q[top--] = n;
}

or

void insert(Queue *q, int n) {
*q[top--] = n;
}

See C/C++ abstract declarators for more information.

-- lovecreatesbeauty

>>typedef int Queue[10];

lovecreatesbeauty wrote:
> Queue is a type of int [10] ;
> Queue * is a type of int (*) [10] ;
>
> use:
>
> void insert(Queue *q, int n) {
> *q[top--] = n;
> }
>

I'm sorry for the mistake, the correct one should be:

void insert(Queue *q, int n) {
(*q)[top--] = n;
}