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The Big Programming Thread - Page 867

Forum Index > General Forum
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Thread Rules
1. This is not a "do my homework for me" thread. If you have specific questions, ask, but don't post an assignment or homework problem and expect an exact solution.
2. No recruiting for your cockamamie projects (you won't replace facebook with 3 dudes you found on the internet and $20)
3. If you can't articulate why a language is bad, don't start slinging shit about it. Just remember that nothing is worse than making CSS IE6 compatible.
4. Use [code] tags to format code blocks.
Deleted User 3420
Profile Blog Joined May 2003
24492 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-04-01 16:11:40
April 01 2017 15:09 GMT
#17321
Prillan, your last question. No it's just my lack of understanding.

Current C project I am having to do right now is most confusing one yet.

Boiled down it's essentially it's manipulating a structure that holds an array of linked lists of another structure. Which probably sounds easy to most of you but it is hell for me

edit, question:

accessing field of struct pointer, you can do


(*struct).field

or

struct->field


accessing field of struct double pointer


(**struct).field

or

(*struct)->field

or

??

how do I do it with just the arrows?
WarSame
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
Canada1950 Posts
April 01 2017 17:21 GMT
#17322
With just the arrows would it not be ((struct)->field)->field? It should just be the same thing each time.
Can it be I stayed away too long? Did you miss these rhymes while I was gone?
slmw
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
Finland233 Posts
April 01 2017 18:18 GMT
#17323
No. It's a pointer to a pointer to an element that has a member called field.
Acrofales
Profile Joined August 2010
Spain18295 Posts
April 01 2017 20:04 GMT
#17324
That. You can't. Pointers have no fields to dereference with an ->
So you'll need to dereference the first pointer with a *
Deleted User 3420
Profile Blog Joined May 2003
24492 Posts
April 02 2017 13:38 GMT
#17325
For the first time in this class, I don't think I can actually figure out this function on my own. Is anyone willing to get on skype with me to help me figure it out? It's C.
WarSame
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
Canada1950 Posts
April 02 2017 15:33 GMT
#17326
On April 02 2017 05:04 Acrofales wrote:
That. You can't. Pointers have no fields to dereference with an ->
So you'll need to dereference the first pointer with a *

So, to make sure, the correct way is:

(*(struct)->field)->field


or do I need to toss another pair of brackets in like

(*((struct)->field))->field


and this could all just be avoided by

(struct->field).field
Can it be I stayed away too long? Did you miss these rhymes while I was gone?
Blisse
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Canada3710 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-04-02 15:57:51
April 02 2017 15:54 GMT
#17327
On April 02 2017 00:09 travis wrote:
Prillan, your last question. No it's just my lack of understanding.

Current C project I am having to do right now is most confusing one yet.

Boiled down it's essentially it's manipulating a structure that holds an array of linked lists of another structure. Which probably sounds easy to most of you but it is hell for me

edit, question:

accessing field of struct pointer, you can do


(*struct).field

or

struct->field


accessing field of struct double pointer


(**struct).field

or

(*struct)->field

or

??

how do I do it with just the arrows?


If you have

typedef struct clazz {
type field;
} clazz_t;

int main() {
clazz_t** var;

// all at once, brackets are important
(*var)->field;

// equivalently
(*(*var)).field;


// conceptually it helps to use an intermediate variable, dereferencing the 'outer' pointer
clazz_t* inter = *var;

// you learned this as a short-hand
inter->field;

// equivalent to this
(*inter).field;
}
There is no one like you in the universe.
Acrofales
Profile Joined August 2010
Spain18295 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-04-02 16:01:22
April 02 2017 15:59 GMT
#17328
On April 03 2017 00:33 WarSame wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 02 2017 05:04 Acrofales wrote:
That. You can't. Pointers have no fields to dereference with an ->
So you'll need to dereference the first pointer with a *

So, to make sure, the correct way is:

(*(struct)->field)->field


or do I need to toss another pair of brackets in like

(*((struct)->field))->field


and this could all just be avoided by

(struct->field).field

No. To all of that. In fact, I'm not even quite sure what those are supposed to be.

Lets start with getting some things out of the way. struct is a terrible terrible terrible name for a variable, so can we please stop calling the variable that? Lets call it foo instead.

foo is a pointer to a pointer to a struct. In other words, a double pointer to a struct. Lets call that struct bar.

so we have


bar** foo;


Now lets unpack that a bit.

Does something of the type bar* have any fields? Of course not. It's a pointer. So foo->myfield will break, because it is simply shorthand for (*foo).myfield, and *foo has type bar*.

So at some point you'll actually have to dereference foo. Because you can write, equivalently:

mytype myvar = (*foo)->myfield;
mytype myvar = (**foo).myfield;


E: ninja'd
Deleted User 3420
Profile Blog Joined May 2003
24492 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-04-02 16:30:38
April 02 2017 16:18 GMT
#17329
so I have a double pointer

and I want to do:

(double pointer + 1) = another pointer

but I can't do this... "lvalue required as left operand of assignment"

so wtf do I do


I understand that I could assign a NEW pointer to (double pointer + 1), but this new pointer would be a local variable which would go away when my function is over.

I guess i have to like, assign the value instead of directly assigning pointers? I hate pointers
Blisse
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Canada3710 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-04-02 20:31:56
April 02 2017 17:31 GMT
#17330
(double pointer + 1) = another pointer


This doesn't mean anything. You can't assign "double pointers" to regular pointers.

*(double pointer + 1) = another pointer // set the value at double pointer[1] to another pointer



You're overcomplicating this for yourself. If you're feeling frustrated with coding problems, I would suggest taking a break and doing other non-academic activities if you haven't already. It helps a bunch.

Break apart what you want to do into steps and figure out those steps. Avoid shortening code like above. Write out each line.

A variable with type "double pointer" can mean two things: an array of pointers (which can also be arrays) or a pointer to a pointer. Since it doesn't make sense to +1 a pointer to a pointer, I'm assuming you have an array of pointers.


clazz_t** arr = ...;
clazz_t** iter = arr; // get a pointer to the first array element, iter variable to avoid modifying original
iter = iter + 1; // move the pointer to the second array element (next index in the array)

clazz_t* ele = *iter; // get the second element in the array
*ele = <new_value>; // change the value of the second array element

*iter = <new_element>; // change the second array element to another pointer (different than above)



I understand that I could assign a NEW pointer to (double pointer + 1), but this new pointer would be a local variable which would go away when my function is over.

I guess i have to like, assign the value instead of directly assigning pointers? I hate pointers


You're misunderstanding how pointers and scope works.


void func(int** ptr) {
*ptr = 4;
}

int main() {
int* a = nullptr;
func(&a);
// a is now 4
}


Do you understand why a is 4?



void func(int** ptr) {
ptr = 4;
}

int main() {
int* a = nullptr;
func(&a);
// a is still 0
}


Do you understand the difference between the 1st and 2nd example?
There is no one like you in the universe.
WarSame
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
Canada1950 Posts
April 02 2017 19:00 GMT
#17331
On April 03 2017 00:54 Blisse wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 02 2017 00:09 travis wrote:
Prillan, your last question. No it's just my lack of understanding.

Current C project I am having to do right now is most confusing one yet.

Boiled down it's essentially it's manipulating a structure that holds an array of linked lists of another structure. Which probably sounds easy to most of you but it is hell for me

edit, question:

accessing field of struct pointer, you can do


(*struct).field

or

struct->field


accessing field of struct double pointer


(**struct).field

or

(*struct)->field

or

??

how do I do it with just the arrows?


If you have

typedef struct clazz {
type field;
} clazz_t;

int main() {
clazz_t** var;

// all at once, brackets are important
(*var)->field;

// equivalently
(*(*var)).field;


// conceptually it helps to use an intermediate variable, dereferencing the 'outer' pointer
clazz_t* inter = *var;

// you learned this as a short-hand
inter->field;

// equivalent to this
(*inter).field;
}

Ok, I see what I was doing wrong.

I was thinking more along the lines of
#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

struct Y {
int F;
};

struct X {
Y* pY;
};

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
Y y;
y.F = 5;
Y * pY = &y;
X x;
x.pY = pY;
X * pX = &x;
cout << (pX->pY)->F;
return 0;
}


All of this pointer practice is pretty useful, so thanks for the questions Travis. You're getting me to look more into this, and be more careful.
Can it be I stayed away too long? Did you miss these rhymes while I was gone?
Deleted User 3420
Profile Blog Joined May 2003
24492 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-04-02 21:30:43
April 02 2017 21:29 GMT
#17332
I seriously need help
my brain is dying, you guys wouldn't believe how long I have been working on one function

I am supposed to sort an array of lists of structures based on a comparing function
and for some reason, clearly my lack of understanding of pointers, the changes are not sticking

they stick when I put them in order


new = malloc(whatever)
//assign some stuff to new
curr->next = new;


Then it effects the original array(double pointer) I was passed.

But when I have to put it in some other kind of order, say


new = malloc(whatever)
//assign stuff to new
new->next = curr;
curr = new;


this DOES NOT stick

And I don't understand why. I am actually going crazy.
Blitzkrieg0
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States13132 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-04-02 22:51:36
April 02 2017 22:39 GMT
#17333
Take a step back and think about how pointers work when you're making calls to functions.

so you've got some block of memory that is referenced by the current pointer. When you pass this pointer to a function what happens?

void travis(int * a1)
{
*a1 = 6;
a1 = void;
}

int main()
{
int *curr = 1;
travis(curr);
}


So here's the stack. We've got a reference to curr which is some piece of memory.

[curr]
1



Then I call my travis function and this happens...

[curr] <---------- [a1]
1


a1 is a reference to the location in memory that is the curr pointer that has a value of 1. The first thing the function does is deference that pointer and set the value to 6. Because we're dereferencing the pointer this change in state will outlive the function.

[curr] <----------- [a1]
6


Next we're going to set the a1 pointer to void. This doesn't change where curr points. It only effects the pointer in the local scope because we're not dereferencing the pointer.

[curr]               [a1] -> void
6


When the function ends we end up with
[curr]
6


Your bottom block is doing the void thing assuming that you're passing curr. If none of this makes sense I suggest reading up on pass by value/reference and what happens when you make a function call in terms of the stack.
I'll always be your shadow and veil your eyes from states of ain soph aur.
Hanh
Profile Joined June 2016
146 Posts
April 03 2017 02:22 GMT
#17334
On April 03 2017 06:29 travis wrote:
I seriously need help
my brain is dying, you guys wouldn't believe how long I have been working on one function

...

I am actually going crazy.


Avoid pointers if you don't understand them. There are only a few common usages:

1. arrays. Instead of writing arr, arr+1, ..., refer to their elements and take their address. &a[0], &a[1], etc. And don't use pointer arithmetic, no p++, no p+i, etc. Keep these for later when you are more comfortable with pointers.
2. passing parameters 'out'.

void f(int a); // modifications to 'a' inside f do not affect the caller

void f(int* a) {
int x = *a; //read to local var
... // do stuff - no pointers in here
*a = x; // update caller
}


3. structs. Everything is a value type in C, including structs. You can do

void f(struct S s) { ... }

The structure is copied on the stack and given to f (same logic as any value). It may be expensive to do so if S is large. Instead using (2), you can pass a pointer to S. However, assigning to a local variable could be an issue (if S is large). Therefore, the -> shortcut was created. a->x is the same as (*a).x

+ Show Spoiler +

Modern compiler will probably eliminate the temporary variable though.

That's why there is no special shortcut for (**pp).x. There is no penalty in doing
p = *pp; p->x

but there used to be a performance penalty for doing
a = *p
a.x
vs
p->x


4. trees and complex data structures. Use typedefs and they reduce to one of the above cases.

Though you should not skip on getting a good understanding of
value, memory location, variable, address, pointers and reference , specially if you intend to have a career in C.

It will only get harder and you'll end up with memory corruptions, leaks, etc.
Deleted User 3420
Profile Blog Joined May 2003
24492 Posts
April 03 2017 17:03 GMT
#17335
professor says not to use goto

but I have a while loop inside of a for loop
and when my while loop hits it's condition I want to end the for loop

I could make some stupid boolean but that seems clunky
and goto(outside the for loop) seems really elegant
what's the problem?
Acrofales
Profile Joined August 2010
Spain18295 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-04-03 17:41:20
April 03 2017 17:16 GMT
#17336
On April 04 2017 02:03 travis wrote:
professor says not to use goto

but I have a while loop inside of a for loop
and when my while loop hits it's condition I want to end the for loop

I could make some stupid boolean but that seems clunky
and goto(outside the for loop) seems really elegant
what's the problem?

There are many ways of doing this without using goto, most rely on refactoring your code so your outer loop exits naturally when your condition is met, or so that you can return immediately. Flags are the next option (as you say, it's clunky) and goto is the nuclear option. The problem with goto is not that it is not elegant in some specific cases, it's that it breaks the control flow of your program.

Imagine this:

void* dosomething() {
blablabla
foo: bla
blablabla
}

void* dosomethingelse() {
blabla
if(condition) {
goto foo;
}
blabla
}


This is the kind of goto that will cause your code to break in unexpected and mysterious ways. And if you start getting used to using goto in nested for loops, you might get tempted to use goto in other cases too where you "just want to avoid repeating code".

But yes, nested loops is one of the very very few (if not only) places where goto is a good solution. But if your professor has forbidden it, then either find a way to refactor your code or use a flag.

Oh, and also note that some more modern languages have numeric or labeled breaks. E.g. in java and javascript if you use a labeled break to break out of the outer loop:


loop1:
for(somestuff) {
while(true) {
break loop1;
}
}


PHP has numeric breaks (in other words, "break 2;" would break out of 2 loops (or a switch statement and a loop)).

Python doesn't have anything like it, because in the words of the Python god: https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-3000/2007-July/008663.html which I mostly agree with. There are almost always perfectly good alternatives that don't require you break out of a nested loop.
Deleted User 3420
Profile Blog Joined May 2003
24492 Posts
April 03 2017 17:55 GMT
#17337
hmmm, so, using return

then i suppose a good solution is to put the loops into a function and then return the function
though that could be a bit annoying in C if you are changing a bunch of local variables, because you have to use a bunch of pointers in your parameters
Acrofales
Profile Joined August 2010
Spain18295 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-04-03 18:12:00
April 03 2017 18:11 GMT
#17338
On April 04 2017 02:55 travis wrote:
hmmm, so, using return

then i suppose a good solution is to put the loops into a function and then return the function
though that could be a bit annoying in C if you are changing a bunch of local variables, because you have to use a bunch of pointers in your parameters

Correct. That's one way of doing it.
tofucake
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
Hyrule19215 Posts
April 03 2017 18:23 GMT
#17339
You could also use break 2; in the while
Liquipediaasante sana squash banana
Acrofales
Profile Joined August 2010
Spain18295 Posts
April 03 2017 18:29 GMT
#17340
On April 04 2017 03:23 tofucake wrote:
You could also use break 2; in the while

Downvote. Can't in C.
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