I'm learning C language and I have a question about dynamic memory allocation.
Consider that I have a program that the user must enter numbers or typing the letter "E" to exit the program.
The numbers that the user enter must be stored in a one-dimensional array. This array begins with a single position.
How can I do to increase my array of integers to each number that the user enters to store this number in this new position? I think I must use pointers correct? And then, how do I print the values stored in the array?
All the examples I find are complex to understand for a beginner. I read about the malloc and realloc functions but I don't know exactly which one to use.
Can anyone help me? Thanks!
void main() {
int numbers[];
do {
allocate memory;
add the number to new position;
} while(user enter a number)
for (first element to last element)
print value;
}
If you need to expand an array at runtime, you must allocate memory dynamically (on the heap). To do so, you can use malloc or more suitable for your situation, realloc.
A good example on this page here, which I think describes what you want.: http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/cstdlib/realloc/
Copy pasted from the link above:
/* realloc example: rememb-o-matic */
#include <stdio.h> /* printf, scanf, puts */
#include <stdlib.h> /* realloc, free, exit, NULL */
int main ()
{
int input,n;
int count = 0;
int* numbers = NULL;
int* more_numbers = NULL;
do {
printf ("Enter an integer value (0 to end): ");
scanf ("%d", &input);
count++;
more_numbers = (int*) realloc (numbers, count * sizeof(int));
if (more_numbers!=NULL) {
numbers=more_numbers;
numbers[count-1]=input;
}
else {
free (numbers);
puts ("Error (re)allocating memory");
exit (1);
}
} while (input!=0);
printf ("Numbers entered: ");
for (n=0;n<count;n++) printf ("%d ",numbers[n]);
free (numbers);
return 0;
}
Note that the size of the array is remembered using count
variable