Taking Input to Arrays Issue - c++

Question

I'm creating a console timetable application in which you can create a timetable, change it, and delete it. I'm on the stage of taking the input for the calculator. However, when I run the code, as soon as I finish taking the input, the window just closes. Here is the code:
int input()
{
int numberOfElements;
cout << "How many items do you want in your timetable? ";
cin >> numberOfElements;
char* itemArray[numberOfElements] = {};
for (int i = 1; i <= numberOfElements; i++)
{
cout << "Please enter a session: ";
cin >> itemArray[i];
}
for (int i = 0; i < numberOfElements; i++)
{
cout << itemArray[i] << "\n";
}
return 0;
}
There is some code in the main function as well, but it's irrelevant (only to find out for what day it is). I want you to have a look at the first for loop in the code, where I take in input. When running this code (in a separate window altogether), it closes as soon as I give in the input. Even if I say that I want 3 sessions (or any number), it closes right after I input the first session. In case you were wondering, I already tried replacing
char* itemArray[numberOfElements] = {};
with
char* itemArray[numberOfElements];
Just in case it's useful to anyone, I'm using the MinGW compiler.
Thanks.

Answer 1

In Standard C++ the size of an array must be a compile time constant. So take for example the following statements in your program:
int numberOfElements;
cout << "How many items do you want in your timetable? ";
cin >> numberOfElements;
char* itemArray[numberOfElements] = {};//not standard C++
The statement char* itemArray[numberOfElements] = {}; is not standard C++ because numberOfElements is not a constant expression.
Additionally, you're going out of bounds of the array because of the <= in the for loop instead of <. This leads to undefined behavior.
Better would be to use std::vector<std::string> as shown below:
#include <iostream>
#include<vector>
#include <string>
int main()
{
int numberOfElements;
std::cout << "How many items do you want in your timetable? ";
std::cin >> numberOfElements;
std::vector<std::string> arr(numberOfElements); //create vector of size numberOfElements
for (std::string &element: arr)
{
std::cout << "Please enter the element: ";
std::cin >> element;
}
for (const std::string& element: arr)
{
std::cout << element << "\n";
}
}
Demo.