C++ crash Segmentation fault: 11 - c++

Question

I have been working on a program to test out a few string manipulation possibilities. It is basically supposed to read a string list and be able to find a character's neighbors to go through the strings as a circuit. Here's the code:
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <sstream>
#include <fstream>
std::string grid[20]={" "};
std::string get(int string, int member){
return grid[string].substr(member,1);
}
std::string* getNeighbors(int string, int member){
std::string neighbors[4];
neighbors[0]=grid[string-1].substr(member,1);//up
neighbors[1]=grid[string+1].substr(member,1);//down
neighbors[2]=grid[string].substr(member-1,1);//left
neighbors[3]=grid[string].substr(member+1,1);//right
std::string* p=neighbors;
return p;//Returns up,down,left,right.
}
int main(int argc, char** argv){
grid[1]="#----^---0";
grid[2]="abcdefghi0";
grid[3]="jklmnopqr0";//TODO Change to read of txt*/
std::string* neighbors;
for(int i=0;grid[1].length()>i;i++){
neighbors=getNeighbors(2,1);
if(neighbors[3]=="-" | neighbors[3]=="^"){
std::string r=get(1,i);
(r!="0") ? std::cout<<r:0;//Dangerous. TODO Unknown symbol handling
std::cout<<neighbors[3];
}
}
}
This compiles well, but has the runtime error "Segmentation fault: 11". I am using several subjects and techniques that I am not used to and am likely misusing. Any help would be great.

Answer 1

std::string neighbors[4]; is stack allocated. When you go out getNeighborsit looses scope. Try to put it other place (even globaly, just as a proof of concept). A better design should be pass this as parater to your function.
void getNeighbors(int string, int member, std::vector<std::string>& neighbors){
;
neighbors[0]=grid[string-1].substr(member,1);//up
neighbors[1]=grid[string+1].substr(member,1);//down
neighbors[2]=grid[string].substr(member-1,1);//left
neighbors[3]=grid[string].substr(member+1,1);//right
}
EDIT:
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <sstream>
#include <fstream>
std::string grid[20]={" "};
std::string neighbors[4]; //<---------------------------
std::string get(int string, int member){
return grid[string].substr(member,1);
}
std::string* getNeighbors(int string, int member){
neighbors[0]=grid[string-1].substr(member,1);//up
neighbors[1]=grid[string+1].substr(member,1);//down
neighbors[2]=grid[string].substr(member-1,1);//left
neighbors[3]=grid[string].substr(member+1,1);//right
std::string* p=neighbors;
return p;//Returns up,down,left,right.
}
int main(int argc, char** argv){
grid[1]="#----^---0";
grid[2]="abcdefghi0";
grid[3]="jklmnopqr0";//TODO Change to read of txt*/
std::string* neighbors;
for(int i=0;grid[1].length()>i;i++){
neighbors=getNeighbors(2,1);
if(neighbors[3]=="-" | neighbors[3]=="^"){
std::string r=get(1,i);
(r!="0") ? std::cout<<r:"0";//Dangerous. TODO Unknown symbol handling
std::cout<<neighbors[3];
}
}
}
The neighborsnow is global (I don´t like this, but do the job for the POC).

Answer 2

getNeighbors() is returning a pointer to a local variable.