const int ROWS = 3;
const int COLUMNS = 4;
void fillArray(double a[ROWS][COLUMNS], double value);
void deleteArray(double a[ROWS][COLUMNS]);
int main () {
double a[ROWS][COLUMNS];
fillArray(a, 0);
deleteArray(a);
}
In C++, how do you delete (or fill with specific values) a static n-dimension array?
In C++ we generally do not use arrays. We use std::vector.
You can use memset or std::fill to fill the array with specific values.
BTW you can use delete on dynamically allocated arrays not on static ones.
memset( a, 0 ,ROWS * COLUMNS * sizeof( double ));
or
std::fill(&a[0][0], &a[0][0]+sizeof(a)/sizeof(double), 0);
You can delete only an object created by new (and that object will be allocated in the heap). What do you mean by "deleting a static POD variable"? It has no sense:
1) It doesn't have any destructor to perform additional tasks before freeing the memory,
2) The stack memory will be "freed" as you exit the current block.
And to set it: either loop, either simple memset(a, 0, sizeof(a)); .
Also, the array in your example is not static.
std::vector is what is generally used for C++ arrays (especially when you're new at it). One of vector's constructors will fill it for you to:
std::vector<type> myVector(initialSize, defaultValue);
If you want multidimensional, you could do a vector of vectors, or boost::multi_array:
boost::multi_array<type, numberOfDimensions> myArray(boost::extents[firstSize][secondSize][thirdSize]);
In that case, you'll need to use the multiple-for-loops approach, because it doesn't seem to have a constructor that does that.
EDIT: Actually you can use std::vector to make a multidimensional array with default values:
std::vector<std::vector<double> > a(3, std::vector<double>(4, 0));
Where 3 is the number of rows, 4 is the number of columns and 0 is the default value.
What it's doing is create a vector of vectors with 3 rows, where the default value for each row is a vector with 4 zeroes.
Filling arrays in C++ is the same as filling them using C, namely nested for loops
int i, j;
for (i = 0; i < ROWS; i++)
for (j = 0; j < COLS; j++)
a[i][j] = 0
Arrays aren't "deleted" but they can use free if they've been allocated on the heap (if they've been allocated on the stack within a function, this is unnecessary).
int i;
for (i = 0; i < ROWS; i++)
free(a[i]);
free(a);
Firstly, the code you posted seems confused. What is it that you think "deleteArray" is supposed to do? 'a' is an auto variable and therefore cannot be deleted or freed.
Secondly, wrap your array in a class. There is a nice one in the FAQ that you can start with, but it can be improved. The first improvement is to use a vector rather than newing a block of memory. Then std::fill can be used to fill the array.
Use std::fill
#include <algorithm>
And then your implementation is simply:
std::fill(&a[0][0], &a[0][0]+sizeof(a)/sizeof(a[0][0], value);
You don't delete the array since it is stack allocated.
Related
I have a dynamically populated array of strings in C++:
string** A;
it is populated like this:
A = new string*[size1];
and then:
for (unsigned int i = 0; i < size1; i++)
{
A[i] = new string[size2];
for (unsigned int j = 0; j < size2; j++)
{
A[i][j] = whatever[j];
}
}
elsewhere, I want to find out the dimensions (size1 and size2).
I tries using this:
sizeof(A[i]) / sizeof(A[i][0])
but it doesn't work.
Any ideas ?
Thanks
When you allocate memory via new T[N], the value N is not stored anywhere . If you need to know it later, you will need to keep track of it in your code.
There are pre-existing classes for allocating memory that also remember the length that was allocated. In your code:
vector<vector<string>> A(size1, vector<string>(size2));
// (code to populate...)
then you can access A.size() to get size1, and A[0].size() to get size2.
If the dimensions are known at compile-time you may use array instead of vector.
It is very simple to find the size of a two dimensional (more exactly of one-dimensional dynamically allocated arrays) array. Just declare it like
std::vector<std::vector<std::string>> A;
and use
std::cout << A.size() << std::endl;
As for your approach then you have to store the sizes in some variables when the array is allocated.
If you are learning C++, I would recommend that you learn Classes. With a class you can encapsulate int variables along with your 2D array that you can use to store the dimensions of your array. For example:
class 2Darray{
string **array;
int rows;
int cols;
}
You can then get the dimensions of your 2Darray object anytime by reading these member variables.
vectors will do this for you behind the scenes but its good for you to learn how to do this.
You can't create an array just using pointer operator. Every array is basically a pointer with allocated memory. That's why compiler wants constant before creating array.
Basically; sizeof(A[i]) won't give you the size of array. Because sizeof() function will return the a pointers size which is points to A[i] location. sizeof(A[i]) / sizeof(A[i][1]) will probably give you 1 because you are basically doing sizeof(int)/sizeof(int*)
So you need to store the boundary yourself or use vectors. I would prefer vectors.
Can't get array dimensions through pointer(s)
I have a an array int matrix[10][10] as well as other arrays with similar size which is declared before the prototype functions and main function. This 2d array is used by all of the functions. However, I need my program to have a function that asks the user the size of the matrix he wants. So, it's gotta be something like this: int matrix[ROWS][COLUMNS]. I know for sure that I can't place the declare the array inside the main function since this array is used by all the other functions. How do I declare this kind of array?
First of all, it is impossible to declare an array with variable sizes, as they are not legal in C++ (although they are legal in C). So you're out of luck here.
Second, you want the declaration before main. Hence, you have to use either
A dynamic array, defined globally like int** matrix; and initialized in main() as
matrix = new int*[ROWS];
for(size_t i = 0 ; i < ROWS; ++i)
matrix[i] = new int[COLS];
then you'd have to release its memory at the end of the day
for(size_t i = 0; i < ROWS; ++i)
delete[] matrix[i];
delete[] matrix;
or
A standard container like std::vector<>
std::vector<int> matrix; // defined globally
and in main() reserve memory for it, like
matrix.reserve(ROWS*COLUMNS); // reserve memory for M rows
Then you'd need to play around with the indexes, so you can map from pairs of indexes to 1D index, i.e. the "logical" element [i][j] is represented by the index i * COLS + j in matrix.
Of course, you could have used a std::vector<std::vector<int>>, however this approach is faster since the memory is guaranteed to be contiguous (same applies to the first example, where you could have used an int* instead).
how to allocate run time memory to an array of size[4][3]?
i.e int a[4][3]
If need is to allocate memory to an array at run time than how to allocate memory to 2D array or 3D array.
Editing the answer based on comments. Allocate separately for each dimension. For a 2D array a 2 level allocation is required.
*a = (int**)malloc(numberOfRows*sizeof(int*));
for(int i=0; i<numberOfRows; i++)
{
(*arr)[i] = (int*)malloc(numberOfColumns*sizeof(int));
}
The simplest way to allocate dynamically an array of type int[4][3] is the following
int ( *a )[3] = new int[4][3];
// some stuff using the array
delete []a;
Another way is to allocate several arrays. For example
int **a = new int * [4];
for ( size_t i = 0; i < 4; i++ ) a[i] = new int[3];
// some stuff using the array
for ( size_t i = 0; i < 4; i++ ) delete []a[i];
delete []a;
What have you tried. new int[4][3] is a perfectly valid
expression, and the results can be assigned to a variable with the
appropriate type:
int (*array2D)[3] = new int[4][3];
Having said that: I can't really think of a case where this
would be appropriate. Practically speaking, anytime you need
a 2 dimensional array, you should define a class which
implements it (using std::vector<int> for the actual memory).
A pure C approach is the following:
int (*size)[4][3];
size = malloc(sizeof *size);
/* Verify size is not NULL */
/* Example of access */
(*size)[1][2] = 89;
/* Do something useful */
/* Deallocate */
free(size);
The benefit is that you consume less memory by not allocating intermediate pointers, you deal with a single block of memory and deallocation is simpler. This is especially important if you start to have more than 2 dimensions.
The drawback is that the access syntax is more complicated, as you need to dereference a pointer before being able to index.
Use calloc, i guess this will do.
int **p;
p=(int**)calloc(4,sizeof(int));
In C you can use pointer to pointer
AS #Lundin mentioned this is not 2D array. It is a lookup table using pointers to fragmented memory areas allocated all over the heap.
You need to allocate how many pointers you need and then allocate each pointer. you can allocate fixed size or varaible size depending on your requirement
//step-1: pointer to row
int **a = malloc(sizeof(int *) * MAX_NUMBER_OF_POINTERS);
//step-2: for each rows
for(i = 0; i < MAX_NUMBER_OF_POINTERS; i++){
//if you want to allocate variable sizes read them here
a[i] = malloc(sizeof(int) * MAX_SIZE_FOR_EACH_POINTER); // where as if you use character pointer always allocate one byte extra for null character
}
Where as if you want to allocate char pointers avoid using sizeof(char) inside for loop. because sizeof(char) == 1 and do not cast malloc result.
see How to declare a 2d array in C++ using new
You could use std::vector<> since it is a templated container (meaning array elements can be whatever type you need). std::vector<> allows for dynamic memory usage (you can change the size of the vector<> whenever you need to..the memory is allocated and free'd automatically).
For example:
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
using namespace std; // saves you from having to write std:: in front of everthing
int main()
{
vector<int> vA;
vA.resize(4*3); // allocate memory for 12 elements
// Or, if you prefer working with arrays of arrays (vectors of vectors)
vector<vector<int> > vB;
vB.resize(4);
for (int i = 0; i < vB.size(); ++i)
vB[i].resize(3);
// Now you can access the elements the same as you would for an array
cout << "The last element is " << vB[3][2] << endl;
}
You can use malloc() in c or new in c++ for dynamic memory allocation.
In c++, I can create a 2D array with fixed number of columns, say 5, as follows:
char (*c)[5];
then I can allocate memory for rows as follows
c = new char[n][5];
where n can be any variable which can be assigned value even at run time. I would like to know whether and how can I dynamically allocate variable amount of memory to each row with this method. i.e. I want to use first statement as such but can modify the second statement.
Instead of a pointer to an array, you'd make a pointer to a pointer, to be filled with an array of pointers, each element of which is in turn to be filled with an array of chars:
char ** c = new char*[n]; // array of pointers, c points to first element
for (unsigned int i = 0; i != n; ++i)
c[i] = new char[get_size_of_array(i)]; // array of chars, c[i] points to 1st element
A somewhat more C++ data structure would be a std::vector<std::string>.
As you noticed in the comment, dynamic arrays allocated with new[] cannot be resized, since there is no analogue of realloc in C++ (it doesn't make sense with the object model, if you think about it). Therefore, you should always prefer a proper container over any manual attempt at dynamic lifetime management.
In summary: Don't use new. Ever. Use appropriate dynamic containers.
You need to declare c as follows: char** c; then, allocate the major array as follows: c = new char*[n]; and then, allocate each minor array as follows: c[i] = new char[m]
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
main()
{
int row,col,i,j;
cout<<"Enter row and col\n";
cin>>row>>col;
int *a,(*p)[col]=new (int[row][col]);
for(i=0;i<row;i++)
for(j=0;j<col;j++)
p[i][j]=i+j;
for(i=0;i<row;i++)
for(j=0;j<col;j++)
cout<<i<<" "<<j<<" "<<p[i][j]<<endl;
//printf("%d %d %d\n",i,j,p[i][j]);
}
I am writing a C++ class that uses some fixed arrays, as well as some dynamically allocated arrays.
I was wondering if anybody can guide me for the proper way to allocate memory for the dynamic arrays , probably in the constructor/deconstructor, and also if I need to explicitly call them to make sure I don't get a seg fault.
Here is a simplified version of the related part of my code:
class Network {
public:
int n_nodes;
int user_index[MAX_USERS]; //a fixed array
int adjacency_matrix[][MAX_ITEMS];
//Network(int n_node, int** adjacency); //I would rather to set the element s in a function other than the constructor
Initializer(int n_node, int** adjacency);
~Netowrk();
}
So here are my specific question for this class:
1 - Can I have the 2D array adjacency_matrix[][] with undecided number of rows and columns until it's set by the user in the initializer function?
2 - where should I delete the 2D array? should I write it in the deconstructor? Should I call the deconstructor explicitly? Is there anything else I need to destroy in the deconstructor?
1 - Can I have the 2D array adjacency_matrix[][] with undecided number of rows and columns until it's set by the user in the initializer function?
Yes. The best way to do this, however, is not to use arrays at all. Instead, use std::vector, which manages the memory for you. There are two ways that you can do this. If you actually want to be able to use the [row][column] syntax to access elements, you'll need to use two dimensions of std::vectors:
std::vector<std::vector<int> > adjacency_matrix;
Once you know the dimensions, you can populate it:
adjacency_matrix.assign(rows, std::vector<int>(columns));
It is often easier to use a single-dimensional array (or a std::vector<int>) containing all of the elements and use row * row_count + column to access the element at index (row, column). This way, there are fewer dynamic allocations. You can wrap up the logic of accessing elements into a couple of helper functions.
2 - where should I delete the 2D array? should I write it in the deconstructor?
You don't have to delete anything if you use a std::vector. It cleans itself up.
Should I call the [destructor] explicitly?
No.
Is there anything else I need to destroy in the [destructor]?
Ideally, no. If you use the Standard Library containers, like std::vector and smart pointers, you shouldn't have to clean anything up. You should avoid trying to manage resources on your own in C++: there are library facilities to do this tedious task for you and you should take advantage of them.
1 - Can I have the 2D array adjacency_matrix[][] with undecided number of rows and columns until it's set by the user in the initializer function?
Yes you can. For example:
int* adjacency_matrix_;
int* getAdjacency(int i, int j)
{
if (!adjacency_matrix_)
return 0;
else
return adjacency_matrix_ + i*n_nodes + j;
}
Network()
: n_nodes(0),
adjacency_matrix_(0)
{}
void Initializer(int n_node, int** adjacency)
{
adjacency_matrix_ = new int[n_nodes * n_nodes];
// Copy over data.
}
As to whether you should, that depends on whether you have a reason for not using std::vector<>.
2 - where should I delete the 2D array? should I write it in the deconstructor?
Should I call the deconstructor explicitly?
Is there anything else I need to destroy in the deconstructor?
Yes, definitely free in the destructor using array operator delete:
~Network()
{
delete [] adjacency_matrix_;
}
No, your destructor will be called whenever the Network object itself goes out of scope. It is (very) rarely necessary to make an explicit destructor call.
No, all a destructor needs to explicitly release is whatever your explicitly acquire.
You may like the example matrix class I wrote in an answer to another question
The question itself was about good C++ design practices, but the chosen example was a multi-dimensional array.
There are several ways to do this.
The easiest way is to use vectors, and if you don't like to manage your own memory, this is perfect for you. However, because I like to manage my own memory, and I have found this method to be slow and cumbersome at times, I have learned of other ways.
The fastest way is to allocated a one dimensional array and treat it as you would a two dimensional array. Here is an example:
int *array = new int[width*height];
int get_array(int column, int row)
{
return array[row*width + column];
}
delete [] array;
This can be generalized to the nth-dimension:
int *array = new int[w1*w2*...*wn];
int get_array(int i1, int i2, ..., int in)
{
return array[in*(w1*w2*...*w(n-1)) + i(n-1)*(w1*w2*...*w(n-2)) + ... + i2*w1 + i1];
}
delete [] array;
If you want to be able to have different widths for each row, then you can make an array of pointers. This solution is slow to initialize and clean up, but flexible, tunable, and has relatively fast execution time. It can also be extremely dangerous if you make a mistake though.
int **array = new int*[height];
for (int i = 0; i < height; i++)
array[i] = new int[width(i)];
at which point, to access it, all you have to do is the customary
array[i][j]
however, to free this array you have to do it row by row
for (int i = 0; i < height; i++)
delete [] array[i];
delete [] array;
This can also generalize to the nth dimension.
int **....*array = new int**...*[w1];
for (int i1 = 0; i1 < w1; i1++)
{
array[i1] = new int**..*[w2];
for (int i2 = 0; i2 < w2; i2++)
{
array[i1][i2] = new int**.*[w3];
...
for (int in = 0; in < wn; in++)
array[i1][i2]...[in] = new int[wn];
}
}
for (int i1 = 0; i1 < w1; i1++)
{
for (int i2 = 0; i2 < w2; i2++)
{
...
for (int in = 0; in < wn; in++)
delete [] array[i1][i2]...[in];
...
delete [] array[i1][i2];
}
delete [] array[i1];
}
delete [] array;
This kind of setup tends to wreak havoc on memory. Just a two dimensional array of these would result in width+1 separate arrays to be malloc-ed. It would be faster to just malloc one big array and figure out the indices yourself.