Embedded Data Structure

(Lecture Note 3)

Revisit C Programming (2)

2025. 3. 11

Prof. Wonjun Kim

School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

Review of the Last Class
Content
 Basic concept of array and pointer
• Array and pointer are same except for …
• Remember usage of array and pointer
• Remember the definition of pointer
: Pointer is a local variable containing the address of the variable

※ Please draw the procedure related to pointers !

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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Pointer and Array (1/2)
Content
 The name of array is “pointer”
• Both of them are the same except for “static” vs. “dynamic”
 Indicate the same memory space with two different ways

#include <stdio.h> #include <stdio.h> Memory

void main() void main()

{ { a[0] a
int a[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}; int a[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}; a[1]

printf(“%d\n”, &a[0]); printf(“%d\n”, a); a[2]

printf(“%d\n”, &a[1]); printf(“%d\n”, a+1); a[3] a+3
printf(“%d\n”, &a[2]); printf(“%d\n”, *a); a[4]
printf(“%d\n”, a); printf(“%d\n”, *(a+1));
} }

 &a[i] = ? / a[i] = ? (think about the difference)

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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Pointer and Array (2/2)
Content
 The name of array is “pointer” – cont’d
• You need to access memory with freely pointers
 Indicate the same memory space with two different ways

#include <stdio.h>

void main()
{
What happens exactly ?
int a[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
int *p; Draw the procedure for this !

p = a;
printf(“%d %d %d\n”, a[1], a[2], a[3]);
printf(“%d %d %d\n”, p[1], p[2], p[3]);
p[1] = 7;
p[2] = 8;
} p[3] = 9;

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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Pointer and Function (1/4)
Content
 Pointer also can be employed as a parameter
• We provide the “address” (not the “value”) for functions
 Formulation is the same as the function prototype

void main() void compute_sum(int *score, int N)

{ {
… …
compute_sum(grade, int N); sum += score[ j];
… …
} }
[ main.cpp ] [ compute.cpp ]

※ To do this, grade should be defined as a pointer, e.g., int *grade;

(Can you explain the procedure by arrows ?)

※ Once again, pointers can be directly represented using the array

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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 Pointer and Function (2/4)
Content
 Call-by-value vs. Call-by-reference
• Call-by-value : copy value (function inside)

※ Example : change two variables using a swap function defined as

a b (copy)
#include <stdio.h>
void swap(int x, int y)
void swap(int x, int y); {
int temp;
void main()
{ temp = x;
int a = 100, b = 200; x = y;
printf(“a = %d, b = %d\n”, a, b); y = temp;
swap(a, b); }
printf(“a = %d, b = %d\n”, a, b);
} [ swap function ]

What is the final result ? Is it changed ?

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

5
 Pointer and Function (3/4)
Content
 Call-by-value vs. Call-by-reference – cont’d
• Call-by-reference : copy address !

※ Example : change two variables using a swap function defined as

#include <stdio.h>
void swap(int *x, int *y)
void swap(int x, int y); {
int temp;
void main()
{ temp = x;
int a = 100, b = 200; x = y;
printf(“a = %d, b = %d\n”, a, b); y = temp;
swap( , ); } Modify it !
printf(“a = %d, b = %d\n”, a, b);
} [ swap function ]

What is the final result ? Is it changed ?

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

6
Pointer and Function (4/4)
Content
 Some examples
• Try to apply pointers to your functions !
- Fill out blanks (understand the pointer operations)

#include <stdio.h> #include <stdio.h> void sub(int x[], int n)

{
int *add(int x, int y); void sub(int x[], int n); for(int j = 0; j<n; j++)
x[ j] -= 1;
void main() void main() }
{ { Array
int *result; int a[3] = {1, 2, 3};
result = add(5, 9);
} sub(a, 3); void sub( , int n)
{
int *add(int x, int y) printf(“%d %d %d\n”, for(int j = 0; j<n; j++)
{ a[0], a[1], a[2]); -= 1;
int *z; } }
*z = x + y;
return
Pointer
}

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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Function Pointer
Content
 Function name as a pointer
• Function pointer : indicating the “code” not the ”data”

#include <stdio.h>
Consider following sentences :
int function_A(int N)
{ 1) fptr = function_A
int a;
for(a = 0; N > 0; N--) 2) printf(“%d\n”, function_A(100));
a += N; printf(“%d\n”, fptr(100));
return a;
}
This will be frequently employed with
What does this function do ?
void pointer
 Function pointer : int (*fptr) (int);
 Make a generalized version
※ Bracket is required
※ Usage : type (pointer) (type)

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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Void Pointer (1/2)
Content
 Void : no type (empty)
• It does not indicate the data type  Why do we use it ?

void *vptr;

int a; Key advantage of void pointers :

a = *vptr; It is useful for making the generalized function
a =*(int *)vptr;
(i.e., it works regardless of data types)
a = *(vptr + 1);
a= Fill out the blank using pointer casting

* Void pointer cannot use the dereference, why ?

* Void pointer cannot use the pointer operators, why ?
 Type casting should be employed !

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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 Void Pointer (2/2)
Content
 Application : function generalization
• Make complete the generalized version of swap function

#include <stdio.h> void main()

#include <stdlib.h> {
char c1 = ‘A’, c2 = ‘B’;
void swap(void *a, void *b, int n) int i1 = 3, i2 = 9;
{ float f1 = 3.3, f2 = 9.9;
void *t;
t = malloc(n); // for char type
memcpy(t, a, n); swap( );
memcpy(a, b, n);
memcpy(b, t, n); // for int type
free(t); swap( );
}
// for float type
 Why using “n” ? swap( );
}

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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 Pointer of Pointer (1/4)
Content
 Pointer of pointer is also an address
• Once again, interpret clearly the following statement :

int **q;

#include <stdio.h>
3 p ?
void main()
{ 4 q ?
int j = 9;
int *p = &j; 
int **q = &p;
7 9 j ?
*p = 10; 8 39 ?
**q = 9;
}

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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 Pointer of Pointer (2/4)
Content
 Let’s consider the cartesian coordinate (or matrix)
• Example : think about scanning a given image

int S[3][5]; S[0][0] S[0][1] S[0][2] S[0][3] S[0][4]

S[1][0] S[1][1] S[1][2] S[1][3] S[1][4]
S[2][0] S[2][1] S[2][2] S[2][3] S[2][4]

How are such arrays assigned in the memory space (physically) ?

S[0][0] S[0][1] S[0][2] S[0][3] S[0][4] S[1][0] … S[2][0] S[2][1] S[2][2] S[2][3] S[2][4]

1st row 3rd row

This is because the structure of the memory is …

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

12
 Pointer of Pointer (3/4)
Content
 Initialization of the two-dimensional array
• Consider the following example :

int array[3][3] = int array[][3] =

{ {1, 2, 3}, { {1, 2, 3}, Which one is correct ? Why ?
{4, 5, 6}, {4, 5, 6}, What is array[2][1], array[1][1] ?
{7, 8, 9} }; {7, 8, 9} };

Starting address  what is this ?

… 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 …

* Name “array” indicates three (int types) pointers in the memory space !
 Where do array+1 and array+2 indicate in the memory ?

* Think about the relationship with the pointer of pointer

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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Pointer of Pointer (4/4)
Content
 2-dimensional array
• Note : memory structure is still linear (this indexing is just for us !)

S S[0] S[0][0] S[0][1] S[0][2] S[0][3]

S[1] S[1][0] S[1][1] S[1][2] S[1][3]

S[2] S[2][0] S[2][1] S[2][2] S[2][3]

? Pointer

#include <stdio.h>

void main()
{ Fill out the blank only using a pointer !
int a[2][2] = { {1,2}, {3,4} };

printf(“%d\n”, ); // print out a value at (1,0) (or (1,1))

}
Deep Computer Vision Lab.
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Practice Example
Content
 Compute the mean of a specific row (or column)
• Why ? memory management in the embedded system

float get_row_avg(int m[][COLS], int r){

m[0][0] int *start, *end;
float avg = 0;

start = ;
end = ;

while(start <= end){

#define ROWS 4 avg += ;
#define COLS 3 ;
}
int m[ROWS][COLS] = {{1, 3, 5},
{9, 7, 3}, {3, 3, 9}, {2, 8, 6}}; avg /= COLS;

return avg;
}
Deep Computer Vision Lab.
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Summary
Content
 Basic concept of advanced operations for pointers
• Relationship between array and pointer
• Pointer and function / void pointer (casting)
• Function pointer / pointer of pointer
※ Remember the definition of “pointer of pointer”

Deep Computer Vision Lab.

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