Arrays and Pointers

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Outline
 Shortfalls of previous variables
 The Array data type
 One-dimensional arrays
 Multidimensional Arrays (Matrices / Tables)
 Examples
 Pointers
 Strings

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Shortfalls of previously studied variables
 Variables store a single value
 Requirement of many variables when dealing with
many instances
 Reduced reusability
 Too many lines of program code

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1. Arrays
 Used to store a list of items,
 Items have the same data type
 Can define 100 name variables
 As one array variable allowing storage of 100 names
 Each item can be accessed
 By array index

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Structure of an array
0 1 2

 Array = stretch of several spaces adjacent to

one another.
 Each space is recognised by an index (i.e.
Location)
 First space = index 0
 Last space in the above = index 9
 Total spaces = 10
 Amount of memory reserved
 Dependent on data type of each item stored
 Array variable
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 Entire stretch given one name
Different types of arrays
1 row and 6 columns  1 dimensional array  1 x 5 array

2 rows and 3 columns  2 dimensional array  2 x 3 array

3 rows and 6 columns  2 dimensional array  3 x 6 array

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Defining array variables
datatype varname [size];
 Size is the maximum number of items you wish to store in the
array
 Define a 1x5 array called ids to hold decimal numbers
float ids[ 5] ;
 Define a 4 x 3 array called wgt to hold character initials
#define ROW 4
#define COL 3
char wgt[ROW][COL];
 Define an array moves that stores 7 values. Each value
is a 3x3 array. Each value in the 3x3 array is an integer
int moves[7][3][3];

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Knowing your array
 Given
 float ids[5];
 This means ids[0] is an integer, ids[1] is an
integer, and so on.
 Given
 char wgt[4][3];
 This means that wgt[0][0] is a character, wgt[0][1]
is a character, wgt[0][2] is a character, wgt[1][0],
wgt[1][1] and wgt[1][2] are characters and so on.
 However wgt[0][3] is not valid since counting must
end at 3-1 = 2 for the columns (counting starts at
0)

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Initialising arrays with values
 Create an array called char mnemonics [5] = {‘D’,
mnemonics from the ‘F’, ‘T’, ‘Z’, ‘W’ }
following table:
int distance [3][4] = {
‘D’ ‘F’ ‘T’ ‘Z’ ‘W’ {8, 3, 6, 4} ,
 distance from the {5, 5, 7, 6} ,
{7, 9, 2, 7} };
following table: First row initialises
distance[0]
8 3 6 4 OR
5 5 7 6
int distance [3][4] = {8, 3,
7 9 2 7
6, 4, 5, 5, 7, 6, 7, 9, 2, 7}
 y that stores three
integers and only int y [3] = {7}
initialises the first value All other values are initialised
to 7 and the rest to 0 to 0 by deafult.

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Knowing your values
 int idx[5];  Indexing starts from 0.
 Give the values of the
98 54 25 20 82
following:
7 6 3 9 7
 idx[4]
 idx[1][2]
 wth[2][3]
 float
4.65 wth[3][3];
3.44 3.62
 Minions[2][5]
 Minions[1][3]
3.57 2.34 4.36
2.356 8.56 9.34  Write C statements to
 Add wth[2][1] and wth[1][2]
and store the result in wth[2]
[2].
 Display value in wth[2][2].
 Get user input into minions[1]
 char minions[2][6]; [3]

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 Example: indexing and manipulating a one-
dimensional array
A program to add all the
scores of 6 participants in a
table tennis team. Run Results
#include <stdio.h> Enter score (out of 10) for participant 1:
#define SIZE 6 3
int scores [SIZE];
void enter_scores() Enter score (out of 10) for participant 2:
{ for(int i=0; i<SIZE; i++) 7
{ Enter score (out of 10) for participant 3:
printf("Enter score (out of 10) for participant %d:\t",i+1); 2
scanf("%d",&scores[i]);
}
Enter score (out of 10) for participant 4:
} 5
int total_scores() Enter score (out of 10) for participant 5:
{ int total=0; 8
for(int i=0; i<SIZE; i++)
{ total += scores[i];
Enter score (out of 10) for participant 6:
} 8
return total;
}
int main()
{ Total Team Score: 33
enter_scores(); Process returned 0 (0x0) execution
printf("\n \n Total Team Score:\t %d", total_scores()); time : 13.653 s
return 0;
} Press any key to continue.

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Multidimensional arrays
 Used to store data that can be represented as a matrix
 Have rows and columns just like matrices
0 6 8
6 0 4
 
8 4 0
 1 1 7 
 The above array has 4 rows and 3 columns
 Suppose the array is called distance, then
 7 is the distance between indexed city 3 and indexed city 2
indexed as distance[3][2]
 Hence distance[3][2] = 7
 3 is the row index, 2 is the column index
 Indexing starts from 0 (zero)

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Defining a matrix variable
 Declaring a matrix of characters called
screen having 25 rows and 80 columns
 char screen[25][80];
 Referring to 5th character in the 2nd row,
 screen[1][4]
 Top corner of the screen
 screen[0][0]
 Last bottom corner of screen
 screen[24][79]

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Indexing and manipulation of a matrix
variable
 Write a program that adds two matrices with
the following values
1 4  5 
8  2  10
     
 Can write/ initialise values in the matrices, row
by row
 int matrix_a[2][1] = { {1}, {2} };
 {1} are the contents of row 1
 {2} are the contents of row 2

 What matrix do you get when you write

14
 int matrix_b[2][2] = {CUIT114/111
{1,0}, SEST,
{8,9} };
CUT 3/1/2017
Full Program
#include <stdio.h>
int m_1[2][1] = {{1},{8}}; //first matrix Make the
int m_2[2][1] = {{4},{2}}; //second matrix program
int f[2][1]; //final result matrix generic so
that size of
int main() matrix and
{ values in
int r=0, c=0; //r=row index, c=column index matrix are
for (r=0; r<2; r++) input by the
{ user
for(c=0; c<1; c++)
{
f[r][c] = m_1[r][c] + m_2[r][c];
printf("\n \nf[%d][%d] = %d \n", r, c, f[r][c]);
}
}
return 0;
}

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Exercise 1
 Write a program that allows that processes
the contents of two matrices as follows:
 Each matrix is 4x4.
 The program must have
 a function enter() for entering values of the two
matrices.
 A function subtract() for subtracting the two matrices.
 A function product() that finds the product of the two
matrices and then returns the resultant matrix.
 The values in the matrices can be either float or
int.

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2. String
 An array of characters
 End of valid data marked with null or ‘\0’
 Example
 “My name is ?dont know”
 “&%^56”
 char name[10];
 Uses the %s field specifier

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Input into a string variable
 Given int scope; we write scanf(“%d”, &scope);

 Given char name[15];

 name is already an address.
 No need for &
 &name means an address of an address which is wrong
 Can write:
 printf(“Enter your first name”);
 scanf(“%s”, name);
 Printf(“Your name is %s”, name);
 int val = strlen(name);
 //to get the length(i.e. number of characters in the string

 Find out the string functions that you can use in C

and their meanings.

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Initialising strings
 Given
 char name[10];
Statement Comment
name = “Ruvimbo” WRONG since name is pointer
and “Ruvimbo” is a string
constant
char *n = “Ruvimbo”; Defines a pointer to a string and
n = “Tinago” value can be changed
#include <string.h> Copies string to the one pointed
strcpy(name, “Ruvimbo”); to by name
char name[10] = “Ruvimbo”; Initialises a 10-character array
Char name [ ] = “Ruvimbo” Leaves size of array to compiler
Char name[10] = {‘R’, ‘u’, ‘v’,
‘i’, ‘m’, ‘b’, ‘o’}

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Manipulating Strings
 These are manipulated the way you
manipulate arrays
 Go through each item in the string using a loop of
your choice.
 You can also string functions to manipulate
strings.

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Summary
 Arrays allow you to store data of the same
type.
 Arrays are versatile and allow you to handle a
lot of data.
 Strings are special arrays for storing
sequences of characters.
 Strings have special functions for
manipulating them and getting quick results.
 Arrays and strings are widely used in any
system programming.

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