How to pass pointer of arrays to functions - arrays

Question

With my programm I try to change the order of numbers in the int array. To the first function, I just passed both arrays and printed the array called arraytemp with the changed order. After that I printed in the main function the same array, just to see if the array was filled too. I havented used any pointers in the first function - how did the array got filled? Does the arrays adress get passed to functions anyway?
Then I wanted to pass arrays with the same content to the second function, but this time I used pointers. I have no clue, how to get the same result printed, because I get a stack smashing error. I am kinda comfused with '*' and '&'. So, how should I pass these arrays when using pointers?
#include <stdio.h>
void switchnum (int arraytemp[6], int array[], int laenge) {
printf("\n\nAfter (in function 1):\n");
for(int i = 0 ; i<laenge ; i++) {
arraytemp[i] = array[laenge-1-i];
printf("%d ", arraytemp[i]);
}
return 0;
}
void switchnum2 (int *arraytemp2[6], int array2[], int laenge2) {
printf("\nAfter (in function2):\n");
for(int j = 0 ; j<laenge2 ; j++) {
arraytemp2[j] = array2[laenge2-1-j];
printf("%d ", arraytemp2[j]);
}
return 0;
}
int main() {
int array[] = {4,8,1,3,0,9};
int arraytemp[6];
printf("Before (main):\n");
for(int i = 0 ; i<6 ; i++) {
printf("%d ", array[i]);
}
switchnum(arraytemp, array, 6);
printf("\nAfter (in main):\n");
for(int i = 0 ; i<6 ; i++) {
printf("%d ", arraytemp[i]);
}
int array2[] = {4,8,1,3,0,9};
int arraytemp2[6];
switchnum2(arraytemp2, array2, 6);
return 0;
}

Answer 1

The compiler adjusts a parameter having an array type to pointer to the array element type.
So this function declaration
void switchnum (int arraytemp[6], int array[], int laenge);
is equivalent to the following declaration
void switchnum (int arraytemp[], int array[], int laenge);
and the same way is equivalent to the following declaration
void switchnum (int *arraytemp, int *array, int laenge);
As for this function declaration
void switchnum2 (int *arraytemp2[6], int array2[], int laenge2);
then it is adjusted by the compiler to the declaration
void switchnum2 (int **arraytemp2, int *array2, int laenge2);
So the used argument expression and the function parameter have incompatible pointer types.
Pay attention to that in this call
switchnum(arraytemp, array, 6);
the both arrays are converted to pointers to their first elements of the type int *.
In fact this call is equivalent to
switchnum( &arraytemp[0], &array[0], 6);

Answer 2

How to pass pointer of arrays to functions
In this case you are trying to pass an array of pointers to a function and not a pointer of arrays:
void switchnum2(
int* arraytemp2[6], int array2[], int laenge2)
Maybe it helps to see the output of this example program, as it shows the output of many of your cases
Example
#include <stdio.h>
void test_arr(int*[6]);
int main(void)
{
int array[] = {4, 8, 1, 3, 0, 9};
int* pArr[6] = {0}; // 6 pointers to int
printf("original vector in main(): ");
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i += 1) printf("%d ", array[i]);
printf("\n");
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) pArr[i] = &array[i];
test_arr(pArr);
printf("\nIn main() &array[0] = %p\n", &array[0]);
return 0;
}
void test_arr(int* pInt[6])
{
printf("In test_array(): ");
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i += 1)
printf("%d ", *pInt[i]);
printf("\n");
int* myP = *pInt;
printf("*pInt\tpoints to value %d\n", *myP);
myP = pInt[0];
printf("pInt[0]\tpoints to value %d\n", *myP);
int x = *pInt[0];
printf("*pInt[0] = %d\n", x);
printf("\ntest_array() &pInt[0] = %X\n", pInt[0]);
return;
}
output
original vector in main(): 4 8 1 3 0 9
In test_array(): 4 8 1 3 0 9
*pInt points to value 4
pInt[0] points to value 4
*pInt[0] = 4
test_array() &pInt[0] = 197BFB00
In main() &array[0] = 000000CF197BFB00
Your program with some changes in the functions
I changed some lines in your code to get the expected result
#include <stdio.h>
void switch1(const int[],int[],const int);
void switch2(const int[],int*[],const int);
void show_array(const int[6],const char*);
int main(void)
{
int arr_out[] = {0,0,0,0,0,0};
show_array(arr_out, "arr_out in main()");
// call 1st function
printf("switch1() uses int[] as output\n");
switch1((int[6]){6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1}, arr_out, 6);
show_array(arr_out, "arr_out using 6..1 array as input and 1st function");
// for 2nd function we need an array of pointers
int* pArr[6] = {0}; // 6 pointers to int
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) pArr[i] = &arr_out[i];
printf("switch2() uses int*[] as output\n");
switch2((int[6]){1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, pArr, 6);
show_array(arr_out, "arr_out using 1..6 array as input and 2nd function");
return 0;
}
void switch1(const int in[], int out[], const int laenge)
{
for (int i = 0; i < laenge; i++)
out[i] = in[laenge - 1 - i];
}
void switch2(const int in[], int* out[], const int laenge)
{
for (int i = 0; i < laenge; i++)
*out[i] = in[laenge - 1 - i];
}
void show_array(const int array[6], const char* msg)
{
printf("%s:\t", msg);
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) printf("%d ", array[i]);
printf("\n");
}
output of the modified code
arr_out in main(): 0 0 0 0 0 0
switch1() uses int[] as output
arr_out using 6..1 array as input and 1st function: 1 2 3 4 5 6
switch2() uses int*[] as output
arr_out using 1..6 array as input and 2nd function: 6 5 4 3 2 1
about the changes
void show_array(const int array[6], const char* msg)
{
printf("%s:\t", msg);
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) printf("%d ", array[i]);
printf("\n");
}
This function is a helper to show the array contents and accepts a title. Very convenient here
the 2 functions has no output (printf() calls)
parameters are declared const so we can build the vector at the function call
I am using shorter names and changed the order of arguments to input and then output
void switch1(const int in[], int out[], const int laenge)
{
for (int i = 0; i < laenge; i++)
out[i] = in[laenge - 1 - i];
}
void switch2(const int in[], int* out[], const int laenge)
{
for (int i = 0; i < laenge; i++)
*out[i] = in[laenge - 1 - i];
}
Here you see the difference between the 2 functions: a single asterisk.
But in order of using the second function you need to build the vector of pointers as here
// call 1st function
printf("switch1() uses int[] as output\n");
switch1((int[6]){6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1}, arr_out, 6);
show_array(arr_out, "arr_out using 6..1 array as input and 1st function");
// for 2nd function we need an array of pointers
int* pArr[6] = {0}; // 6 pointers to int
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) pArr[i] = &arr_out[i];
printf("switch2() uses int*[] as output\n");
switch2((int[6]){1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, pArr, 6);
show_array(arr_out, "arr_out using 1..6 array as input and 2nd function");