Print elements from array of matrices in C? - arrays

Question

I am trying to print each char of an array of matrices for a brick breaker game (the full message would be YOU LOSE). I am new to C and I don't feel too confident about using pointers; I feel that that may be the source of my problem. To try to solve the problem, I've read plenty of online guides on how to deal with strings in C; but the fact that I'm dealing with an array of arrays of arrays of chars makes this task quite a bit harder. If you know how to print matrices of strings (in yet another array) in C, or you have a better solution, please let me know!
#include <stdio.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <string.h>
#define LETTER_WIDTH 13
#define LETTER_HEIGHT 6
char Y[LETTER_HEIGHT][LETTER_WIDTH] = {
"___ __\n",
"\\ \\__ / /\n",
"\\ \\ / /\n",
"| | |\n",
"| | |\n",
"|__|__|\n"};
char O[LETTER_HEIGHT][LETTER_WIDTH] = {
" _______ \n",
" / __ \\\n",
"| | | |\n",
"| |__| |\n",
" \\_______/\n"};
char *SENTENCE[2][LETTER_HEIGHT][LETTER_WIDTH] = {*Y, *O};
void printLetter(char letter[LETTER_HEIGHT][LETTER_WIDTH]) {
for (int i = 0; i < LETTER_HEIGHT; i++) {
for (int j = 0; j < LETTER_WIDTH; j++) {
printf("%c", letter[i][j]);
}
}
}
void printSentence() {
for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
char letter[LETTER_HEIGHT][LETTER_WIDTH];
strcpy(*letter, **SENTENCE[i]);
printLetter(letter);
sleep(1);
}
}
int main() {
printSentence();
return 0;
}

Answer 1

Firstly this should be better
char* Y[LETTER_HEIGHT] = {
"___ __\n",
"\\ \\__ / /\n",
"\\ \\ / /\n",
"| | |\n",
"| | |\n",
"|__|__|\n"};
char* O[LETTER_HEIGHT] = {
" _______ \n",
" / __ \\\n",
"| | | |\n",
"| |__| |\n",
" \\_______/\n"};
Now these are arrays of size 6 (you must add one line because O now have height of 5) containing pointers to arrays of chars. Next
char** SENTENCE[2] = {Y, O};
You did some really weird things with this line before, this defines SENTENCE as 2 element array of pointers to array of pointers to char arrays (which are Y and O).
Next
void printLetter(char** letter) {
for (int i = 0; i < LETTER_HEIGHT; i++) {
printf("%s", letter[i]);
}
}
This function takes pointer to array of pointers to char arrays. Then goes 6 times and print each array as string. Next
void printSentence() {
for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
printLetter(SENTENCE[i]);
sleep(1);
}
}
Here you can use simple for loop to pass to printLetter each pointer to array of pointers to char arrays (which are these letters) from SENTENCE.

Answer 2

or you have a better solution, please let me know!
Yes, there is a much simpler and, I would argue, better solution, it's to place the SENTENCE in a single 2D array and print it in one go, even if you are to use ncurses, this makes your job easier.
Note that with ncurses you can reposition the cursor so you can print each letter separately in one line, you wouldn't need to join them together like you try to do in SENTENCE.
#define LETTER_WIDTH 100
#define LETTER_HEIGHT 6
char SENTENCE[LETTER_HEIGHT][LETTER_WIDTH] = {
"__ __ ______ \n",
"\\ \\ / / / __ \\\n",
" \\ \\/ / | | | |\n",
" | | | | | |\n",
" | | | |__| |\n",
" |__| \\______/\n"};
void printSentence()
{
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++)
{
printf("%s", SENTENCE[i]);
}
}
Output:
__ __ ______
\ \ / / / __ \
\ \/ / | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | |__| |
|__| \______/