Drawing an X with C with ONLY While-loops & If-Statements - c

Question

An assignment we have been given is to draw an X in C using only while loops and if statements (maths and expressions are allowed).
I have only done the first half of the X in code, as the other half is just the reverse.
The challenging part is the middle dashes (-), as I'm struggling to find a way to make them count backward by 2 through while loops.
Am I overthinking this way too much? If so, what would be a better approach to this problem?
This is my first time learning C and we are not allowed for loops or anything beyond a basic level.
Thanks for reading!
int size, fLine, rowCounter, tempSize;
printf("Enter size: ");
scanf("%d", &size);
// The split will half the size of the X to run 2 seperate while loops
// One loop for the top half and another for the lower half.
int split = ((size - 1) / 2);
int row = 1;
// Top half of the X
while (row <= split) {
// Condition to print out the top and bottom line of the X
if ((row == 1) || (row == size)) {
printf("*");
// tempSize will allow for the counter to decrease without
// affecting the size variable
tempSize = size;
// Will add the middle dashes on the top line
while ((tempSize - 2) > 0) {
printf("-");
tempSize--;
}
printf("*\n");
row++;
} else {
// The dashes before the first asterisks
// rowCounter allows the row number to be decreased in the
// while loop
rowCounter = row - 1;
while (rowCounter > 0) {
printf("-");
rowCounter--;
}
printf("*");
// Will add size + (row * -2) dashes into the middle
// **This section is the subject of the question!**
rowCounter = row * 2;
tempSize = rowCounter - size; // 2 - 5 = -3
while (tempSize < (size - 1)) {
printf("-");
tempSize++;
}
printf("*");
// Will add the final dashes. Exactly the same as the first
// while loop
rowCounter = row - 1;
while (rowCounter > 1) {
printf("-");
rowCounter--;
}
printf("-\n");
row++;
} //Yet to add the middle line and the bottom half!
}
return 0;
}
Expected Result:
Enter Size: 5
*---*
-*-*-
--*--
-*-*-
*---*
Actual Result:
Enter Size: 5
*---*
-*-----*-
I want the middle values to count BACKWARD so 9, 7, 5, 3, 1, etc., instead of upwards by 2.

Answer 1

i have a much easier solution
#include <stdio.h>
int size, i=0, j=0;
printf("Please Enter a Odd Size: \n")
scanf(%d, &size);
while(size%2==0)
{
printf("Only Odd size is ok \n");
printf("Please Enter a Odd Size: \n")
scanf(%d, &size);
}
while(i<size)
{
j=0;
while(j<size)
{
if(j == i || i == (size-1)-j)
{
printf("!");
}
else
{
printf("-");
}
j++;
}
printf("\n\n");
i++;
}
the output is:
!---!
-!-!-
--!--
-!-!-
!---!

Answer 2

I messed around a little:
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int size = 5;
if( size % 2 == 1 )
{
fprintf( stdout, "now drawing\n");
int lineCount = 0;
int lastPost = size - 1;
while( lineCount < size )
{
int rowCount = 0;
while( rowCount < size )
{
if( ( rowCount == lineCount )
|| ( rowCount == lastPost ) )
{
fprintf( stdout, "X");
}
else
{
fprintf( stdout, ".");
}
++rowCount;
}
fprintf( stdout, "\n");
--lastPost;
++lineCount;
}
}
else
{
fprintf( stderr, "size must be odd!\n");
}
return 0;
}