developing a function that returns number of distinct values that exist in array - c

Question

I want to create a function that can return the number distinct values present in a given array. If for eg the array is
array[5] = { 1 3 4 1 3}, the return value should be 3(3 unique numbers in array).
I've so far only got this:
int NewFucntion(int values[], int numValues){
for (i=0; i<numValues; i++){
Im a new coder/New to C language and im stuck on how to proceed. Any guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks

Answer 1

Add elements from the array to the std::set<T> and since the set is not allowing duplicate elements, you can then only get the number of elements from the set which gives you the number of distinct elements.
For example:
#include<set>
int NewFucntion(int values[], int numValues){
std::set<int> set;
for(int i=0; i<numValues; i++){
set.insert(values[i]);
}
return set.size();
}

Answer 2

int distinct(int arr[], int arr_size){
int count = arr_size;
int current;
int i, j;
for (i = 0; i < arr_size; i++){
current = arr[i];
for (j = i+1; j < arr_size; j++) // checks values after [i]th element.
if (current == arr[j])
--count; // decrease count by 1;
}
if (count >= 0)
return count;
else return 0;
}
Here's the explanation.
The array with its size is passed as an argument.
current stores the element to compare others with.
count is the number that we need finally.
count is assigned the value of size of the array (i.e we assume that all elements are unique).
(It can also be the other way round)
A for loop starts, and the first (0th) element is compared with the elements after it.
If the element reoccurs, i.e. if (current==arr[j]), then the value of count is decremented by 1 (since we expected all elements to be unique, and because it is not unique, the number of unique values is now one less than what it was initially. Hence --count).
The loops go on, and the value is decremented to whatever the number of unique elements is.
In case our array is {1,1,1,1}, then the code will print 0 instead of a negative value.
Hope that helps.
Happy coding. :)

Answer 3

I like wdc's answer, but I am going to give an alternative using only arrays and ints as you seam to be coding in c and wdc's answer is a c++ answer:
To do this thing, what you need to do is to go through your array as you did, and store the new numbers you go over in a different array lets call it repArray where there wont be any repetition; So every time you add something to this array you should check if the number isn't already there.
You need to create it and give it a size so why not numValues as it cannot get any longer than that. And an integers specifying how many of it's indexes are valid, in other words how many you have written to let's say validIndexes. So every time you add a NEW element to repArray you need to increment validIndexes.
In the end validIndexes will be your result.