Basic square function done with array & malloc - c

Question

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
int *squares(int max_val) {
int *result = malloc(max_val * sizeof(int));
int i;
for(i = 1; i <= max_val; i++) {
result[i-1] = i*i;
}
return(result);
}
int main() {
int *sq = squares(10);
int i;
for(i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
printf("%d\t", sq[i]);
}
printf("\n");
return(0);
}
Basically take's an integer and returns a integer array of its squares. (Above works)
How would I do this without malloc or pointers?
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
int[] squares(int max_val) {
int result[max_val];
int i;
for(i = 1; i <= max_val; i++) {
result[i-1] = i*i;
}
return(result);
}
int main() {
int sq[] = squares(10);
int i;
for(i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
printf("%d\t", sq[i]);
}
printf("\n");
return(0);
}
Above errors because of the function call. Is this possible? Or do we have to do it with pointers?

Answer 1

How about something like this.. ?
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
void squares(int values[], int max_val) {
for(int i = 1; i <= max_val; i++) {
values[i - 1] = i * i;
}
}
int main() {
int sq[10];
squares(sq, 10);
int i;
for(i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
printf("%d\t", sq[i]);
}
printf("\n");
return(0);
}

Answer 2

This
int[] squares(int max_val) {
int result[max_val];
int i;
for(i = 1; i <= max_val; i++) {
result[i-1] = i*i;
}
return(result);
}
is not valid C:
a.c:3:4: error: expected identifier or ‘(’ before ‘[’ token
int[] squares(int max_val)
It should be
int *squares(int max_val) {
...
}
Putting that aside, your second squares returns a pointer to a local array.
This array ceases to exist once squares ends it's execution, so you are
returning an pointer that become invalid the moment it returns.
Also
int sq[] = squares(10);
is invalid C as well
a.c:9:13: error: invalid initializer
int sq[] = squares(10);
^~~~~~~
you cannot assign a function value to an array. The correct
version is
int *sq = squares(10);
So, if you don't want squares to allocate memory with malloc for the result, then you can
either allocate the memory in main or create an array in main and pass it to
squares:
int squares(int *result, int max_val) {
if(result == NULL || max_val <= 0)
return 0;
int i;
for(i = 1; i <= max_val; i++) {
result[i-1] = i*i;
}
return 1;
}
// version 1
int main() {
int *sq = malloc(10 * sizeof *sq);
// NEVER forget to check the return value of malloc
if(sq == NULL)
{
fprintf(stderr, "not enough memory\n");
return 1;
}
squares(sq, 10);
int i;
for(i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
printf("%d\t", sq[i]);
}
printf("\n");
free(sq); // NEVER forget to free
return 0;
}
// version 2
int main() {
int sq[10];
squares(sq, sizeof sq / sizeof sq[0]);
int i;
for(i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
printf("%d\t", sq[i]);
}
printf("\n");
return 0;
}