Copying data from 1st to 2nd array using Pointer arithemtic - c

Question

I am learning C, and I came across this problem I can't figure it out. Write a function that computes the element of an integer array a plus 6 modulus 10 and store the result in array b. For example, if 5 is the second element of array a, then the second element of array b should be (5+6)%10, which is 1. The function has the following prototype, n is the length of the arrays, a and b are the integer arrays.
I did:
void arithmetic (int *a, int n, int *b)
{
int *arr1; arr1=a; int *arr2; arr2=b;
int i;
for(i = 0; i < n; i++) {
*arr1 = *(((a + i) + 6) % 10);
*arr2 = *arr1;
}
}//don't know if the function is correct.

Answer 1

A couple things:
No need to update the actual content of the first array (which fixes the error pointed out about your code always storing the result in the first element of a)
Use some parens to make sure you get the right order of operations.
void newArr(int *a, int n, int *b) {
int *arr1; arr1 = a; int *arr2; arr2 = b;
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
*(arr2 + i) = (*(arr1 + i) + 6) % 10;
}
}
Think about your title "...using Pointer arithemtic". You need to add the loop counter to the array pointer for both arr1 and arr2 so that it steps through each element of each array: *(arr2 + i) and *(arr1 + i).

Answer 2

This is also a good place to reinforce the fact that the pointers are passed by value and that the function receives copy of each pointer which it is free to iterate with to affect the copy without effecting the pointers in the caller. So it would also be perfectly valid to do:
void arithmetic (int *a, int *b, size_t n)
{
if (!a || !b)
return;
for(size_t i = 0; i < n; i++, a++, b++)
*b = (*a + 6) % 10;
}
(good job Pablo with the use of size_t for the length (or number of elements) parameter)

Answer 3

No, your function is not correct.
*arr1 = *((a+i)+6)%10);
You are only writing the values in the first element of the array.
arr1 points to a which already has the values. You want to do the
calculation with a value stored in a and then save it to b, so don't modify
a.
*((a+i+6)%10) is completely wrong. a+i+6 is the same as &a[i+6]. The %10
applies to the value &a[i+6] (which is the address of the i+6th element), and returns a value between 0 and 9 (let's call
it x). When do *(x) you are interpreting the x as a pointer and it
dereferences (=access the value through the pointer) it, but this is not a valid
address at all. You will also eventually access a out of bounds.
*arr2 = *arr1; here you also only storing the values in the first element of arr2.
You function has no name.
int *arr1; arr1=a; this is unnecessary, you can access a directly, no
need to create a copy of the pointer.
The +6 % 10 rule applies to the values stored in the array, not the indices.
The correct function should look like this:
void compute(int *a, int *b, size_t len)
{
if(a == NULL || b == NULL)
return;
for(size_t i = 0; i < len; ++i)
b[i] = (a[i] + 6) % 10;
}
And if your assignment says you should do it with pointer arithmetic instead of
using array indexing:
void compute(int *a, int *b, size_t len)
{
if(a == NULL || b == NULL)
return;
for(size_t i = 0; i < len; ++i)
*(b+i) = (*(a + i) + 6) % 10;
}