When passing arrays into functions in C, you can specify just the array name and C will pass in a pointer to the first element of the array (i.e. &abc[0] is the same as saying just abc ). Within your functions, you can then use array style notation with square brackets, or pointers.

There's an example from the C course I'm running at the moment - [here] ... main code is

  main(){
  
    int stock[10];
    int k;
  
    for (k=0; k<10; k++) stock[k] = 100;
  
    int bobBuys[10];
    for (k=0; k<10; k++) bobBuys[k] = 0;
    bobBuys[4] = 50;
    bobBuys[6] = 10;
  
    updateStock(stock,bobBuys);
  
    showStock(stock);
  
}

You'll note how an apparently basic facility turns out to be rather elegant in how it calls up functions to ooerate on arrays as a whole, aided by the fact that passing an array is the same as passing the address of the first element.

Jelly Bean Picture? The example is all about stock levels and sales of Jelly beans

(written 2014-12-02)

 C204 - C and C based languages - Functions, Macros and programs in multiple files
  [4557] Function prototype - what they are and why you should use them - C and C++ - (2015-10-27)
  [4555] Preprocessor directives in C and C++ - what they mean - (2015-10-27)
  [4554] Passing information into functions in C - by name, by value - (2015-10-26)
  [3721] Naming blocks of code, structures and Object Orientation - efficient coding in manageable chunks - (2012-05-06)
  [3717] Returning extra results from a function in C - (2012-05-03)
  [3237] Using functions to keep look and feel apart from calculations - simple C example - (2011-04-09)
  [2841] C Course exercise and sample answer - source in 2 files - (2010-06-30)
  [2575] Sharing variables between files of code in C - extern - (2010-01-14)
  [2570] Function Prototypes in C - (2010-01-11)
  [1478] Some new C programming examples - files, structs, unions etc - (2007-12-19)
  [1163] A better alternative to cutting and pasting code - (2007-04-26)
  [775] Do not duplicate your code - (2006-06-23)

C205 - C and C based languages - Arrays
  [4566] C - why is slow to write and debug) but fast to run? - (2015-11-01)
  [3245] Collections in C and C++ - arrays, vectors and heap memory blocks - (2011-04-12)
  [3144] Setting up arrays in C - fixed size at compile time, or dynamic - (2011-01-24)
  [3121] New year, new C Course - (2011-01-05)
  [3118] Arrays of arrays - or 2D arrays. How to program tables. - (2011-01-02)
  [2840] Just pass a pointer - do not duplicate the data - (2010-06-30)
  [2002] New C Examples - pointers, realloc, structs and more - (2009-01-20)
  [1614] When an array is not an array - (2008-04-17)

Back to Learning to program sample program - past its prime, but still useful

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My first official measure - Passenger Entrys and Exits - revisited 9 years later
Segmentation Fault, Segmentation Violation, Bus Error, Stack Smashing
Command line and file handling in C
Simple C structs - building up to full, dynamic example
Passing arrays into functions in C
Learning to program sample program - past its prime, but still useful
Test Driven Development - a first example of principle in C
Flexible public courses - residential or commuting, programming newcomer or experienced, C or C++
Splitting out code into name blocks for clarity and reusability
Misty Melksham Morning