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)

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

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

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

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Forward to Command line and file handling in C

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