2D array of structures

[michi]

Hello,

I need to initialize a 2 dimensional square arrays of structures. The size of array I get from the user. I can
do one-dimensional array, but I don't know how to specify the size of array when I want to do it 2D. I want
to do it using 'new' operator.

Thanks, michi.

[Victor Bazarov]

Re: 2D array of structures

"michi" <michi@fossilgr oup.net> wrote...[color=blue]
> I need to initialize a 2 dimensional square arrays of structures. The size
> of array I get from the user. I can
> do one-dimensional array, but I don't know how to specify the size of
> array when I want to do it 2D. I want
> to do it using 'new' operator.[/color]

This is covered in the FAQ. http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/

[someone else]

Re: 2D array of structures

using a simple google groups search ((c++ 2d array new), i found this
i have tested it, and it works like a charm.

(...)
If you need a 2D
array with both (or the second) dimension variable, you will have to
do it by hand, either by using an array of pointers, and allocating
each of the sub-arrays separately, or by declaring and allocating a 1D
array, and doing the index calculation by hand. (I generally choose
the second solution for quick and dirty software, encapsulated in a
class, of course.)

So, in the above case, I might write something like the following:

int n = 4 ;
int m = 5 ;

int* a = new int[ m * n ] ;
a[ m * i + j ] ; // e.g.: a[ i ][ j ].

A bit messy, but once it's hidden in a class, it's quite presentable.
-----------------
#include <iostream.h>

template< class T >
class Array2D
{
public :
Array2D( int n , int m ) ;
~Array2D() ;
T* operator[]( int j ) ;
private :
int dim2 ;
T* a ;
} ;

template< class T >
Array2D< T >::Array2D( int n , int m )
: dim2( n )
, a( new T[ n * m ] )
{
}

template< class T >
Array2D< T >::~Array2D()
{
delete [] a ;
}

template< class T >
T*
Array2D< T >::operator[]( int j )
{
return &a[ dim2 * j ] ;
}


int
main()
{
Array2D< int > a( 4 , 5 ) ;
for ( int i = 0 ; i < 4 ; i ++ )
{
for ( int j = 0 ; j < 5 ; j ++ )
{
a[ i ][ j ] = 10 * i + j ;
cout << a[ i ][ j ] << endl ;
}
} return 0 ;
}
--------------
Obviously, I've cheated with regards to the copy constructor and the
assignment operator. Either declare them private, or provide real
ones.

The only tricky part is the return value of operator[], and even that
isn't too tricky, if you remember the relationship between arrays and
pointers. (Operator[] is used in normal expressions, the one place
where arrays and pointers *are* sort of the same thing.) Basically,
although the class allocates the array as a 1D array, it considers it
logically as a 2D array, doing index calculation as necessary. As we
said, C++ doesn't have 2D arrays, but it has arrays of arrays. So
operator[] pretends that its internal array (pointed to by a) is an
array[] of array[dim2] of T, and calculates the address of the
array[dim2] selected by the index. In theory, it would return the
selected array (or a reference to it); in practice, an array appearing
in an expression converts automatically to the address of its first
element, so operator[] returns the address of the first element of the
sub-array. Conveniently, this is a valid type of the (built-in)
operator[], which handles the "second" dimension. (Operator[] could
just as easily return a reference to an array, but this would take
some casting in the operator[] itself, and there is such a long
tradition for doing it this way.)
--
James Kanze email: kanze@lts.sel.a lcatel.de
GABI Software, Sarl., 8 rue du Faisan, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
Conseils en informatique industrielle --

"michi" <michi@fossilgr oup.net> wrote in message
news:Xns95AF179 35411michifossi lgroupnet@195.3 4.132.65...[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> I need to initialize a 2 dimensional square arrays of structures. The size
> of array I get from the user. I can
> do one-dimensional array, but I don't know how to specify the size of
> array when I want to do it 2D. I want
> to do it using 'new' operator.
>
> Thanks, michi.[/color]

http://groups.google.com.au/groups?q=c%2B%2B+2d+array+new&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&safe=off&selm=KANZE.94May9191012%40slsvhdt.us-es.sel.de&rnum=1

[Gianni Mariani]

Re: 2D array of structures

michi wrote:[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> I need to initialize a 2 dimensional square arrays of structures. The size of array I get from the user. I can
> do one-dimensional array, but I don't know how to specify the size of array when I want to do it 2D. I want
> to do it using 'new' operator.
>
> Thanks, michi.[/color]

see:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&selm=p4adnUsHMNPMvxLcRVn-gw%40speakeasy.net