Dynamic Arrays

[McEtcha]

I'm writing a function to set up a dynamic array and a separate function to to print out this dynamic array. my problem is the print function wont recognize my array, do i have to pass the array back when i initialize the array or should a dynamic array not have to be passed because its a reference variable?
your advice would be much appreciated,
thanks

[jsmith]

If you function dynamically creates the array, then it needs to return to the caller two things: a pointer to the array and the number of elements in the array.

[McEtcha]

thanks still couldnt get it to work, This is my code and these are the errors that are being produced.
I've been working on it for awhile and I can for the life of me figure out how to get it working
what might be causing these errors?

inline int*& Module::modulearray(void)
{

struct Modules //struct declaration
{
int modulenum;
char *startdate;
char *enddate;
};

//dynamic array declaration
Modules *mods = new Modules[9];
Modules *ModulesPointer = &mods[0]; //pointer to a Modules data object

//structure initialization one by one
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 1;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[1];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 2;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[2];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 3;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[3];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 4;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[4];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 5;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[5];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 6;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[6];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 7;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[7];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 8;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[8];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 9;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[9];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 10;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

return ModulePointer[9];

}


Line Location Module.h:163: error: 'ModulePointer' was not declared in this scope
Line Location Module.h:231: error: 'mods' was not declared in this scope
Line Location Module.h:231: error: 'ModulesPointer' was not declared in this scope

[kempofighter]

inline int*& Module::modulearray(void)
{

struct Modules //struct declaration
{
int modulenum;
char *startdate;
char *enddate;
};

//dynamic array declaration
Modules *mods = new Modules[9];
Modules *ModulesPointer = &mods[0]; //pointer to a Modules data object

//structure initialization one by one
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 1;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[1];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 2;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[2];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 3;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[3];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 4;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[4];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 5;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[5];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 6;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[6];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 7;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[7];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 8;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[8];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 9;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

ModulesPointer = &mods[9];
(*ModulesPointer).modulenum = 10;
ModulesPointer->startdate = "22/09/09";
ModulesPointer->enddate = "15/12/09";

// There is no ModulePointer, only a ModulesPointer
// This is wrong anyhow since the function is supposed to return a reference
// to an integer pointer.  It is also wrong because according to your requirement 
// you want to return the entire array.  
return ModulePointer[9];

}

You can do one of two things.
a) Change the function declaration to return void. Have the caller pass in two reference parameters, the first being a reference to a Modules*, and the second an int that will hold the size of the array.

b) Create a std::vector of Modules or Modules*. (better)

Also, the struct type name shouldn't be plural. The array name is plural. However each instance of the struct is one single module.