CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c
Jeffrey Lebowski
Jeffrey Lebowski

Reputation: 75

C - data cannot be assigned to global variable

I have an external variable char myArr[3] and I am trying to assign something to it. For example, inside my function, I have, myArr[3] = {1,2,3}. The compiler tells me that I have "unexpected token: =", but as soon as I declare my variable locally, (myArr[3] = {1,2,3}), the error disappears. I tried masking the external variable inside my function with no results.

char myArr[3];

void my func(){
    myArr = {1,2,3}
}

Upvotes: 0

Views: 93

Answers (1)

Nik Bougalis
Nik Bougalis

Reputation: 10613

When you do 

char myArr[3] = { 1, 2, 3}

You are creating an array of 3 characters, and setting them to the values 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

When you do

myArr[3] = { 1, 2, 3 }

you are trying to set myArr[3] (which is the fourth character in an array of three characters by the way; you are going "out of bounds") to { 1, 2, 3 } which doesn't make sense. In C you cannot set arrays like that: it's a syntax error.

If you want to set your array to the values 1, 2 and 3 try this:

myArr[0] = 1;
myArr[1] = 2;
myArr[2] = 3;

Upvotes: 3

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