CODEWITHSUNDEEP
carraysinitialization
SaltySeaDog
SaltySeaDog

Reputation: 55

variable-sized object may not be initialized

So this section of code generates a huge amount of errors but it works when I have InputM[3][3] = blah

Why would this be. For reference, code:

int n = 3;
printf("%ld\n", n);
double InputM[n][n] = { { 2, 0, 1 }, { 3, 1, 2 }, { 5, 2, 5} };

Generates:

prog3.c: In function 'main':
prog3.c:47: error: variable-sized object may not be initialized
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM[0]')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM[0]')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM[0]')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM[0]')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM[0]')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM[0]')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM[0]')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM[0]')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM[0]')
prog3.c:47: warning: excess elements in array initializer
prog3.c:47: warning: (near initialization for 'InputM')

Upvotes: 1

Views: 3284

Answers (2)

Arjen
Arjen

Reputation: 646

Compile-time, you compiler does not know how many elements are in your matrix. In C, you can dynamically allocate memory using malloc.

You could use a define to create a constant value:

#define N 3

int main()
{
    double InputM[N][N] = { { 2, 0, 1 }, { 3, 1, 2 }, { 5, 2, 5} };
}

Or malloc:

int main()
{
    int n = 3;
    int idx;
    int row;
    int col;

    double **inputM;
    inputM = malloc(n * sizeof(double *));
    for (idx = 0; idx != n; ++idx)
    {
        inputM[idx] = malloc(n * sizeof(double));
    }

    // initialise all entries on 0
    for (row = 0; row != n; ++row)
    {
        for (row = 0; row != n; ++row)
        {
            inputM[row][col] = 0;
        }
    }

    // add some entries
    inputM[0][0] = 2;
    inputM[1][1] = 1;
    inputM[2][0] = 5;
}

Upvotes: 3

linkdd
linkdd

Reputation: 1052

In C99, variable-sized array can't be initialized, why ?

Because at the compile time, the compiler doesn't know the exact size of array, so you cannot initialize it.

n will be evaluated at runtime, then your array will be allocated on the stack-frame.

Upvotes: 1

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