Re: Pointing to the wrong thing......

["Dreyhaupt" <kdreyhaupt@nyc.rr.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Evan Marchant <evan@achaia.dircon.co.uk>
To: <gameprogrammer@gameprogrammer.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2000 5:42 PM
Subject: Re: Pointing to the wrong thing......


> Hi,
> ok i'm not a expert programmer, so if i get anything wrong
> don't shout at me :)
>
>
> >int* _doStuff(int a, int b, int c, int d)
> >{
> >   int* results;
> >
> >   // do some stuff here to initalize the members of results.....
> >
> >   return results;
> >}
>
> Isn't it bad to return the address of a local varible...
> once the function ends the varible will be taken from the
> stack and the address would no longer be valide.

If you return a local variable its perfectly fine, if you return the address
of a local variable, then
your code is wrong. If you don't return a local variable what do you return?
You can return a
global variable, but thats just dumb, I guess return TRUE, FALSE, 0 is ok,
but local variables are
fine to return.

then you:

var = function(); to get its value

>
> As ur other post stated you did actully malloc
> the space?
>
> lilke
>
> int * results = (int *)malloc(sizeof(int));
>
> right?
>
> did you then at the end of the function free the
> memory?
>
> wouldn't that cause the memory location that the
> function returned become invalid?
>
> would then it also mean the next time
> you call the function it allocates the same
> peice of memory, therefore getting the
> results u showed?
>
> Also is it strictly nessarey to use the
> pointers...it mayde the function very messy...
>
> Evan,
>
>
> ****
> *Evan Marchant
> *ICQ#15055534
> *"Once one problems solved, ten are around the corner"
> ****
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