arrayscdata-structuresinsertion

Why is the variable value not getting updated when changed inside void function?


In this array insertion code, the value of usedsize does not get updated when I increment it inside the void insert function. I want to know why that keeps happening and why the value of arr[i] gets updated when this doesn't?

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

void insert(int arr[], int element, int index, int usedsize){
    for(int i=usedsize;i>=index;i--){
        arr[i+1]=arr[i];
    }
    arr[index]=element;
    usedsize++;

}

void traverse(int arr[], int size){
    for(int i=0;i<size;i++){
        printf("%d",arr[i]);
        printf("\t");
    }

}
int main()
{
    int narr[25]={5,7,12,34,45};
    int index = 3;
    int usize = 5;
    int element = 21;
    insert(narr,element,index,usize);
    traverse(narr,usize);

    return 0;
}


Solution

  • Like the commenters noted, the variable usedsize in the insert function is a copy.

    why does the value of arr[i] get updated?

    In C, the array name indicates the address of first element and arrays are always passed as pointers, even if you use the square bracket notation 0.

    #include <stdio.h>
    #include <stdlib.h>
    
    void insert(int arr[], int element, int index, int *usedsize) {
        printf("Address arr[%d] is %p\n", 0, &arr[0]);
        printf("Address usedsize is %p\n", usedsize);
        for(int i=*usedsize; i>=index; i--) {
            arr[i+1]=arr[i];
        }
        arr[index]=element;
        (*usedsize)++;
    }
    
    int main() 
    {
        int narr[25]= {5,7,12,34,45};
        int index = 3;
        int usize = 5;
        int element = 21;
        printf("Address arr[%d] is %p\n", 0, &narr[0]);
        printf("Address usize is %p\n", &usize);
        insert(narr,element,index,&usize);
        traverse(narr,usize);
        return 0;
    }
    
    Original code:
    - Address arr[0] is 0x7ffdf2f8b510
    - Address usize is 0x7ffdf2f8b504
    - Address arr[0] is 0x7ffdf2f8b510
    - Address usedsize is 0x7ffdf2f8b4cc
    Now:
    - Address arr[0] is 0x7fff0c03d740
    - Address usize is 0x7fff0c03d734
    - Address arr[0] is 0x7fff0c03d740
    - Address usedsize is 0x7fff0c03d734