[David W]

Recently at DIC, a student had a programming problem that possibly could have been resolved quite quickly, if the student had obtained an firm crasp on this single fact ...

that for arrays with size sz

the last VALID index is ... sz - 1


The following code,

first illustrates the correct code

then ... the problematic code ...

with some simple debugging tactics added.

// showCmdLinePars.cpp

// an example of (desired) usage: showCmdLinePars.exe 1 2 3

// this code illustrates a commnon coding problem:  array/buffer OVERflow
// (array/buffer UNDERflow, not illustrated here, also causes a similar problem)

// and ... also illustrates some simple debugging ...


#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

#define showSteps 1

// Note: the 'back-slash' at the end of each line below ... (in this macro)
// indicates to the compiler that the code is continued on the next line
#define showStep \
    cout << "\nThe next value to be printed is argv[" << ctr << "] = "; \
    cout << "\nPress 'Enter' to continue ... "; \
    cin.get()

#define block1 1 // to EXCLUDE compiling block1 below ... change 1 to 0 here
#define block2 0

int main( int argc, char **argv )
{
    // both blocks below ... illustrate a common coding error ... that the
    // programmer is responsible to prevent ... 'array buffer overflow'

    cout << "Firstly ... the good code ... \n\n";
    
    cout << "code that prints out ONLY all the command line par's yields: ";
    for( int ctr = 1; ctr < argc; ++ctr )
    {
#if showSteps
        // include this block while debugging ... to see where/why coding error
        showStep;
#endif
        cout << "'" << argv[ctr] << "' ";
    }
    
    cout << "\n\ncode that prints out reversed ... as above ...       yields: ";
    for( int ctr = argc- 1; ctr > 0; --ctr )
    {
#if showSteps
        // include this block while debugging ... to see where/why coding error
        showStep;
#endif
        cout << "'" << argv[ctr] << "' ";
    }


    cout << "\n\n\nNow ... the defective code ... \n\n";
    
#if block1
    // problematic code that 'hopes' to printout ONLY all the command line par's
    for( int ctr = 1; ctr <= argc; ++ctr ) // Note: should be ... ctr < argc; ...
    {
        // include this block while debugging ... to see where/why coding error
        showStep;
        
        cout << "'" << argv[ctr] << "' ";
    }
#endif

#if block2
    // problematic code that 'hopes' to printout reversed ... as above
    for( int ctr = argc; ctr > 0; --ctr ) // Note: should be int ctr = argc-1;
    {
        // include this block while debugging ... to see where/why coding error
        showStep;
        
        cout << "'" << argv[ctr] << "' ";
    }
#endif

    cout << "\n\nPress 'Enter' to exit ... ";
    cin.get();
    return 0;
}

[David W]

Some typos corrected ... * *

1. Recently at DIC, a student had a programming problem that possibly could have been resolved quite quickly, if the student had obtained *a* firm crasp on this single fact ...

that for arrays with size sz

the last VALID index is ... sz - 1


The following code,

first illustrates the correct code

then ... the problematic code ...

with some simple debugging tactics added.

// showCmdLinePars.cpp

// an example of (desired) usage: showCmdLinePars.exe 1 2 3

// 2. // this code illustrates a *common* coding problem: array/buffer OVERflow
// (array/buffer UNDERflow, is not illustrated here, but also causes a similar problem)

// some simple debugging also illustrated ...


#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

#define showSteps 1

// Note: the 'back-slash' at the end of each line below ... (in this macro)
// indicates to the compiler that the code is continued on the next line
#define showStep \
    cout << "\nThe next value to be printed is argv[" << ctr << "] = "; \
    cout << "\nPress 'Enter' to continue ... "; \
    cin.get()

#define block1 1 // to EXCLUDE block1 below (at compile time)... change 1 to 0 here
#define block2 0

int main( int argc, char **argv )
{
    // both blocks below ... illustrate a common coding error ... that the
    // programmer is responsible to prevent ... 'array buffer overflow'

    cout << "Firstly ... the good code ... \n\n";
    
    cout << "code that prints out ONLY all the command line par's yields: ";
    for( int ctr = 1; ctr < argc; ++ctr )
    {
#if showSteps
        // include this block while debugging ... to see where/why coding error
        showStep;
#endif
        cout << "'" << argv[ctr] << "' ";
    }
    
    cout << "\n\ncode that prints out reversed ... as above ...       yields: ";
    for( int ctr = argc- 1; ctr > 0; --ctr )
    {
#if showSteps
        // include this block while debugging ... to see where/why coding error
        showStep;
#endif
        cout << "'" << argv[ctr] << "' ";
    }


    cout << "\n\n\nNow ... the defective code ... \n\n";
    
#if block1
    // problematic code that 'hopes' to printout ONLY all the command line par's
    for( int ctr = 1; ctr <= argc; ++ctr ) // Note: should be ... ctr < argc; ...
    {
        // include this block while debugging ... to see where/why coding error
        showStep;
        
        cout << "'" << argv[ctr] << "' ";
    }
#endif

#if block2
    // problematic code that 'hopes' to printout reversed ... as above
    for( int ctr = argc; ctr > 0; --ctr ) // Note: should be int ctr = argc-1;
    {
        // include this block while debugging ... to see where/why coding error
        showStep;
        
        cout << "'" << argv[ctr] << "' ";
    }
#endif

    cout << "\n\nPress 'Enter' to exit ... ";
    cin.get();
    return 0;
}

[Ricky65]

Good but I'd also like to stress that in C++ the base index of arrays is 0; that is the first element is indexed at array[0] - many beginners fall into the trap of thinking it is 1.

[David W]

Ricky65, on 23 September 2011 - 06:52 PM, said:

Good but I'd also like to stress that in C++ the base index of arrays is 0; that is the first element is indexed at array[0] - many beginners fall into the trap of thinking it is 1.

Thanks ... yes, I'd also like to stress that in C++ the base index of arrays is 0; that is the first element is indexed at array[0] - many beginners fall into the trap of thinking it is 1 ...

If anyone would like to see a C++ dynamic array (vector) that handles any integer range ... I did an example a few years ago that I may be able to find and e-mail to you if you like.

[flypro]

David W, on 24 September 2011 - 04:24 PM, said:

Ricky65, on 23 September 2011 - 06:52 PM, said:

Good but I'd also like to stress that in C++ the base index of arrays is 0; that is the first element is indexed at array[0] - many beginners fall into the trap of thinking it is 1.

Thanks ... yes, I'd also like to stress that in C++ the base index of arrays is 0; that is the first element is indexed at array[0] - many beginners fall into the trap of thinking it is 1 ...

If anyone would like to see a C++ dynamic array (vector) that handles any integer range ... I did an example a few years ago that I may be able to find and e-mail to you if you like.

yeah i wouldn't mine seeing it , ive done a similar thing reading a data wav file into a vector... problem is it don't work properly lol , good example thanks

Flypro.

[David W]

flypro, on 07 November 2011 - 06:15 PM, said:

...yeah i wouldn't mine seeing it , ive done a similar thing reading a data wav file into a vector... problem is it don't work properly lol , good example thanks
Flypro.

Here is a link ...
http://developers-he...index.php/topic,2019.15.html