Can't I return an array from a function? C

Question

I'm trying to return an array from a function and to do that a have a pointer in the function but when i try to return the array it returns only the first element! :S

This is my code:

int* getDate() {
    time_t t = time(NULL);
    struct tm tm = *localtime(&t);

    int i;
    static int date[7];//i save in each position the year, month, day, h, m and s

    date[0] = tm.tm_year + 1900;
    date[1] = tm.tm_mon + 1;
    date[2] = tm.tm_mday;
    date[3] = tm.tm_hour;
    date[4] = tm.tm_min;
    date[5] = tm.tm_sec;

    return date;    
}

int main(){
    int *p;
    int i;
    p = getDate();

    for (i = 0; i<6; i++){
        printf("%d/", *p);
    }

    return 0;
}

Desired output: 2014/12/24/3/44/12 (year/month/day/hour/minute/seconds)

Current output: 2014/2014/2014/2014/2014/2014

Perhaps you meant to print p[i] or *p++? As written, you print the first element of p six times. — rici
– rici, Commented Dec 24, 2014 at 2:53

Jasen · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-24 02:53:33Z

2

make this change.

for (i = 0; i<6; i++){
    printf("%d/", p[i]);

You have retuned a pointer to the array, pointers can in many ways be used like arrays.

answered Dec 24, 2014 at 2:53

Jasen

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1 Comment

Sergio Over a year ago

thank you! so stupid mistake. i thought that being a pointer function must had the pointer :(

technusm1 · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-24 02:56:27Z

1

use *(p+i) in the for loop inside main

answered Dec 24, 2014 at 2:56

technusm1

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Comments

sprinter · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-24 02:54:29Z

0

The problem is not with the return value it is with your print statement. An array is exactly the same thing in C as a pointer: it's really just a pointer to the first element. You can then just add your index to the pointer before dereferencing to get the correct array item.

Change your print statement to printf("%d/", *(p + i));

answered Dec 24, 2014 at 2:54

sprinter

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