Traditionally C arrays are declared with an index that is either a fixed constant or empty. An array with a fixed constant index indicates to the compiler how much space to reserve for the array. An array declaration with an empty index is an incomplete type, and indicates that the variable references a pointer to an array of indeterminate size.
Since C99, C has permitted array declarations to use extended syntax. The most well-known extension is for variable-length arrays (VLAs). In this case, the array index is a variable, and the size of the array is determined at run-time, rather than compile-time.
Section 6.7.6.1, paragraph 1, summarizes the array index syntax extensions:
... the [ and ] may delimit an expression or *. If they delimit an expression (which specifies the size of an array), the expression shall have an integer type. If the expression is a constant expression, it shall have a value greater than zero.
Consequently, an array declaration that serves as a function argument may have an index that is a variable or an expression. The array argument is demoted to a pointer, and is consequently not a VLA. Conformant array parameters can be used by developers to indicate the expected bounds of the array. This information may be used by compilers, or it may be ignored. However, such declarations are useful to developers as they serve to document relationships between array sizes and pointers. This information can also be used by static analysis tools to diagnose potential defects.
int f(size_t n, int a[n]); // documents a relationship between n and a
Standard Examples
Section 6.7.6.3 of the C Standard has several examples of conformant array parameters. Example 4 illustrates a variably modified parameter:
void addscalar(int n, int m, double a[n][n*m+300], double x);
int main(void) {
double b[4][308];
addscalar(4, 2, b, 2.17);
return 0;
}
void addscalar(int n, int m, double a[n][n*m+300], double x) {
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
for (int j = 0, k = n*m+300; j < k; j++)
// a is a pointer to a VLA with n*m+300 elements
a[i][j] += x;
}
Example 4 illustrates a set of compatible function prototype declarators
double maximum(int n, int m, double a[n][m]); double maximum(int n, int m, double a[*][*]); double maximum(int n, int m, double a[ ][*]); double maximum(int n, int m, double a[ ][m]);
Noncompliant Code Example
This code example provides a function that wraps a call to the standard memset() function, and has a similar set of arguments. However, while this function clearly intends that p point to an array of at least n chars, this invariant is not explicitly documented.
void my_memset(char* p, size_t n, char v) {
memset( p, v, n);
}
Noncompliant Code Example
This noncompliant code example attempts to document the relationship between the pointer and the size using conformant array parameters. However, the variable n is used as the index of the array declaration before n is itself declared. Consequently this code example is not standards-compliant, and will usually fail to compile.
void my_memset(char p[n], size_t n, char v) {
memset( p, v, n);
}
Compliant Solution
This compliant solution declares the size_t variable n before using it in the subsequent array declaration. Consequently this code complies with the standard and successfully documents the relationship between the array parameter and the size parameter.
void my_memset(size_t n, char p[n], char v) {
memset(p, v, n);
}
Exceptions
API05-EX0: The extended array syntax is not supported by MSVC. Consequently C programs that must support Windows need not use conformant array parameters.
One option for portable code that must support MSVC is to use macros:
#include <stddef.h> #if defined (_MSC_VER) #define N(x) #else #define N(x) (x) #endif int f(size_t n, int a[N(n)]);
Bibliography
C11, section 6.7.6.3
