call a function to return a pointer to a pointer to a two dimensional array

[sbear]

I am still having a problem calling this function. I don't know
what I am doing wrong.
Here is the code I am working with.
char *AddName(void);
void main(void) {
char Names[4][20];
char (*Ptr)[20] = Names;
Ptr = AddName();}
char*AddName(void)
{
char *Nme[4][20];

cout << "Enter a first and last name: ";
cin.getline(Nme, 20);

return Nme;
}
I know this is probably simple, but I am just not understanding it.
I am able to do a one dim array
easily but when it comes to a two dimensional, I am lost. My reference
books are wonderful books
for one dim arrays and pointer, but doesn't expand much on the latter.
Can someone help?
Thanks, sbear

[marc]

"sbear" <bjbear1@spacestar.net> wrote:
>
> I am still having a problem calling this function. I don't know
> what I am doing wrong.
> Here is the code I am working with.
> char *AddName(void);
> void main(void) {
> char Names[4][20];
> char (*Ptr)[20] = Names;
> Ptr = AddName();}
> char*AddName(void)
> {
> char *Nme[4][20];
>
> cout << "Enter a first and last name: ";
> cin.getline(Nme, 20);
>
> return Nme;
> }
> I know this is probably simple, but I am just not understanding it.
> I am able to do a one dim array
> easily but when it comes to a two dimensional, I am lost. My reference
>books are wonderful books
> for one dim arrays and pointer, but doesn't expand much on the latter.
>Can someone help?
>Thanks, sbear
>

The biggest issue here is that you are returning a 'stack' variable (goes
out of scope outside of the function that instatiated it). Try using the
'static' qualifier in front of Nme. That being said, you still have a few
other issues to take into consideration. The first is that your getline(
) function is always filling in the same memory location, which means that
using 'static' will have subsequent calls to AddName( ) overwriting earlier
results (I doubt that's what you are looking for). There are two possible
solutions: 1) allocate a new memory buffer and return that or 2) strcpy(
) the result of AddName( ) into a staticly (or dynamically) defined variable
in main( ). Just don't forget to free/delete the memory...;)

Hope that helps...