A beginner's question I couldn't find answered online, likely because I don't know the terminology.
I want to call one of a list of procedures based on a computed index value. That is, given a '1', invoke firstProc(), '2' invokes secondProc() and so on.
All the procedures are void functions with no arguments.
I can implement that with switch/case, but what I'd prefer is something like:
void* action[2] {*firstProc, *secondProc};
(This compiles, but warns: invalid conversion from 'void (*)()' to 'void*'
)
and then later:
action[get_index()]();
The compiler objects that 'action' can't be used as a function.
This must be possible, right? I've tried several variations but I can't get past the use of the selected ('action[index]') as a function.
CodePudding user response:
There are two equivalent ways to do what you want. The explanation is given as comments in the code snippets.
Method 1
#include <iostream>
void foo()
{
std::cout << "Hello";
}
void foo2()
{
std::cout << " wolrd!";
}
int main()
{
void (*a)() = foo;// a is a pointer to a function that takes no parameter and also does not return anything
void (*b)() = foo2;// b is a pointer to a function that takes no parameter and also does not return anything
//create array(of size 2) that can hold pointers to functions that does not return anything and also does not take any parameter
void (*arr[2])() = { a, b};
arr[0](); // calls foo
arr[1](); //calls foo1
return 0;
}
Method 1 can be executed here.
In method 1 above void (*a)() = foo;
means that a
is a pointer to a function that takes no parameter and also does not return anything.
Similarly, void (*b)() = foo2;
means that b
is a pointer to a function that takes no parameter and also does not return anything.
Next, void (*arr[2])() = { a, b};
means that arr
is an array(of size 2) that can hold pointers to functions that does not return anything and also does not take any parameter.
Method 2
#include <iostream>
void foo()
{
std::cout << "Hello";
}
void foo2()
{
std::cout << " wolrd!";
}
int main()
{
//create array(of size 2) that can hold pointers to functions that does not return anything
void (*arr[2])() = { foo, foo2};
arr[0](); // calls foo
arr[1](); //calls foo1
return 0;
}
Method 2 can be executed here.
CodePudding user response:
You need the correct syntax for your function pointer array. void(*func_ptr[])()
.
Example:
void func1() { std::cout << "Hallo" << std::endl; }
void func2() { std::cout << "World" << std::endl; }
// if you need a different signature for your functions like:
int func3(int n) { std::cout << "n1 " << n << std::endl; return n*2; }
int func4(int n) { std::cout << "n2 " << n << std::endl; return n*3; }
int main()
{
// array of function pointer which
// have no parameter and void as return value
void(*func_ptr[])()={ func1, func2 };
for ( unsigned int idx = 0; idx<2; idx )
{
func_ptr[idx]();
}
// array of function pointers with int return value and int as
// parameter
int(*func_ptr2[])(int)={ func3, func4 };
for ( unsigned int idx = 0; idx<2; idx )
{
std::cout << "retval: " << func_ptr2[idx](6) << std::endl;
}
}
CodePudding user response:
I've stopped using function pointers (though they still can be useful). I usually use std::function (and lambdas) when working with functions
Code for arrays of functions then look like this. I used std::vector but std::array for fixed size should work fine too.
#include <vector>
#include <functional>
#include <iostream>
void some_function()
{
std::cout << "some function\n";
}
int main()
{
// std::function, abstraction of a function, function signature = template parameter, so void () is function returning a void, no parameters
// std::vector, runtime resizable array
// constructor : 4 time a lambda function printing out hello world.
std::vector<std::function<void()>> functions(4, [] { std::cout << "Hello World!\n"; } );
// easy syntax to assign an existing function to an index
functions[1] = some_function;
// replace a function in the vector with another one (lambda)
functions[2] = [] { std::cout << "booh\n"; };
// call function at index 0
functions[0]();
std::cout << "\n\n";
// or loop over all the functions and call them (classic for loop)
for (std::size_t n = 0; n < functions.size(); n) functions[n]();
std::cout << "\n\n";
// or loop over all the functions (range based for loop)
for (const auto& function : functions) function();
return 0;
}