将数组参数传递给函数

Question

On calling the function

int sum_array(int array[], int arr_length)
{ 
   int sum = 0;  
   while(--arr_length >= 0)
      sum += array[arr_length];
   return sum;
}

in main function

 int main()
{
    int b[10];
    ...
    total = sum_array(b,10);
    ...
}

why passing the argument b , not b[] as sum_array(b[],10) ?
NOTE : I have no knowledge of pointers.

Answer 1

In C, arrays are passed as a pointer to the first element. The type of b is array.

When passing b , you're actually passing a pointer to the first element of the array.

Answer 2

• why passing the parameter b and not b[] as sum_array(b[],10)

Short answer: Because b[] is invalid syntax.

Here

int b[10];

variable b is declared. int [10] is type of variable.

Since functions accept identifiers as parameters, not types, you should pass identifier to function. Identifier is b .

• NOTE: I have no knowledge of pointers.

It has nothing to do with pointers.

Answer 3

The function is expecting a pointer to an int array, so you need to pass a pointer to the start of the array. b[10] points to the eleventh (!) index of a ten element array.