New to c++ and getting a odd segmentation fault error

Question

I'm continuing to get this odd error and it is printing my solution incorrectly. I believe it has to do with the printSolution() method because it is prints "QQ * QQQQQ" (although this is incorrect) and then I get a segmentation fault error.

Here is my .cpp :

#include "NQueens.h"
#include<iostream>

using namespace std;

NQueens::NQueens()
{

}

NQueens::~NQueens()
{
    cout <<"Destroying an object"<<endl;
}


void NQueens::printBoard(int board[], int N)
{
    std::cout<<endl;
    for(int i = 0; i<N; i++)
    {
        int chessBoard[N];
        chessBoard[board[i]] = 1;
        for(int j =0; j<N; j++)
        {
            if(chessBoard[j]==0)
            std::cout<<"* ";
            else
            std::cout<<"Q ";
        }
    std::cout<<endl;
    }
}

bool NQueens::safePlace(int row, int col, int board[])
{
    for(int i = 0; i<row; i++)
    {
        if((board[i] == col) || (i-row)==(board[i]-col) || (i-row) == (col-board[i]))
        return false;
    }
    return true;
}

void NQueens::solve(int N)
{
    int board[N];
    int row = 0;
    while(row<N && row>-1)
    {
// condition that the row is occupied and the queen is safe to place
        if(board[row]>-1 && board[row]<(N-1))
        {
            for(int i = board[row]+1; i<N; i++)
            {
                //checks for safety
                if(safePlace(row, i, board))
                {
                    board[row]=i;
                    ++row;
                    break;
                }
                else if(i==(N-1))
                {
                    board[row]=-1;
                    --row;
                }
            }
        }
        else if(board[row]==-1 && board[row]<(N-1))
        {
            for(int i = 0; i<N;i++)
            {
                if(safePlace(row, i, board))
                {
                    board[row]=i;
                    ++row;
                    break;
                }
                else if(i==(N-1))
                {
                    board[row]=-1;
                    --row;
                }
            }
        }
        else
        {
            board[row]=-1;
            --row;
        }
    }
    printBoard(board,N);
}

int main()
{
    NQueens driver;
    driver.solve(8);

    return 0;
}

Could this be because of loop statement reaching null?

Answer 1

I don't see where solve() initializes the contents of board before it gets used.

As such, the call to safePlace() passes the board array initialized to junk values, triggering the segfault.