Question

I want to pass a reference to an array from one object GameModel to another PersonModel, store reference and then work with this array inside PersonModel just like inside GameModel, but…

I have a terrible misunderstanding of passing an array process: In the class PersonModel I want to pass an array by reference in a constructor (see code block below). But the marked line throws the compile error

    PersonModel::PersonModel( int path[FieldSize::HEIGHT][FieldSize::WIDTH], int permissionLevel ) { 
        this->path = path; //<------ ERROR here:
        //PersonModel.cpp:14:22: error: incompatible types in assignment of 'int (*)[30]' to 'int [31][30]'

        this->permissionLevel = permissionLevel;
    }

Here is the header file PersonModel.h

#ifndef PERSON_MODEL
#define PERSON_MODEL

#include "data/FieldSize.h"

namespace game{
    class IntPosition;
    class MotionDirection;

    class PersonModel {
        protected:
        int path[FieldSize::HEIGHT][FieldSize::WIDTH];
        int permissionLevel;

        public:
        PersonModel( int path[FieldSize::HEIGHT][FieldSize::WIDTH], int permissionLevel );
        void setMotionDirection ( MotionDirection* md);
        void step(long time);
        void reset(long time);
    };
}

#endif 

As I see now, I can change the int path[FieldSize::HEIGHT][FieldSize::WIDTH]; declaration to int (*path)[FieldSize::WIDTH]; but it is much more confusing.

Help me understand this topic: what is the proper way to store the passed reference to an array to work with it later, like with usual 2D array.

UPDATE:

This array is a map of game field tiles properties represented by bit-masks, so it is read-only actually. All the incapsulated objects of GameModel class should read this array, but I definitely don’t want to duplicate it or add some extra functionality.

There are no frameworks just bare Android-NDK.

Answer 1

I think you’ve fallen into the classic trap of believing someone who’s told you that “arrays and pointers are the same in C”.

The first thing I’d do would be to define a type for the array:

typedef int PathArray[FieldSize::HEIGHT][FieldSize::WIDTH];

You then don’t need to worry about confusions between reference to array of ints vs array of references to ints.

Your PersonModel then contains a reference to one of these.

PathArray &path;

and, because its a reference it must be initialised in the constructors initialization list rather than in the constructor body.

 PersonModel::PersonModel( PathArray &aPath, int aPermissionLevel ) :
   path(aPath),
   permissionLevel(aPermissionLevel)
 {
 }

Of course, holding references like this is a little scary so you might want to consider using a boost::shared_ptr or something similar instead to make the lifetime management more robust.