Best Structure...?

trican,

i would use 2 arrays and two pointers to these arrays (lets call them pCurrent and pPrevious). Do all processing using these pointers. Just before you want to load new values flip the pointers: if pCurrent points to Array1 then have it point to Array 2, let pPrevious point to the other array.

My gut feeling is that this is probably the best way too, I'm just a little afraid it might get a tad confusing. I need to do alot processing on both  arrays of data (in case you havent guessed, its image data). But then I guess the flip the pointers is a completely separate task only changed when i read in new pixel data.



{
  // do processing
  // pCurrent pointing at array1
  // pPrevious pointing at array2

}

// read in new values
// array2 = new values
// array1 = now becomes old values
// pCurrent points at array2
// pPrevious points at array1


Actually I'm not too hot on the syntax of pointers within C++. Some guidance would be appreciated.
Thanks

typedef int ImageArray[100][200];
typedef int ** ImageArrayPtr;

ImageArray A, B;
ImageArrayPtr pCurrent, pPrevious;

for (int i = 0; i < 100; ++i)
  for (int j = 0; j < 200; ++j)
    pCurrent[i][j] = i * j;

// process data here

ImageArrayPtr temp = pCurrent;
pCurrent = pPrevious;
pPrevious = temp;

Hope that helps, -bcl

Yeah I would just do what bcladd has done and assign a pointer to it. That way you never really shift the data around. All you are going to be doing is shifting the pointer reference. It will be much more efficient. The only question I have is do you want to be able to hold on to previous arrays permanently? if so I would make previous a linked list. That way you can just keep throwing the previous one on to it.

Firstly, I dont need to hold onto anymore than the current and previous arrays of data.

Secondly, I'm having a few problems still.
I dont fully get what bcladd means by:
typedef int ** ImageArrayPtr;

its a pointer to a pointer ...right? whats the type of first pointer?

You define: ImageArray A, B;  ..... but dont use them or point the pointers at them.


Cheers

>1. Obviously I could just loop through filling PREVIOUS=CURRENT, and then read in the
> new values of CURRENT. But this seems rather computational intensive.

If you just want to make a fast copy you may use memcpy:

   ...
   int CURRENT[M][N]  = { 0 };
   int PREVIOUS[M][N] = { 0 };

   // fill CURRENT somehow

   readCurrentImage(CURRENT, ...);

   // save array to PREViOUS

   memcpy(PREVIOUS, CURRENT, M*N*sizeof(int));
  ...


BTW,

typedef int ** ImageArrayPtr;

defines a pointer to int pointer array, what is incorrect in your case. If you pass your 2D matrix to a function you have a simple int*, that must be addressed as a 1D array.

Hope, that helps

Alex

 

Thanks, but I dont really want to do a fast copy, I want to avoid this overhead.

I want to proceed with the pointer structure, but I cant seem to get it to work the way i want it to. At an absolute basic level I 'm having compilation problems trying to assign the pointer to a 2D array.

I've tried:
const int mV = 288;
const int mH = 352;
int A[mV][mH];
int *pPrev = &A[0][0];
......

the fourth line gives me problems. I dont want to address it as a 1D array, i want to preserve the 2D nature. Obviously something basic i'm doing wrong.

int ** pPrev = &A[0][0];

or, better

int ** pPrev  = A;

Remember that in a standard array each application of [] dereferences (removes) one layer of pointer. So an array of integers can pe assigned to a pointer to integers. An array of arrays of int requires a pointer to a pointer to int.

You're right, I never assigned A/B to my pointers in my earlier post. It doesn't matter which you assign to which to start with, so long as you do it before my first for loop. My apologies. It was my intention in my code that all access to the arrays would be through the pointers; A and B would never be used after pCurrent=A and pPrev = B

Hope this helps, -bcl

   const int mV = 288;
    const int mH = 352;
    int A[mV][mH];
    int *pPrev = (int*)&A;

    // fill with random values
    for (int i=0;i<mV;i++)
    {
        for (int j=0;j<mH;j++)
        {
            A[i][j] = rand() % 69;
        }
    }

    // list using pointer:
    for ( i=0;i<mV;i++)
    {
        for (int j=0;j<mH;j++)
        {
            printf("%i,%i: %i\n",i,j, *(pPrev + (i * mH ) + j));
        }
    }

bcladd

const int mV = 288;
const int mH = 352;
int A[mV][mH], B[mV];
int ** pPrev  = A;

.....
ERROR Implicit cast of pointer to non-equal pointer (for this line:int ** pPrev  = A;)

Otherwise, I think I (finally!) understand how ur code is working

Thanks jploeg - the referencing is little awkward - but thats only my personal opinion for my application, I prefer bcladd appraoch if i could get it to work.

Yeah, works a treat!


"....The problem is that to use two indices the compiler MUST know how long each of the rows is (assuming a two dimensional array is stored in row major form). ...."

hmmm dont quite understand this - in ur first code "typedef int ** ImageArrayPtr;" ok i can see how the dimensions aren't defined... But there seems (well to me :-( ) still only one dimension defined in

typedef int ImageRow[ImageWidth];
typedef ImageRow * ImageArrayPtr;

So ImageArrayPtr points to a 1D array of ImageRow values (int's), so could u explain why the following works ok...

 ImageArray A, B;
 ImageArrayPtr pCurrent, pPrevious;
 pCurrent = A;
 pPrevious = B;

Or specifically how you can assign pCurrent (a pointer to 1D array) to A (a 2 D array) ..... sorry i'm a bit confused.


And one other small question.... Is it absolutely neccessary to define your own types????


Btw i've increased the points - really appreciate the help!
thanks

> Or specifically how you can assign pCurrent (a pointer to 1D array) to A (a 2 D array)


    typedef int Row[10];
    typedef Row Matrix[10];

    // you may pass by reference or by pointer
    void ff(Matrix& m, Matrix* pm)
    {
        // you may define another alias
        Matrix& mm = m;
         
        // or use the pointer
        int x = (*pm)[5][3];

       // or define a pointer to the rows of m
        Row*   pRows   = m;  

       // that you may use the same way as m

       if ( pRows[2][3] == m[2][3]))
       {
            // always true

       }
       
       // the only difference is

       int size_pRows = sizeof(pRows); // == 4      == sizeof(Row*)  size of a pointer!

       int size_m        = sizeof(m);        // == 400  == sizeof(Matrix)

    }

The only typedef you need is Row (or ImageRow), if you just want to access an item by [x][y].
The Matrix type is needed if you want to pass the size information of your 2D array to a function.
The RowPtr or ImageArrayPtr type is only for convenience.

Regards, Alex

aha I think I got it now.

I'm just going to play around with it just to make sure. I'll then assign points

100+ bcladd
50 jploeg

thanks guys