How do you pass an array to a function in C?

How do you pass an array to a function in C?

• A. By passing the array name, which is treated as a pointer to the first element
• B. By passing the whole array as a single data structure
• C. By passing each element of the array separately
• D. By using a global variable to access the array

Answer: (A)

Passing an array to a function in C is done by using the name of the array, which is treated as a pointer to the first element of the array. This means that, when you pass the array name to the function, you are actually passing the address where the first element of the array resides in memory. This allows the function to access and manipulate the contents of the array directly. When a function receives this pointer, it can use pointer arithmetic to access individual elements of the array. Thus, modifications made to the array elements within the function will affect the original array. This method is efficient in terms of memory usage since it doesn't involve copying the entire array but rather just passes a reference to the first element. In contrast, passing the whole array as a single data structure would typically involve passing it by value, which is not how C handles arrays. Each element individually passing would require multiple parameters, leading to cumbersome function signatures and is not practical for larger arrays. Using a global variable can lead to less maintainable code, as it introduces dependencies on global state instead of using parameters to clearly define function inputs.

Passing an array to a function in C is done by using the name of the array, which is treated as a pointer to the first element of the array. This means that, when you pass the array name to the function, you are actually passing the address where the first element of the array resides in memory. This allows the function to access and manipulate the contents of the array directly.

When a function receives this pointer, it can use pointer arithmetic to access individual elements of the array. Thus, modifications made to the array elements within the function will affect the original array. This method is efficient in terms of memory usage since it doesn't involve copying the entire array but rather just passes a reference to the first element.

In contrast, passing the whole array as a single data structure would typically involve passing it by value, which is not how C handles arrays. Each element individually passing would require multiple parameters, leading to cumbersome function signatures and is not practical for larger arrays. Using a global variable can lead to less maintainable code, as it introduces dependencies on global state instead of using parameters to clearly define function inputs.