[c++] invalid types for array subscript

[Nyap]

This is probably a really simple problem to fix and I'm stupid

#include <iostream>
#include <cstdint>

int g_difficulty;
bool g_type;

using std::cout;
using std::cin;

void setSlot(int16_t slot, int16_t &dataToSet)
{
  switch (g_type)
  {
  case 0:
  dataToSet[slot-1]=1; break;
  case 1:
  dataToSet[slot-1]=2; break;
  }
}

void render(int16_t *gamedata)
{
  for (int counter{}; counter<9; ++counter)
  {
  switch (gamedata[counter])
  {
  case 0:
  cout << " "; break;
  case 1:
  cout << "O"; break;
  case 2:
  cout << "X"; break;
  }
  switch (counter)
  {
  case 0:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 1:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 2:
  cout << "\n######\n"; break;
  case 3:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 4:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 5:
  cout << "\n######\n"; break;
  case 6:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 7:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 8:
  cout << "\n"; break;
  }
  }
}

int main()
{
  int16_t gamedata[9]{};
  cout << "TicTacToe v0.5 by Nyap\n"
  << "====================\n"
  << "1) Easy\n"
  << "2) Medium\n"
  << "3) Hard\n";

  do
  {
  cout << "Please select a difficulty: ";
  cin >> g_difficulty;
  if (g_difficulty>0 && g_difficulty<4)
  {
  break;
  }
  cout << "Invalid input!\n";
  cin.clear(); cin.ignore(40000, '\n');
  }
  while (g_difficulty<1 || g_difficulty>3);

  cout << '\n';

  char type;
  do
  {
  cout << "Are you O or X?: ";
  cin >> type;
  if (type == 'X')
  {
  g_type=1; break;
  }
  if (type == 'O')
  {
  g_type=0; break;
  }
  cout << "Please enter 'O' or 'X' (make sure it's a capital letter)\n";
  cin.clear(); cin.ignore(40000, '\n');
  }
  while (!(type == 'O' || type == 'X'));

  cout << "====================\n"
  << "You need to enter a number from 1-9.\n"
  << "The top left of the grid is 1, the bottom right is 9.\n"
  << "To exit enter 0.\n"
  << "====================\n";

  render(gamedata);

  int16_t turn;
  while (0)
  {
  cout << "Your turn: "; cin >> turn;
  if (gamedata[turn]==0)
  {
  setSlot(turn, *gamedata);
  }
  }
  return 0;
}

||=== Build: Debug in TicTacToe (compiler: GNU GCC Compiler) ===|
/home/nyap/Projects/TicTacToe/main.cpp||In function ‘void setSlot(int16_t, int16_t&)’:|
/home/nyap/Projects/TicTacToe/main.cpp|15|error: invalid types ‘int16_t {aka short int}[int16_t {aka short int}]’ for array subscript|
/home/nyap/Projects/TicTacToe/main.cpp|17|error: invalid types ‘int16_t {aka short int}[int16_t {aka short int}]’ for array subscript|
||=== Build failed: 2 error(s), 0 warning(s) (0 minute(s), 0 second(s)) ===|

I'm getting the problem in setSlot() but I included the rest of the code just in case

 

[grossaffe]

I only gave the code a brief glance-over, but I'd suggest that perhaps the function should be:

void setSlot(int16_t slot,int16_t *dataToSet)

Also, when you call it, you're dereferencing gamedata when I believe what you want to do is pass in the address. Since it is an array, it is essentially a pointer already, so you can accomplish this a couple ways. The simplest:

setSlot(turn, gamedata);

or:

setSlot(turn, &gamedata[0]);

 

[Nyap]

I only gave the code a brief glance-over, but I'd suggest that perhaps the function should be:

void setSlot(int16_t slot,int16_t *dataToSet)

Also, when you call it, you're dereferencing gamedata when I believe what you want to do is pass in the address. Since it is an array, it is essentially a pointer already, so you can accomplish this a couple ways. The simplest:

setSlot(turn, gamedata);

or:

setSlot(turn, &gamedata[0]);

I really need a refresher on the differences between a pointer and a reference :/
but it works now thnx

 

[grossaffe]

I really need a refresher on the differences between a pointer and a reference :/
but it works now thnx

Yeah, it can be pretty confusing when you're getting started, but they become powerful tools once you fully understand them.

It looks like your code isn't really making use of any C++ features outside of the iostreams and bools. Have you considered working with pure C?

 

[Nyap]

Yeah, it can be pretty confusing when you're getting started, but they become powerful tools once you fully understand them.

It looks like your code isn't really making use of any C++ features outside of the iostreams and bools. Have you considered working with pure C?

I recently started learning about OOP (which is a feature only in C++) but I don't see how I could use what I've learn't so far in this program
C is basically C++ with less features, I don't see any benefits in dumping C++

 

[grossaffe]

I recently started learning about OOP (which is a feature only in C++) but I don't see how I could use what I've learn't so far in this program

Right. Native OOP is the primary reason to make use of C++. C++ devs also tend to be big fans of STL and/or Boost, neither of which you're using in your program. It is, in fact, written procedurally, making it following more of a C paradigm.

As an aside, you can write Object Oriented code in C, too. In fact, I have done just that in a game engine I started working on in my free time last summer. Why, you ask? I dunno, I guess I just wanted to see if I could.

C is basically C++ with less features, I don't see any benefits in dumping C++

There are some fundamental differences in design decisions that go into coding in the two languages. Personally, I'm of a mind that it's good to fully understand C and how it works and it might lead to a better understanding of what's really happening when you use C++ and its features.

 

[Nyap]

I'm going to take a break, but being the most complicated project i've made so far I thought it would be a good idea to add comments
What do you think? Should I use more C style block comments, and if so, where?

#include <iostream>
#include <cstdint>
#include <cstdlib>

int g_difficulty; //holds difficulty level (see main for more details)
extern bool g_type; //holds players type (O or X)

using std::cout;
using std::cin;

void setSlot(int16_t slot, int16_t *dataToSet)
{
  switch (g_type) //Checks players type (O or X) and writes to gamedata accordingly
  {
  case 0:
  dataToSet[slot-1]=1; break;
  case 1:
  dataToSet[slot-1]=2; break;
  }
}

void render(int16_t *gamedata)
{
  for (int counter{}; counter<9; ++counter) //Loops through all 9 slots
  {
  switch (gamedata[counter]) //Checks the slot and output is changed accordingly
  {
  case 0:
  cout << " "; break;
  case 1:
  cout << "O"; break;
  case 2:
  cout << "X"; break;
  }
  switch (counter) //Prints actual table
  {
  case 0:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 1:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 2:
  cout << "\n######\n"; break;
  case 3:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 4:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 5:
  cout << "\n######\n"; break;
  case 6:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 7:
  cout << "#"; break;
  case 8:
  cout << "\n"; break;
  }
  }
}

int main()
{
  int16_t gamedata[9]{};
  cout << "TicTacToe v0.5 by Nyap\n" //Title
  << "====================\n"
  << "1) Easy\n"
  << "2) Medium\n" //Difficulty information
  << "3) Hard\n";

  do
  {
  cout << "Please select a difficulty: ";
  cin >> g_difficulty; //Asks to enter difficulty
  if (g_difficulty>0 && g_difficulty<4)
  {
  break; //If the difficulty selected is valid, it will end the loop
  }
  cout << "Invalid input!\n"; //If the difficulty selected is invalid, it tells the user, refreshes cin and
  cin.clear(); cin.ignore(40000, '\n'); //it iterates again
  }
  while (g_difficulty<1 || g_difficulty>3);

  cout << '\n'; //Make a space between difficulty and type

  char type;
  do
  {
  cout << "Are you O or X?: ";
  cin >> type;
  if (type == 'X') //1 is X
  {
  g_type=1; break;
  }  //Converts input char to boolean and exits loop if input is valid
  if (type == 'O')
  {
  g_type=0; break; //0 is O
  }
  cout << "Please enter 'O' or 'X' (make sure it's a capital letter)\n";
  cin.clear(); cin.ignore(40000, '\n'); //Gives warning if input is invalid, refreshes cin and
  }
  while (!(type == 'O' || type == 'X')); //It iterates again

  cout << "====================\n"
  << "You need to enter a number from 1-9.\n"
  << "The top left of the grid is 1, the bottom right is 9.\n" //Outputs rules
  << "To exit enter 0.\n"
  << "====================\n";

  render(gamedata); //Renders the empty table

  int16_t turn; //Variable to hold slot that user wishes to modify
  while (1)
  {
  cout << "Your turn: "; cin >> turn; //Asks for what slot to modify
  if (turn>9 || turn<-1)
  {
  cout << "Invalid input!\n"; continue; //Checks if input is valid, and if not the user is notified and loop starts over
  }
  if (turn==0)
  {
  exit(0); //Quits the game if 0 is input
  }
  if (gamedata[turn-1]==0)
  {
  setSlot(turn, gamedata); //Sets the slot if all has gone well up to this point
  }
  else
  {
  cout << "That slot is already taken!\n"; continue; //If the slot is taken the player is notified and loop starts over
  }
  render(gamedata); //Table is rendered now that all changes have been made
  cout << "----------------\n"; //Prints a seperator
  aiTurn(gamedata); //Starts the bots turn! (bot.cpp)
  }
  return 0; //Returns 0 to operating system (won't be neccesary in most cases)
}

 

[grossaffe]

One thing I'll throw out there is that where I work, it is unacceptable to put a comment on the same line as code. It is also generally preferred to write a comment above a function to explain what it does. Perhaps something like this:

/*
* Explain the function here
*
* @<arg1> is used for <X>
* @<arg2> is used for <Y>
*
* @return <what the function returns>
*/

unrelated to the issue of comments, I do have some notes on your code. Look at your switch(counter), for example. You have a bunch of cases which do the exact same thing. You can accomplish this with a lot fewer lines of code by utilizing the switch statement's fall-through property:

switch(counter)
{
case 0:
case 1:
case 3:
case 4:
case 6:
case 7:
cout <<"#";break;
case 2:
case 5:
cout <<"\n######\n";break;
case 8:
cout <<"\n";break;}

You could also make use of the default case for even more compact code and maybe a little more efficient. Technically it would make it print "#" even if, say, a 9 or 10 were passed in, but as you have it now, that's undefined behavior that I want to say would cause it to crash, and it's probably safe to assume it'll never get those values.

switch(counter)
{
case 2:
case 5:
cout <<"\n######\n";break;
case 8:
cout <<"\n";break;
default:
cout <<"#";break;
}

I would like to mention that I'm not too fond of the implementation of the setSlot() function. You really shouldn't do a switch statement on a bool, just use a good old fashion if-else statement with the bool as the conditional. Or, even better, I'd ditch the bool altogether. You could use an enum if you so desired for the player type and set that when you prompt the user if it wants to be X or O.

 

[Nyap]

One thing I'll throw out there is that where I work, it is unacceptable to put a comment on the same line as code. It is also generally preferred to write a comment above a function to explain what it does. Perhaps something like this:

/*
* Explain the function here
*
* @<arg1> is used for <X>
* @<arg2> is used for <Y>
*
* @return <what the function returns>
*/

unrelated to the issue of comments, I do have some notes on your code. Look at your switch(counter), for example. You have a bunch of cases which do the exact same thing. You can accomplish this with a lot fewer lines of code by utilizing the switch statement's fall-through property:

switch(counter)
{
case 0:
case 1:
case 3:
case 4:
case 6:
case 7:
cout <<"#";break;
case 2:
case 5:
cout <<"\n######\n";break;
case 8:
cout <<"\n";break;}

You could also make use of the default case for even more compact code and maybe a little more efficient. Technically it would make it print "#" even if, say, a 9 or 10 were passed in, but as you have it now, that's undefined behavior that I want to say would cause it to crash, and it's probably safe to assume it'll never get those values.

switch(counter)
{
case 2:
case 5:
cout <<"\n######\n";break;
case 8:
cout <<"\n";break;
default:
cout <<"#";break;
}

I would like to mention that I'm not too fond of the implementation of the setSlot() function. You really shouldn't do a switch statement on a bool, just use a good old fashion if-else statement with the bool as the conditional. Or, even better, I'd ditch the bool altogether. You could use an enum if you so desired for the player type and set that when you prompt the user if it wants to be X or O.

ok, I'll take all of this into consideration
in my defence, this is the first time I've actually tried doing a project of my own, in the past it was just me quickly doing quiz questions from my tutorial

 

[grossaffe]

ok, I'll take all of this into consideration
in my defence, this is the first time I've actually tried doing a project of my own, in the past it was just me quickly doing quiz questions from my tutorial

I understand you're still a beginner. You'll (probably) pick up better coding practices along the way as you become more familiar with all the tools at your disposal. That's partially why I'd advocate working in C, as it has all the tools needed without overloading you with the issue of too many tools with too much bloat and too many different ways of doing things. Learn to use those tools really proficiently, and then you can start adding C++ features as necessary* to what you are trying to accomplish.

*necessity being up to personal taste