Why can't functions be returned in C without using pointers?

Cause that's the way Brian and Dennis designed the language.





(Same answer for the returning of an array.)


You can return a structure with an array in it:


#include %26lt;stdio.h%26gt;


struct thingie {


int a[3];


};





struct thingie testFunc( ) {


thingie t;


t.a[0] = 1;


t.a[1] = 3;


t.a[2] = 5;


return t;


}





int main ( ) {


struct thingie x = testFunc( );


printf ("%d\n",x.a[2]);


return 0;


}

Why can't functions be returned in C without using pointers?
U mean passing an array to a function ? Yes it can be done both using / without using pointers. Take a look at the program below :





main()


{


int a[3][4] = { 1,2,3,4,,5,6,7,8,9,0,1,6} ;


clrscr() ;


display(a,3,4) ;


show(a,3,4) ;


}





// accessing array using pointer


display( int *q, int row, int col)


{


int i,j ;


for( i=0;i%26lt;row;i++)


{


for( j=0;j%26lt;col;j++)


printf("%d", *(q+i*col+j)) ;


printf("\n") ;


}


printf("\n");


}





//accessing array without using pointer


show( int q[][4],int row,int col)


{


int i,j ;


for( i=0;i%26lt;row;i++)


{


for( j=0;j%26lt;col;j++)


printf("%d", q[i][j]) ;


printf("\n") ;


}


printf("\n");


}








In both cases, it'll print


1 2 3 4


5 6 7 8


9 0 1 6


as the output. Check it out !!!