Basic syntax array declaration

Question

If I am using an int as the array size when declaring a new array lint complains. What is the correct way to resolve this:

I could statically cast int to unsigned but that looks a bit odd...

What is the best way to resolve this without changing the use of an array and the need for integer as size?

MapItemPtr* pMapItems = new MapItemPtr[ (unsigned int)iRecordCount ];

Could do:

MapItemPtr* pMapItems = new MapItemPtr[static_cast<unsigned int>( iRecordCount )];

Is this the correct way to resolve the lint error: Line 3811 Error 737: Loss of sign in promotion from int to unsigned int

or is there a more elegant way?

You submit 7 questions, post no votes and accept no answers. — John Dibling
– John Dibling, Commented Nov 10, 2011 at 15:01
Wow I didn't know that. When somebody has answered I have always just replied with a thank you message. I didn't realise that I could do these things. I will go back to my posts and rectify. — Yos
– Yos, Commented Nov 10, 2011 at 15:11
Yep, you should always upvote the ones you like, and accept the one that best solves your problem (if any of them do). — Ernest Friedman-Hill
– Ernest Friedman-Hill, Commented Nov 10, 2011 at 15:29

Ernest Friedman-Hill · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-10 15:02:22Z

6

Since iRecordCount is clearly intended to hold a nonnegative integer, why not just declare it as unsigned int in the first place?

answered Nov 10, 2011 at 15:02

Ernest Friedman-Hill

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3 Comments

Lightness Races in Orbit Over a year ago

Indeed, it should be a size_t.

James Kanze Over a year ago

But if iRecordCount is a constant integral expression (as it must be, if it is used as the dimension of an array), lint is surely off base complaining about it here.

Yos Over a year ago

Yes I agree. Even when the variable is const int of value greater than 0 it still complains which I think is wrong. Variable cannot be changed as it is const. Perhaps lint doesn't evaluate the code properly in this situation?

George Stocker · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-10 19:25:50Z

2

The error is not the constness of the variable, as the lint said:

 : Line 3811 Error 737: Loss of sign in promotion from int to unsigned int.

You have a few options:

1 - static_cast<> int to unsigned int,
2 - (unsigned int*) c-style cast, but that should be avoided in c++ code.
3 - create a temporary unsigned int variable that will create the vector for you.

since you are just creating an array, the type of the variable could be size_t, declared in cstddef.

edited Nov 10, 2011 at 19:25

George Stocker

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answered Nov 10, 2011 at 15:29

Tomaz Canabrava

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1 Comment

Yos Over a year ago

Thanks for all of your advice guys. I have simply changed the int to an unsigned int as this seems the most practical? I have marked ticked an answer. So how do I upvote now then? As you may be able to tell as a programmer I have pretty shocking IT skills haha.

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