how to transfer a DWORD from a function?

[monkeydragon]

how to would you transfer a DWORD variable from inside of a function to
the caller
ex.
InvokeProcessData(LPDWORD prtDW)
{
...
// we have created, initialized and processed
// dword variable from
DWORD data[32];

// we need to transfer DWORD data to caller
}
so that, the calling function would look like:

winmain(...)
{

DWORD new_data_buffer;
InvokeProcessData(&new_data_buffer);

//later 'new_data_buffer' will be used for example:

WriteFile(hFile, &new_data_buffer, ...,)

}

[Tydr Schnubbis]

monkeydragon wrote:

how to would you transfer a DWORD variable from inside of a function to
the caller
ex.
InvokeProcessData(LPDWORD prtDW)
{
..
// we have created, initialized and processed
// dword variable from
DWORD data[32];

// we need to transfer DWORD data to caller
}
so that, the calling function would look like:

winmain(...)
{

DWORD new_data_buffer;
InvokeProcessData(&new_data_buffer);

//later 'new_data_buffer' will be used for example:

WriteFile(hFile, &new_data_buffer, ...,)

}

You can't return an array in C, so you have to use a pointer. Then
there are several ways.

You can make the function fill an array defined outside it directly.
Just define DWORD new_data_buffer[32], and call
InvokeProcessData(new_data_buffer). Then use prtDW inside the function,
instead of 'data'.

You can also have a static array inside of InvokeProcessData and just
return a pointer to it:

LPDWORD InvokeProcessData(void)
{
static DWORD data[32];
/* fill data with data */

/* this returns a pointer, NOT a copy of the array */
return data;
}
Everytime you call InvokeProcessData it will then overwrite the array,
so you need to copy it if you want to keep the previous version for use
outside the function. But you'd probably want the first method instead
of this.

I'm assuming that LPDWORD is just a DWORD *. And DWORD might be 32 bit
integer, not that it matters.

And you might want to use

#define PROCESS_DATA_SIZE 32

or something like that, instead of using the number directly. It
documents what the number is for, makes it easier to change it since you
only need to change it in one spot, and also makes it unlikely that you
type 23 somewhere instead of 32, etc.

[nSurgeon]

int foo (LPDWORD prtDW, LPDWORD& prtResultDW)
{
// .....
// Create required size array and store pointer to it in external
// variavle, and size of it can be returned as a result of
function.
int res_size = XX;
prtResultDW = new DWORD[res_size];

/// ....

return res_size;
}

or

void foo (LPDWORD prtDW, LPDWORD prtResultDW)
{
// .....
// prtResultDW = pointer to array where is enough space for store
results
// ....
}

[Robbie Hatley]

"monkeydragon" <ke***********@gmail.com> wrote:

how to would you transfer a DWORD variable from inside of a function to
the caller
ex.
InvokeProcessData(LPDWORD prtDW)
{
..
// we have created, initialized and processed
// dword variable from
DWORD data[32];

// we need to transfer DWORD data to caller
}
so that, the calling function would look like:

winmain(...)
{

DWORD new_data_buffer;
InvokeProcessData(&new_data_buffer);

//later 'new_data_buffer' will be used for example:

WriteFile(hFile, &new_data_buffer, ...,)

}

You passed a pointer to InvokeProcessData; so why
not just write to that location in that function,
like so:

(*prtDW) = 72;

That will write 72 to your local variable in Winmain().

If you need to pass more data than just one DWORD
back to Winmain, then make an array in Winmain()
and pass it to InvokeProcessData():

// In Winmain():
DWORD BigArray[500];
InvokeProcessData(BigArray)

// In InvokeProcessData():
InvokeProcessData(DWORD* Blat)
{
for (int i=0; i<500; ++i)
{
Blat[i] = whatever // writes to BigArray in Winmain()
}
}

Or better, pass a std::list by non-const ref:

// In Winmain():
....
std::list<DWORD> MyList;
....
InvokeProcessData(MyList);
....

// In InvokeProcessData():
void InvokeProcessData(std::list<DWORD> & Blat)
{
...
std::list<DWORD>::iterator
for (i=Blat.begin(); i!=Blat.end; ++i)
{
(*i) = whatever // writes to MyList in Winmain()
}
...
}

--
Robbie Hatley
Tustin, CA, USA
lone wolf intj at pac bell dot net
home dot pac bell dot net slant earnur slant

[monkeydragon]

i did something like this:
InvokeProcessData(UINT selOffset, LPDWORD pData)
{
DWORD byteStorage[32];
// initializations and other things...
// then...
*pData = byteStorage[selOffset];
}

what do you think?

[nSurgeon]

If I understand You correctly, You try return from function array of
DWORD values, or not, and You need return only one ? If you want return
only one You can use return operator.

[Geo]

monkeydragon wrote:

i did something like this:
InvokeProcessData(UINT selOffset, LPDWORD pData)
{
DWORD byteStorage[32];
// initializations and other things...
// then...
*pData = byteStorage[selOffset];
}

what do you think?

I think, no I know, you don't want to do that (assuming LPDWORD is a
DWORD*).

Outside of InvokeProcessData, byteStorage doesn't exist, so pData will
be a pointer into unallocated memory, very bad.

[monkeydragon]

I am sorry to cause you much trouble, but i have already resolved that
problem.
I use CopyMemory();
Thank anyways,

_May_the_force_be_with_you_