Data Structure Arrays Interview Question:

Tell me is it better to use a pointer to navigate an array of values, or is it better to use a subscripted array name?

Submitted by: Muhammad

It's easier for a C compiler to generate good code for pointers than for subscripts.

Say that you have this:
/* X is some type */
X a[ MAX ]; /* array */
X *p; /* pointer */
X x; /* element */
int i; /* index */
Here's one way to loop through all elements:
/* version (a) */
for ( i = 0; i < MAX; ++i )
{
x = a[ i ];
/* do something with x */
}
On the other hand, you could write the loop this way:
/* version (b) */
for ( p = a; p < & a[ MAX ]; ++p )
{
x = *p;
/* do something with x */
}
Submitted by: Muhammad