Reliably determine the number of elements in an array

Question

Every C programmer can determine the number of elements in an array with this well-known macro:

#define NUM_ELEMS(a) (sizeof(a)/sizeof 0[a])

Here is a typical use case:

int numbers[] = {2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19};
printf("%lu\n", NUM_ELEMS(numbers));          // 8, as expected

However, nothing prevents the programmer from accidentally passing a pointer instead of an array:

int * pointer = numbers;
printf("%lu\n", NUM_ELEMS(pointer));

On my system, this prints 2, because apparently, a pointer is twice as large as an integer. I thought about how to prevent the programmer from passing a pointer by mistake, and I found a solution:

#define NUM_ELEMS(a) (assert((void*)&(a) == (void*)(a)), (sizeof(a)/sizeof 0[a]))

This works because a pointer to an array has the same value as a pointer to its first element. If you pass a pointer instead, the pointer will be compared with a pointer to itself, which is almost always false. (The only exception is a recursive void pointer, that is, a void pointer that points to itself. I can live with that.)

Accidentally passing a pointer instead of an array now triggers an error at runtime:

Assertion `(void*)&(pointer) == (void*)(pointer)' failed.

Nice! Now I have a couple of questions:

1. Is my usage of assert as the left operand of the comma expression valid standard C? That is, does the standard allow me to use assert as an expression? Sorry if this is a dumb question :)

2. Can the check somehow be done at compile-time?

3. My C compiler thinks that int b[NUM_ELEMS(a)]; is a VLA. Any way to convince him otherwise?

4. Am I the first to think of this? If so, how many virgins can I expect to be waiting for me in heaven? :)

Answer 1

Is my usage of assert as the left operand of the comma expression valid standard C? That is, does the standard allow me to use assert as an expression?

Yes, it is valid as the left operand of the comma operator can be an expression of type void. And assert function has void as its return type.

My C compiler thinks that int b[NUM_ELEMS(a)]; is a VLA. Any way to convince him otherwise?

It believes so because the result of a comma expression is never a constant expression (e..g, 1, 2 is not a constant expression).

EDIT1: add the update below.

I have another version of your macro which works at compile time:

#define NUM_ELEMS(arr)                                                 \
 (sizeof (struct {int not_an_array:((void*)&(arr) == &(arr)[0]);}) * 0 \
  + sizeof (arr) / sizeof (*(arr)))

and which seems to work even also with initializer for object with static storage duration. And it also work correctly with your example of int b[NUM_ELEMS(a)]

EDIT2:

to address @DanielFischer comment. The macro above works with gcc without -pedantic only because gcc accepts :

(void *) &arr == arr

as an integer constant expression, while it considers

(void *) &ptr == ptr

is not an integer constant expression. According to C they are both not integer constant expressions and with -pedantic, gcc correctly issues a diagnostic in both cases.

To my knowledge there is no 100% portable way to write this NUM_ELEM macro. C has more flexible rules with initializer constant expressions (see 6.6p7 in C99) which could be exploited to write this macro (for example with sizeof and compound literals) but at block-scope C does not require initializers to be constant expressions so it will not be possible to have a single macro which works in all cases.

EDIT3:

I think it is worth mentioning that the Linux kernel has an ARRAY_SIZE macro (in include/linux/kernel.h) that implements such a check when sparse (the kernel static analysis checker) is executed.

Their solution is not portable and make use of two GNU extensions:

• typeof operator
• __builtin_types_compatible_p builtin function

Basically it looks like something like that:

#define NUM_ELEMS(arr)  \
 (sizeof(struct {int :-!!(__builtin_types_compatible_p(typeof(arr), typeof(&(arr)[0])));})  \
  + sizeof (arr) / sizeof (*(arr)))

Answer 2

1. Yes. The left expression of a comma operator is always evaluated as a void expression (C99 6.5.17#2). Since assert() is a void expression, no problem to begin with.
2. Maybe. While the C preprocessor doesn't know about types and casts and can't compare addresses you can use the same trick as for evaluating sizeof() at compile time, e.g. declaring an array the dimension of which is a boolean expression. When 0 it is a constraint violation and a diagnostic must be issued. I've tried it here, but so far have not been successful... maybe the answer actually is "no".
3. No. Casts (of pointer types) are not integer constant expressions.
4. Probably not (nothing new under the Sun these days). An indeterminate number of virgins of indeterminate sex :-)