variable instance in cython

Question

I have this code for the sake of example:

cimport cython
from libc.stdlib cimport malloc

cdef int i
cdef int ii
cdef int j = 0
cdef int parnum = 6
cdef int sysnum = 2
cdef Particle *parlist = <Particle *>malloc( parnum * cython.sizeof(Particle))
cdef System *psys = <System *>malloc( sysnum * cython.sizeof(System))

for i in range(sysnum):
    psys[i].particles = <Particle *>malloc( (parnum / sysnum) * cython.sizeof(Particle))
    for ii in range(parnum / sysnum):
        psys[i].particles[ii].x = j
        parlist[j] =  psys[i].particles[ii]
        j += 1

print("--- before changes ---")
for i in range(sysnum):
    for ii in range(parnum / sysnum ):
        print(psys[i].particles[ii].x)        

print("--- before changes ---")

for i in range(parnum):
      parlist[i].x = 0

print("--- after changes ---")
for i in range(sysnum):
    for ii in range(parnum / sysnum ):
        print(psys[i].particles[ii].x)
print("--- after changes ---")


cdef struct System:
    Particle *particles

cdef struct Particle:
    int x

When the program is run it prints the same result before and after the change of parlist elements. So I don't know why, when I change the value of parlist , the value of psys.particles doesn't change at all. It's as if parlist is a copy, not an instance. How do I make it an instance, pointing to the same things?

Thanks a lot

Answer 1

Ok , I'm read a bit about pointer and here is my solution:

cimport cython
from libc.stdlib cimport malloc

cdef int i
cdef int ii
cdef int j = 0
cdef int parnum = 6
cdef int sysnum = 2
cdef Particle *parlist = <Particle *>malloc( parnum * cython.sizeof(Particle))
cdef System *psys = <System *>malloc( sysnum * cython.sizeof(System))

for i in range(sysnum):
    psys[i].particles = <Particle *>malloc( (parnum / sysnum) * cython.sizeof(Particle))
    psys[i].particles = &parlist[j]
    for ii in range(parnum / sysnum):
        parlist[j].x = j
        j += 1

print("--- before changes ---")
for i in range(sysnum):
    for ii in range(parnum / sysnum ):
        print(psys[i].particles[ii].x)        

print("--- before changes ---")

for i in range(parnum):
      parlist[i].x = i * 10

print("--- after changes ---")
for i in range(sysnum):
    for ii in range(parnum / sysnum ):
        print(psys[i].particles[ii].x)
print("--- after changes ---")

for i in range(parnum):
    change_onebyone(&parlist[i])

print("--- after function one by one ---")
for i in range(sysnum):
    for ii in range(parnum / sysnum ):
        print(psys[i].particles[ii].x)
print("--- after function one by one  ---")

change_all(parlist,parnum)

print("--- after function all---")
for i in range(sysnum):
    for ii in range(parnum / sysnum ):
        print(psys[i].particles[ii].x)
print("--- after function all---")

cdef change_onebyone(Particle *par):
    par.x *= 10

cdef change_all(Particle *parlist2, int num):
    for i in range(num):
        parlist2[i].x *= 10

cdef struct System:
    Particle *particles

cdef struct Particle:
    int x

I don't know if it's correct use of it but it's doing what I expected.