Rectangular Arrays

[Bill Baxter]

Orgoton wrote:
> Another Roadside Attraction Wrote:
> 
>> I'm learning D by writing a logic game with a grid-shaped board. If possible, I'd like to use a rectangular array for the board, but I'd like to define the width of the board at runtime when I instantiate the class. Ideally, I'd like to do something like this:
>>
>> public class Board {
>> 	
>> 	private Piece[,] grid;
>> 	
>> 	public this(uint width) {
>> 		grid = new Piece[width,width];
>> 	}
>>
>> }
>>
>> But that doesn't compile. It looks like the dimensions of rectangular arrays has to be known at compile-time. Is that right, or am I missing something?
>>
>> I've also tried declaring the array as an ordinary multi-dimensional array, but this doesn't compile either:
>>
>> public class Board {
>> 	
>> 	private Piece[][] grid;
>> 	
>> 	public this(uint width) {
>> 		grid = new Piece[width][width];
>> 	}
>>
>> }
>>
>> What's the best way to write this code? As I expand on this project, I plan on incorporating some time-consuming algorithms (think, n-Queens problem), so I'd prefer to use the most efficent data structure possible for the board.
>>
>> Thanks!!
>>
>> --ARA
> 
> 
> You can declare a variable length array by doing something like
> 
> int numbers[];
> 
> //in runtime on the program:::
> numbers.length=size;
> //for bidimensionality:
> int table[][]; //or matrix
> table.length=HowManyCollumns;
> foreache (int[] row, table[]) row.length=HowManyRows; //or the size of the collumn
> 
> See also:
> http://www.digitalmars.com/d/arrays.html
> 
> Specially the dynamic array thingy. This is the best solution I have for you and I belive this one to be the simplest you got so far.

How is that simpler than
     auto table = new int[][](HowManyRows,HowManyColumns);
??