character array initialisation to NULL in c++

Question

What is the difference between initialising character array as this

char c[10]={0};

and this

char c[10]="";

Consider using std::string for strings if possible. And NULL has a different meaning than 0 — RoQuOTriX
– RoQuOTriX, Commented Apr 23, 2020 at 11:06
@Timo: OP gets away with this by the skin of their teeth - answer is the same in either language. — Bathsheba
– Bathsheba, Commented Apr 23, 2020 at 11:07
@Bathsheba yeah but I don't know that because I don't know the C specification :P — Timo
– Timo, Commented Apr 23, 2020 at 11:08

Bathsheba · Accepted Answer · 2020-04-23 11:10:25Z

7

char c[10]={0}; guarantees that every element of the array is 0. Note that in C++ you can write char c[10]={}; which has the same effect.

char c[10]=""; guarantees that only the first element of the array is 0; the other elements are uninitialised.

edited Apr 23, 2020 at 11:10

answered Apr 23, 2020 at 11:06

Bathsheba

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3 Comments

Sudo Pehpeh Over a year ago

Is there a way to see the difference while printing? for (int i=0;i<10;i++){ if(c[i]=='\0') printf("null char"); printf("%c\n",c[i]); } when I print this way both give same output

Bathsheba Over a year ago

@PragatiSharma: That's the beauty of reading uninitialised char data: you don't know what you're going to get.

Sudo Pehpeh Over a year ago

Okay, so be it.Thank you. :)

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