Asterisk Bow-shape, need help

[SabinIvy]

Ok, so I want to create an alternate way of creating this:

*________*
**______**
***____***
****__****
**********
****__****
***____***
**______**
*________*

Note: The right side is supposed to lookjust like the left side.
Note 2: Replacing the underscores with asterisks(*)

This is the code I have so far, but I want to know of other ways to do it, I`d be grateful if you helped me.

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <sstream>
#include <algorithm>
#include <iomanip>

using namespace std;

const char symbol('*');
const char space(' ');

int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
string in;
stringstream ss;
int n, x;
x=1;

do {
cout << "Enter an integer(an odd number): ";
getline(cin,in);
ss.clear();
ss.str(in);
} while (!(ss >> n) || (n < 3) || (!(n & 1)));

char *symbols = new char[n + 1], *p = symbols + n - 1, it
*spaces = new char[(n * 2) - 1], *q = spaces;
fill(symbols, symbols + n, symbol);
symbols[n] = '\0';
fill(spaces, spaces + (n * 2) - 2, space);
spaces[(n * 2) - 1] = '\0';

do {
cout << p << q << p << endl;
if (p == symbols) x = -x;
p -= x; q += 2*x;
} while (q >= spaces);

system("PAUSE");
return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

Thanks!

[Clinton Portis]

I'd probably do somethin' like this here:

#include<iomanip>

int spaces = 0;

for(int i=30; i>0; i--)
{
     cout << setw(spaces);

     for(int j=0; j<i; j++)
     { 
          cout << '*' << endl;
     {

     spaces++;
}

spaces -= 2;

for(int i=2; i<30; i++)
{
     cout << setw(spaces);

     for(int j=0; j<i; j++)
     { 
          cout << '*' << endl;
     {

     spaces--;
}