Member Avatar for cl3m0ns

If I were to ask the user to enter the number of employee. Could I put that user entered number into an array? If so how?

for example

int num;
cout << "enter number of employees: " ;
cin >> num;

array[num];

this code doesn't actually work because I already tried it and it gives me an error. Any help would be great. Thanks

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The original question from can be read two ways: store the single user-entered number as an element of an array, or use that number as the size of an array. already pointed toward dynamic allocation; here’s a clearer, modern approach and some practical cautions.

Prefer a container like std::vector (RAII, automatic cleanup, bounds-aware methods). Resize the vector to the user-provided count (after validating it), then fill elements or emplace_back as you read records. Use size_t for sizes, and prefer vector::at() or range-checked loops if you want runtime bounds checks. See std::vector documentation for details: std::vector - cppreference.

If you must manage raw arrays, use RAII wrappers instead of manual new[]/delete[] to avoid leaks; std::unique_ptr<T[]> is a safer minimal alternative. Also handle allocation failure (large inputs can throw std::bad_alloc) and guard against negative or absurdly large counts.

Do not rely on variable-length arrays (VLAs) — they are not part of standard C++ and only available as compiler extensions on some toolchains; code using them won’t be portable. For more background on VLAs in C++ toolchains, see this discussion: Variable-length arrays in C++ (Stack Overflow).

Quick practical checklist:

  • Clarify which interpretation you need (store a number vs. size an array).
  • Validate user input (nonzero, nonnegative, reasonable upper bound).
  • Prefer std::vector or std::unique_ptr<T[]> for safety.
  • Use .at() or bounds-checked access during development to catch mistakes.

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Member Avatar for twomers

You want a user to enter the number of employees and an array with that number of elements? That should be easy enough.
There are a number of options. You could use traditional dynamic memory allocation or alternatively a container class like vector. I'm going to assume you've not learnt the latter so you know anything about dynamic memory allocation (new/delete)? If the size of an array is not determinable when writing the program you can use new to allocate memory. The only thing is (unless you're using a pointer class like auto_ptr or something), you're going to have to delete the memory at the end of your program:

int *employee_numbers;
int num_employees;

std::cout<< "How many employees? ";
std::cin >> num_employees;

employee_numbers = new int[num_employees];

// fill the array

delete [] employee_numbers;

Or did I completely misinterpret your question?
>> Could I put that user entered number into an array? If so how?
I think I might have.

int nums[5];
int num;
std::cout<< "Enter num: ";
std::cin >> num;

nums[0] = num;
nums[1] = 42;
// etc

std::cout<< nums[0];
Member Avatar for cl3m0ns

twomers yet again you have helped me.


Thanks alot!

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