How to Pass a 3D Array to a Function in C? (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 24 Jun, 2024

A **3D array (or three-dimensional array) in C is a multi-dimensional array that contains multiple layers of two-dimensional arrays stacked on top of each other. It stores elements that can be accessed using three indices: the depth index, row index, and column index. In this article, we will learn how to pass a 3D array to a function in C.

Passing 3D Array as Parameter to a Function in C

We cannot directly pass a 3D array to a function just like we do one-dimensional arrays. Instead, we must pass the 3D array to function as a pointer. When doing so, the array undergoes array decay , losing information about its dimensions. Therefore, we must pass the dimensions of the array separately.

**Syntax

functionType funcName****(type (arr)[cols][depth], int rows, int cols, int depth)*

Here,

**funcName: Itis the name of the function.
**arr: Itis the pointer which points to the 3D array.
**rows: It represents the number of 2D arrays.
**cols: It represents the number of rows in each 2D array.
**depth: It represents the number of columns in each 2D array.

C program to pass a 3D array to a function

The following program illustrates how we can pass a 3D array to a function in C.

C `

// C program to pass a 3D array to a function

#include <stdio.h>

// Function to print the elements of a 3D array void printArray(int arr[][3][3], int rows, int cols, int depth) { printf("Elements of the 3D array:\n"); // Loop through each element in the 3D array for (int i = 0; i < rows; ++i) { for (int j = 0; j < cols; ++j) { for (int k = 0; k < depth; ++k) { // Print each element printf("%d ", arr[i][j][k]); } // Printing a new line at the end of each column printf("\n"); } // Printing a new line at the end of each row printf("\n"); } }

int main() { // Initialize the 3D array with fixed sizes int arr[3][3][3] = { { { 10, 20, 30 }, { 40, 50, 60 }, { 70, 80, 90 } }, { { 1, 2, 3 }, { 4, 5, 6 }, { 7, 8, 9 } }, { { 190, 200, 210 }, { 220, 230, 240 }, { 250, 260, 270 } } };

// Declare the dimensions of the array
int rows = 3;
int cols = 3;
int depth = 3;

// Pass the 3D array to the function
printArray(arr, rows, cols, depth);

return 0; // Return 0 to indicate successful execution

}

Output

Elements of the 3D array: 10 20 30
40 50 60
70 80 90

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

190 200 210
220 230 240
250 260 270

**Time Complexity: O(1), as the time complexity of passing is not dependent on array size.
**Auxiliary Space: O(1)