Choosing Array based on a trigger/if/variable

[SGTChubbz]

Is it possible to have it pick what array to use based on a variable or trigger?

Something like:

string array
If (input.length() == 3)
{
array = PT2 //where PT2 is the name of the array to be used 

Basically I just want to know if you can designate an array to use by using a string or something to hold the array name and use that string before []'s like you would while dealing with arrays.

[giblit]

You could use a std::map.


something like std::map<std::string,std::string *> map;
depending on type of array the value would change from string to int or w.e

http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/map/

Or you could use some sort of 2d container/array

[SGTChubbz]

And having no knowledge of pointers sucks. ugh

[giblit]

The pointer would just have the address of the array. So it would be something like:

int array[2] = { 1, 2 };
int *ptr = array; //arrays are special so the first element is the address 

Then you can access the elements like a normal array

ptr[0] = 3;
ptr[1] = 4;
//array[0] == 3
//array[1] == 4 

or you can access it like an offset pointer and dereference

*ptr = 5;
*(ptr+1) = 6;
//array[0] == 5
//array[1] == 6 

[SGTChubbz]

What about 2 dimensional arrays? (which i'm using, not just a theoretical question)

[giblit]

Well it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

You could theoretically do something like:

int array[2][2] = { {0,1}, {2,3} }; //array 0 == option 1
//array 1 == option 2


[code]
int option;
std::cout << "Please enter an option(1,2): ";
std::cin >> option;

std::cout << array[option-1][0] << std::endl;