[DSA] Pointers | Shared Roster via Pointer Array & Arithmetic

[ik-awais]

Overview

This is a shared-file task. All 8 members will edit the same file.
This is intentional — you will experience and resolve merge conflicts firsthand.
Conflict resolution is a core GitHub skill. This task teaches it by forcing it.

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The File

dsa/pointer-roster.cpp

This file already exists in the repo with starter code. Do not create a new one. You will get the sample code in the file at locatoin dsa/examples/pointer-roster.cpp

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Your Task — 3 Steps

Step 1 — Add your name to the pointer array

Find the roster[] array in the file. Add a pointer to your name at the next available index.

const char* roster[] = {
    "ik-awais",           // index 0 — already there, do not remove
    "your-github-name",   // add yours here at the next index
};

This is a const char* array. Each element is a pointer to a string literal stored in memory.

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Step 2 — Write your pointer function

Write a function named count_yourname that takes a const char* pointer and returns
the number of characters in the string — without using strlen.
You must walk the string using pointer arithmetic only.

int count_yourname(const char* name) {
    int len = 0;
    while (*name != '\0') {
        len++;
        name++;        // move the pointer forward one character
    }
    return len;
}

Replace yourname with your actual GitHub username (no hyphens, all lowercase).
Example: count_coderretro, count_arshkhattak, count_syedaeasha

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Step 3 — Call your function inside main()

Inside main(), below the existing call, add one line that calls your function and prints the result.

cout << "Length of 'your-name': " << count_yourname(roster[your_index]) << endl;

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Expected Conflicts

When you open your Pull Request, there is a high chance it will conflict with a teammate's PR.

When a conflict happens:

# Sync your branch with the latest main before pushing
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout your-branch
git merge main

# Open the conflicting file — you will see markers like this:
# <<<<<<< HEAD
#     "ik-awais",
# =======
#     "coder-Retro",
# >>>>>>> your-branch

# Keep BOTH entries. Remove the markers. Save the file.
# Then:
git add .
git commit -m "chore: resolve merge conflict in pointer-roster.cpp"
git push origin your-branch

Rule: never delete a teammate's entry when resolving a conflict. Keep all names.

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Acceptance Criteria

• Your name is added to roster[] at the correct next index
• Your count_yourname() function is written using pointer arithmetic only — no strlen
• Your function is called inside main() and prints output
• The file compiles cleanly: g++ pointer-roster.cpp -o roster
• No teammate's code was removed or broken
• PR is opened targeting main with ik-awais as reviewer

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Suggested Commit Message

feat: add pointer entry and count function for [your-name]

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Starter File

The code can be found at dsa/examples/pointer-roster.cpp

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/*
 * File:    pointer-roster.cpp
 * Task:    DSA — Pointers
 * Repo:    github.com/ik-awais/Octagon
 * Date:    2026
 *
 * Description:
 *   A shared team file. Each member adds their name to the roster
 *   pointer array and writes a pointer arithmetic function.
 *   This file is intentionally shared to practice conflict resolution.
 */

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

// ─── STEP 1 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
// Add a pointer to your name in this array at the next available index.
// Do not remove any existing entry.

const char* roster[] = {
    "ik-awais",      // index 0
    // members: add your entry below this line
};

// ─── STEP 2 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
// Write your count function below using pointer arithmetic only.
// No strlen allowed.

int count_ikawais(const char* name) {
    int len = 0;
    while (*name != '\0') {
        len++;
        name++;
    }
    return len;
}

// ─── YOUR FUNCTION GOES HERE ────────────────────────────────────────────

// ─── STEP 3 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
int main() {

    // Print all roster members via pointer traversal
    int size = sizeof(roster) / sizeof(roster[0]);
    const char** ptr = roster;
    for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
        cout << "Member " << (i + 1) << ": " << *ptr << endl;
        ptr++;
    }

    cout << "---" << endl;

    // Function calls — example already here:
    cout << "Length of 'ik-awais': " << count_ikawais(roster[0]) << endl;

    // ADD YOUR FUNCTION CALL BELOW THIS LINE

    return 0;
}

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