recursion - I need to write a program in C that will recursively solve a maze of X's and blank spaces -

the program must start @ index [0][1] , completes maze when gets index [7][7]. program crashes when reaches "findpath" function. can't think of i'm doing wrong, info helps.

#include "header.h"  int main(void) {  int x = 0, y = 1;  char maze[8][8] = { {' ', ' ', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x'}, {' ', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x'}, {' ', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x'}, {' ', ' ', ' ', ' ', ' ', 'x', 'x', 'x'}, {'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', ' ', 'x', 'x', 'x'}, {'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', ' ', ' ', ' ', ' '}, {'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', ' '}, {'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', ' '}, };  (int = 0; < 8; i++) {     (int j = 0; j < 8; j++) {         printf("%c ",maze[i][j]);     }         printf("\n"); }   findpath(maze, x, y);  return 0; }   #include "header.h"  void findpath(char maze[8][8], int x, int y) {  if (x == 7 & y == 7) {     printf("maze complete");      (int = 0; < 8; i++) {         (int j = 0; j < 8; j++) {             printf("%c ", maze[i][j]);         }         printf("\n");     }         return; } else {      if (maze[x + 1][y] = ' ') {         maze[x][y] = 'h';         findpath(maze, x + 1, y);         return;     }     else if (maze[x - 1][y] = ' ') {         maze[x][y] = 'h';         findpath(maze, x - 1, y);         return;     }     else if (maze[x][y + 1] = ' ') {         maze[x][y] = 'h';         findpath(maze, x, y + 1);         return;     }     else if (maze[x][y - 1] = ' ') {         maze[x][y] = 'h';         findpath(maze, x, y - 1);         return;     }     else {         printf("no path found");         return;     } } } 

i believe problem simpler you're making it.

primary issue approach: findpath() needs work on trial , error basis -- don't have strategy allowing succeed and/or fail , signal such it's caller, nor undo it's wrong assumptions.

issues code: folks have mentioned = vs. == use & when mean &&; code indentation, or code posting, needs work; should strive avoid numbers in code can swap out maze later; lower level routines should return results, not print -- higher level routines should results , decide print; lots of redundant code -- move duplicated statements level; others have mentioned, need limit checking expressions maze[x - 1][y] can encroach on memory didn't allocate if x zero.

below rework of codes along lines above , style changes. solves 1 maze provided:

#include <stdio.h> #include <stdbool.h>  #define width (8) #define height (8)  void printmaze(char maze[width][height]) {      (int = 0; < width; i++) {             (int j = 0; j < height; j++) {                     printf("%c ", maze[i][j]);         }         putchar('\n');     } }  bool findpath(char maze[width][height], int x, int y) {      maze[x][y] = 'h';      if (x == width - 1 && y == height - 1) {         return true;     }      if (x + 1 < width && maze[x + 1][y] == ' ') {         if (findpath(maze, x + 1, y)) {             return true;         }     }      if (x - 1 >= 0 && maze[x - 1][y] == ' ') {         if (findpath(maze, x - 1, y)) {             return true;         }     }      if (y + 1 < height && maze[x][y + 1] == ' ') {         if (findpath(maze, x, y + 1)) {             return true;         }     }      if (y - 1 >= 0 && maze[x][y - 1] == ' ') {         if (findpath(maze, x, y - 1)) {             return true;         }     }      maze[x][y] = ' ';      return false; }  int main(void) {      char maze[width][height] = {         {' ', ' ', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x'},         {' ', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x'},         {' ', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x'},         {' ', ' ', ' ', ' ', ' ', 'x', 'x', 'x'},         {'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', ' ', 'x', 'x', 'x'},         {'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', ' ', ' ', ' ', ' '},         {'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', ' '},         {'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 'x', ' '},     };      printmaze(maze);      if (findpath(maze, 0, 1)) {         printf("maze completed!\n");         printmaze(maze);     } else {         printf("no path found!");     }      return 0; } 

output

> ./a.out     x x x x x x    x x x x x x x    x x x x x x x            x x x  x x x x   x x x  x x x x          x x x x x x x    x x x x x x x    maze completed! h h x x x x x x  h x x x x x x x  h x x x x x x x  h h h h h x x x  x x x x h x x x  x x x x h h h h  x x x x x x x h  x x x x x x x h  >