[c] Getting each individual digit from a whole integer

Usually, this problem resolve with using the modulo of a number in a loop or convert a number to a string. For convert a number to a string, you may can use the function itoa, so considering the variant with the modulo of a number in a loop.

Content of a file get_digits.c

$ cat get_digits.c 

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <math.h>


// return a length of integer
unsigned long int get_number_count_digits(long int number);

// get digits from an integer number into an array
int number_get_digits(long int number, int **digits, unsigned int *len);

// for demo features
void demo_number_get_digits(long int number);


int
main()
{
    demo_number_get_digits(-9999999999999);
    demo_number_get_digits(-10000000000);
    demo_number_get_digits(-1000);
    demo_number_get_digits(-9);
    demo_number_get_digits(0);
    demo_number_get_digits(9);
    demo_number_get_digits(1000);
    demo_number_get_digits(10000000000);
    demo_number_get_digits(9999999999999);
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}


unsigned long int
get_number_count_digits(long int number)
{
    if (number < 0)
        number = llabs(number);
    else if (number == 0)
        return 1;

    if (number < 999999999999997)
        return floor(log10(number)) + 1;

    unsigned long int count = 0;
    while (number > 0) {
        ++count;
        number /= 10;
    }
    return count;
}


int
number_get_digits(long int number, int **digits, unsigned int *len)
{
    number = labs(number);

    // termination count digits and size of a array as well as
    *len = get_number_count_digits(number);

    *digits = realloc(*digits, *len * sizeof(int));

    // fill up the array
    unsigned int index = 0;
    while (number > 0) {
        (*digits)[index] = (int)(number % 10);
        number /= 10;
        ++index;
    }

    // reverse the array
    unsigned long int i = 0, half_len = (*len / 2);
    int swap;
    while (i < half_len) {
        swap = (*digits)[i];
        (*digits)[i] = (*digits)[*len - i - 1];
        (*digits)[*len - i - 1] = swap;
         ++i;
    }

    return 0;
}


void
demo_number_get_digits(long int number)
{
    int *digits;
    unsigned int len;

    digits = malloc(sizeof(int));

    number_get_digits(number, &digits, &len);

    printf("%ld --> [", number);
    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < len; ++i) {
        if (i == len - 1)
            printf("%d", digits[i]);
        else
            printf("%d, ", digits[i]);
    }
    printf("]\n");

    free(digits);
}

Demo with the GNU GCC

$~/Downloads/temp$ cc -Wall -Wextra -std=c11 -o run get_digits.c -lm
$~/Downloads/temp$ ./run
-9999999999999 --> [9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9]
-10000000000 --> [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
-1000 --> [1, 0, 0, 0]
-9 --> [9]
0 --> [0]
9 --> [9]
1000 --> [1, 0, 0, 0]
10000000000 --> [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
9999999999999 --> [9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9]

Demo with the LLVM/Clang

$~/Downloads/temp$ rm run
$~/Downloads/temp$ clang -std=c11 -Wall -Wextra get_digits.c -o run -lm
setivolkylany$~/Downloads/temp$ ./run
-9999999999999 --> [9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9]
-10000000000 --> [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
-1000 --> [1, 0, 0, 0]
-9 --> [9]
0 --> [0]
9 --> [9]
1000 --> [1, 0, 0, 0]
10000000000 --> [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
9999999999999 --> [9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9]

Testing environment

$~/Downloads/temp$ cc --version | head -n 1
cc (Debian 4.9.2-10) 4.9.2
$~/Downloads/temp$ clang --version
Debian clang version 3.5.0-10 (tags/RELEASE_350/final) (based on LLVM 3.5.0)
Target: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
Thread model: posix