cgen: fixed array slice in function, add docs (#8481)

doc/docs.md

@@ -753,6 +753,33 @@ array_2 << array_1[..3]
 println(array_2) // [0, 1, 3, 5, 4]
 ```
 
+### Fixed Size Arrays
+V also supports arrays with fixed size. Unlike ordinary arrays, their 
+length is fixed, so you can not append elements to them, nor shrink them.
+You can only modify their elements in place. Note also, that most methods
+are defined to work on ordinary arrays, not on fixed size arrays.
+
+However, access to the elements of fixed size arrays, is more efficient,
+they need less memory than ordinary arrays, and unlike ordinary arrays,
+their data is on the stack, so you may want to use them as buffers if you
+do not want additional heap allocations.
+
+You can convert a fixed size array, to an ordinary array with slicing:
+```v
+mut fnums := [3]int{} // fnums is now a fixed size array with 3 elements.
+fnums[0] = 1
+fnums[1] = 10
+fnums[2] = 100
+println(fnums) // => [1, 10, 100]
+println(typeof(fnums).name) // => [3]int
+//
+anums := fnums[0..fnums.len]
+println(anums) // => [1, 10, 100]
+println(typeof(anums).name) // => []int
+```
+Note that slicing will cause the data of the fixed array, to be copied to
+the newly created ordinary array.
+
 ### Maps
 
 ```v

vlib/v/gen/cgen.v

@@ -4000,13 +4000,22 @@ fn (mut g Gen) index_expr(node ast.IndexExpr) {
 				g.expr(node.left)
 			} else if sym.kind == .array_fixed {
 				// Convert a fixed array to V array when doing `fixed_arr[start..end]`
-				g.write('array_slice(new_array_from_c_array(_ARR_LEN(')
+				info := sym.info as table.ArrayFixed
-				g.expr(node.left)
+				g.write('array_slice(new_array_from_c_array(')
-				g.write('), _ARR_LEN(')
+				g.write('$info.size')
-				g.expr(node.left)
+				g.write(', $info.size')
-				g.write('), sizeof(')
+				g.write(', sizeof(')
+				if node.left_type.is_ptr() {
+					g.write('(*')
+				}
 				g.expr(node.left)
+				if node.left_type.is_ptr() {
+					g.write(')')
+				}
 				g.write('[0]), ')
+				if node.left_type.is_ptr() {
+					g.write('*')
+				}
 				g.expr(node.left)
 				g.write(')')
 			} else {
@@ -4022,9 +4031,8 @@ fn (mut g Gen) index_expr(node ast.IndexExpr) {
 			if node.index.has_high {
 				g.expr(node.index.high)
 			} else if sym.kind == .array_fixed {
-				g.write('_ARR_LEN(')
+				info := sym.info as table.ArrayFixed
-				g.expr(node.left)
+				g.write('$info.size')
-				g.write(')')
 			} else if node.left_type.is_ptr() {
 				g.write('(')
 				g.write('*')

vlib/v/tests/array_slice_test.v

@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ fn test_access_slice_attribute() {
 	assert access_slice_attribute(mut arr) == 4
 }
 
+fn fixed_array_slice(a [3]int) {
+	assert a[0..] == [1, 2, 3]
+	assert a[..a.len] == [1, 2, 3]
+}
+
+fn mut_fixed_array_slice(mut a [3]int) {
+	assert a[0..] == [1, 2, 3]
+	assert a[..a.len] == [1, 2, 3]
+}
+
 fn test_fixed_array_slice() {
 	fixed_array1 := [1, 2, 3]!
 	arr1 := fixed_array1[0..]
@@ -36,12 +46,14 @@ fn test_fixed_array_slice() {
 	fixed_array2 := [[1, 2], [2, 3], [3, 4],[4, 5]]!
 	arr2 := fixed_array2[0..]
 	assert arr2 == [[1, 2], [2, 3], [3, 4],[4, 5]]
+	mut arr := [1,2,3]!
+	fixed_array_slice(arr)
+	mut_fixed_array_slice(mut arr)
 }
 
 fn pointer_array_slice(mut a []int) {
 	assert a[0..] == [1,2,3]
 	assert a[..a.len] == [1,2,3]
-
 }
 
 fn test_pointer_array_slice() {