Can't build a table of FLASH string pointers

[Dr_Quark]

Trying to print a string from an array in flash. The array seems to compile without error

const char alarm_msgs[][6] PROGMEM = {
"Sump Pump Failed    ", 
"Shop Floor Wet      ",
"Studio Bath Wet     ",
"Sump is Full        ",
"Sump is High        ",	
"Sump Sensor Error   " } ;

Almost all posts regarding printing from PROGMEM require a table of pointers for each string in the array. I've tried a jillion different ways to say "put these pointers in the table" but none worked. Here's one of my kludges:

const char *const alarm_table[] PROGMEM = (char *){&(alarm_msgs[0][0]), &(alarm_msgs[0][1]), 
&(alarm_msgs[0][2]), &(alarm_msgs[0][3]), &(alarm_msgs[0][4]), &(alarm_msgs[0][5])};

But I've also seen a few posts that declare victory without using an intermediate table, eg,

char *addr = (char *)pgm_read_word(&(alarm_msgs[0][2])) ;
lcd.print( (__FlashStringHelper*) addr);   // prints garbage
lcd.print(addr) ;                          // prints blanks or spaces

I am obviously missing the point of "&" and "*" (I do know what a "pointer" is versus a "variable" and the difference between "address of" and "contents of address"). So I don't know how $alarm_msgs[0][1] doesn't mean "the address of the first byte of the second string in the array."

Anyway, I just want to print these fixed length strings on an LCD. There are 26 of these strings (so far) and there has got to be a more elegant way to do this than

const char string[0] PROGMEM = "string 1" ;
const char string[1] PROGMEM = "string 2" ;
const char string[2] PROGMEM = "string 3" ;
const char string[3] PROGMEM = "string 4" ;
...

I know AWOL is just itching to help, here.

[david_2018]

To begin with, you have the array dimensions incorrect, if you have the IDE set to show all compiler warnings you should be seeing a warning.

const char alarm_msgs[][21] PROGMEM = {
  "Sump Pump Failed    ",
  "Shop Floor Wet      ",
  "Studio Bath Wet     ",
  "Sump is Full        ",
  "Sump is High        ",
  "Sump Sensor Error   "
};

To print the text, assuming the lcd library supports printing from flash memory (most do because they inherit from the print class, but I have seem some that do their own implementation of print):

    lcd.print((__FlashStringHelper*)alarm_msgs[i]);

The cast to __FlashStringHelper* tells the compiler to use the proper overload of the print function, otherwise alarm_msgs is seen as a char* which references RAM.

[Dr_Quark]

Works! Holy cats, talk about looking way past the problem that should have hit me in the face. Thanks.