Thread: I'm trying to count the frequency of the phrase "ing"

If anyone can take a couple minutes to help me out it would be greatly appreciated. Right now, the counters for the frequency of the phrase "ing" in the beginning, middle, and end of a word are well into the thousands, even if "ing" isn't even present in the input. It might not be that big of a problem, I'm just really new to this and trying to figure it out.

Code:

  
 char current,char1,char2,char3,char4,char5;
 int anum,num,letter,wcount,starting,ending,middle,ingcount,anum3count,prevalue;   //   variable types
 anum = 0;
 num = 0;      // variable values
 letter = 0;
 wcount = 1;
 char1 = '#';
 char2 = '#';   // set all char variables to '#' so that they fill in one at a time
 char3 = '#';
 char4 = '#';
 char5 = '#';
 printf("Enter text ending with a '#' symbol. \n");
 scanf("%c",&current);   //reads the first one
 if (current == ' ')
    prevalue = current;
    
    
 while (current != '#')      //one while loop to test for everything
 {
   if ((current >= '.') && (current <= '~'))      //searches alphanumeric characters
     anum +=1;   
   if ((current >='0') && (current <='9'))      // if the ASCII code signifies a number
     num +=1;
   if ((current >= 'A') && (current <= 'z'))    // if the ASCII code signifies a letter
     letter += 1;     // adds one letter
     
   if (char1 == '#')
     char1 = current;
     else
         if (char2 == '#')
            char2 = current;
            else
                if (char3 == '#')
                   char3 = current;
                   else
                       if (char4 == '#')
                          char4 = current;
                          else
                              if (char5 == '#')
                                 char5 = current;
                  
   if ((char1 == 'i') && (char2 == 'n') && (char3 == 'g'))   //searches for frequency of 'ing', stores in 'ingcount'
      ingcount += 1;
   if ((char1 == ' ') && (char2 == 'i') && (char3 == 'n') && (char4 == 'g'))  //searches for words that start with 'ing', stores in 'starting'
      starting += 1;
   if ((char1 == 'i') && (char2 == 'n') && (char3 == 'g') && (char4 == ' '))   //searches for words that end with 'ing', stores in 'ending'
      ending += 1;
   if ((char1 != ' ') && (char2 == 'i') && (char3 == 'n') && (char4 == 'g') && (char5 != ' '))   //searches for words that have 'ing' in them, stores in 'middle'
      middle += 1;     
   if ((char1 >= '.') && (char1 <= '~'))
      if ((char2 >= '.') && (char2 <= '~'))       //searches for three alphanumerics in a row
         if ((char3 >= '.') && (char3 <= '~'))
            anum3count += 1;        //if it finds a set of three, it adds one to the counter
   char1 = char2;
   char2 = char3;             //shifts the values of the variables for the next loop
   char3 = char4;
   char4 = char5;
     
   scanf("%c",&current);      //reads the next one
   if (char5 != '#')
      char5 = current;    //sets char5 to the new variable since the rest were moved back one.
   if ((prevalue == ' ') && (current != ' '))
      wcount += 1;    //checks to see if there is a space and then a non-space character (start of a new word)
   if (current == ' ')
      prevalue = current;    // if current is a space

For clarity sake, The purpose of the program is to count the amount of alphanumeric characters relative to the amount of numbers and letters, count the amount of words, and count the presence of the phrase "ing", in addition to the location of the phrase (at the beginning, middle, or end of the word).

Before you start adding to ingcount, shouldn't you start it at 0?

That was a stupid mistake, but somehow it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. The addition of ingcount = 0; doesn't really seem to change anything. There are no syntax errors, I don't think. I think something in this area of the code is preventing it from working:

Code:

   if (char1 == '#')
     char1 = current;
     else
         if (char2 == '#')
            char2 = current;
            else
                if (char3 == '#')
                   char3 = current;
                   else
                       if (char4 == '#')
                          char4 = current;
                          else
                              if (char5 == '#')
                                 char5 = current;
                  
   if ((char1 == 'i') && (char2 == 'n') && (char3 == 'g'))   //searches for frequency of 'ing', stores in 'ingcount'
      ingcount += 1;
   if ((char1 == ' ') && (char2 == 'i') && (char3 == 'n') && (char4 == 'g'))  //searches for words that start with 'ing', stores in 'starting'
      starting += 1;
   if ((char1 == 'i') && (char2 == 'n') && (char3 == 'g') && (char4 == ' '))   //searches for words that end with 'ing', stores in 'ending'
      ending += 1;
   if ((char1 != ' ') && (char2 == 'i') && (char3 == 'n') && (char4 == 'g') && (char5 != ' '))   //searches for words that have 'ing' in them, stores in 'middle'
      middle += 1;     
   if ((char1 >= '.') && (char1 <= '~'))
      if ((char2 >= '.') && (char2 <= '~'))       //searches for three alphanumerics in a row
         if ((char3 >= '.') && (char3 <= '~'))
            anum3count += 1;        //if it finds a set of three, it adds one to the counter
   char1 = char2;
   char2 = char3;             //shifts the values of the variables for the next loop
   char3 = char4;
   char4 = char5;
     
   scanf("%c",&current);      //reads the next one
   if (char5 != '#')
      char5 = current;    //sets char5 to the new variable since the rest were moved back one.

Everything else seems to be working okay. If I put as an input, for example, the word "Hello", then It'll output all the correct information except for the frequency of the 'ing' phrase. No matter what input I enter, it always says starting = 8, ending = 4 million something, and middle = 4 million something. (slightly more). These values never change no matter what the input. Any ideas?

You do have to pay a little bit of attention -- all your counters need to start at 0 (ingcount is merely one of them).

Thanks...that did help. Or at least, it fixed the random assignments. The algorithm that I have is still not working. Now all the counts stay at zero for the "ing" frequency.

Now we get to move on a little lower:

Code:

char1 = char2;
   char2 = char3;             //shifts the values of the variables for the next loop
   char3 = char4;
   char4 = char5;

So we read in one character -- we put it in char1. Then we get here; char1 vanishes in a puff of logic and we're back to five # signs again. You can't shift until you've read five characters in.

I already made a change to that, sorry I didn't post it yet. Would this do the trick?

Code:

   if ((char1 == 'i') && (char2 == 'n') && (char3 == 'g'))   //searches for frequency of 'ing', stores in 'ingcount'
      ingcount += 1;
   if ((char1 == ' ') && (char2 == 'i') && (char3 == 'n') && (char4 == 'g'))  //searches for words that start with 'ing', stores in 'starting'
      starting += 1;
   if ((char1 == 'i') && (char2 == 'n') && (char3 == 'g') && (char4 == ' '))   //searches for words that end with 'ing', stores in 'ending'
      ending += 1;
   if ((char1 != ' ') && (char2 == 'i') && (char3 == 'n') && (char4 == 'g') && (char5 != ' '))   //searches for words that have 'ing' in them, stores in 'middle'
      middle += 1;     
   if ((char1 >= '.') && (char1 <= '~'))
      if ((char2 >= '.') && (char2 <= '~'))       //searches for three alphanumerics in a row
         if ((char3 >= '.') && (char3 <= '~'))
            anum3count += 1;        //if it finds a set of three, it adds one to the counter
   if ((char1 != '#') && (char2 != '#') && (char3 != '#') && (char4 != '#') && (char5 != '#'))
      char1 = char2;
      char2 = char3;             //shifts the values of the variables for the next loop
      char3 = char4;
      char4 = char5;

Everything underneath stays the same.

Even after changing that, I'm still getting the same outputs.

Code:

  if ((char1 != '#') && (char2 != '#') && (char3 != '#') && (char4 != '#') && (char5 != '#'))
  {
      char1 = char2;
      char2 = char3;             //shifts the values of the variables for the next loop
      char3 = char4;
      char4 = char5;
  }

If you want to see what's going on with these char variables, you can always print them out in advantageous places.

When I tried to print char1 directly after its assignment, it said 'iii'. If I print all of them after their first assignments, it says a bunch of gibberish more or less. I'm really completely lost now. Retracing my steps I honestly have no idea what's going on.

I am not even reading anything other than the OP code which is kind of nasty.

Why note do something like:

Example:

Code:

#include <string.h>
#include <ctype.h>

int count_suffix(const char *s, const char *target)
{
  int c = 0;
  size_t length = strlen(s);
  const char *pos = target, *end = target + strlen(target);

  for(pos = strstr(pos); pos && pos < end; pos = strstr(pos+1))
    if(!isalnum(pos[length]))
      ++c; // this only adds to the count if the word actually ends in the suffix

  return c;
}

// Now you can easily find the "ing" ending (or any other suffix for that matter).
int main(void)
{
  printf("&#37;d \"ing\" endings found in the string.", count_suffix("ing", "I am having a great day today. Wouldn't you also find giving a handful of people who are fishing a tap dancing coupon a great thing to do, too?"));

  return 0;
}

Yeah... I know its not the best. But it works.

Well sometimes giving code that is obviously too advanced for the OP is not a bad way to answer the question. It demonstrates that cleaner looking code is possible. It also produces code that an instructor knows the person did not write themself.

Pointers are very useful for this type of application. Read up on them, and use them. If you are not on that topic yet in class, then I recommend using indices of an array instead. You should not be copying over data so much just to do a simple comparison. Think of it like wanting to find a shirt exactly like the one you have on. So to do it, you go buy the same shirt again, then take the shirt you just bought from Macey's over to Wal-mart and asking "Do you have one like this one?" Instead of just pointing to your original shirt and asking the incompetent boob at Wal-mart "Do you have one like this?"

You should not need to copy stuff over is the point. Just use the original.

Example:

Code:

if((array[c] == 'i') && (array[c+1] == 'n') && (array[c+2] == 'g'))