Fgets() & Fputs() to combine text files?

I am trying to get input from two txt files (line by line) and output the two files side by side in colums 38 characters wide. Output should go to a single txt file.

I have been able to get the input by line and have it output it as follows:
line 1 txt file 1
line 1 txt file 2
line 2 txt file 1
line 2 txt file 2
ect.

What Im trying to get is:
line 1 (truncated to 38 char) "space space" line 1 (truncated 38 char)
line 2 (truncated to 38 char) "space space" line 2 (truncated 38 char)

I am stuck and can't seem to get any further. Here is my code:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#define MAX 1000

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{	
	char *Path1 = "C:\\Documents and Settings\\Brad\\My Documents\\Visual Studio 2010\\Projects\\Assignment 10\\GettysburgAddress.txt";
	char *Path2 = "C:\\Documents and Settings\\Brad\\My Documents\\Visual Studio 2010\\Projects\\Assignment 10\\Anthem.txt";
	char *Path3 = "C:\\Documents and Settings\\Brad\\My Documents\\Visual Studio 2010\\Projects\\Assignment 10\\output.txt";
		
	FILE *Getty, *National, *output;
	
	char line[MAX];
	char line2[MAX];
	char outputline[1000];
	Getty = fopen(Path1, "r");
	if (!Getty)
		return 1;

	National = fopen(Path2, "r");
	if (!National)
		return 1;

	output = fopen(Path3, "w");
	if (!output)
		return 1;

	while (fgets(line,(MAX),Getty))	
	{	
		fputs(line, output);
		fgets(line2,(MAX),National);
		//strcat(line, line2);
		fputs(line2, output);
		
	}

	fclose (Getty);
	fclose (National);
	fclose (output);
	
	getchar();
	return 0;
}

In your while loop, while doing the copying. If you wish to combine lines you are going to have to do a little more work...

First you're going to have to load the first line.
Second, strip off carriage returns from the first line while it sits in your buffer.
Third, get the second line also in memory before writing the first.
Fourth, you need to join them while still in memory.
Finally write them to the output file as a single string.

Try

Code:

fprintf( output, "%30.30s  %30.30s\n", line1, line2 );

If the lines are short, then you'll need to remove the \n that fgets() reads.

Thanks for the direction Salem!!! I've got my code working and wrote a function to remove the newline.

I guess I spoke too soon! Depending on how I feed it the files it will stop when the shortest .txt file is finished. Only got 1/2 credit since it only works 1/2 the time! Now its just for my info. Any ideas?? Thanks. Here is my code:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#define MAX 999

void removenewline( char *string );

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{	
	char *Path1 = "C:\\Documents and Settings\\Brad\\My Documents\\Visual Studio 2010\\Projects\\Assignment 10\\GettysburgAddress.txt";
	char *Path2 = "C:\\Documents and Settings\\Brad\\My Documents\\Visual Studio 2010\\Projects\\Assignment 10\\Anthem.txt";
	char *Path3 = "C:\\Documents and Settings\\Brad\\My Documents\\Visual Studio 2010\\Projects\\Assignment 10\\output.txt";
		
	FILE *Getty, *National, *output;
	
	char line1[MAX];
	char line2[MAX];
	
	Getty = fopen(Path1, "r");
	if (!Getty)
		return 1;

	National = fopen(Path2, "r");
	if (!National)
		return 1;

	output = fopen(Path3, "w");
	if (!output)
		return 1;

	while (fgets(line1,(MAX),Getty))	
	{	
		removenewline(line1);
		fgets(line2,(MAX),National);
		removenewline(line2);
		fprintf( output, "%-38.38s  %38.38s\n", line1, line2 );
	}

	fclose (Getty);
	fclose (National);
	fclose (output);
	
	return 0;
}

void removenewline( char *string )
{
    char *ptrtolast;
	
    ptrtolast = string + strlen(string) - 1;
	if (*ptrtolast == '\n') 
		*ptrtolast = 0;
}

Something like this

Code:

	while (fgets(line1,(MAX),Getty))	
	{	
		removenewline(line1);
		if ( fgets(line2,(MAX),National) ) {
			removenewline(line2);
			fprintf( output, "%-38.38s  %38.38s\n", line1, line2 );
		} else {
			// What to print here (remainder if National is shorter)?
		}
	}

	while ( fgets(line2,(MAX),National) ) {
		// what to print here  (remainder lines if Getty was shorter?
	}