String with variable size

Hi, everyone. I'm trying to write a program that has a string array with variable dimension - it reads the dimension from the keyboard, and, depending on the value, gives certain values to the array offsets. However, when I compile the code, I get the following error on the bold lines below: "error: incompatible types when assigning to type 'char[(unsigned int)(size + 1)]' from type 'char *'". The code is as follows:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

int main (void)
{

    int size, i;
    char name[size + 1];

    printf("Choose a size: ");
    scanf("%d", size);

    if (size == 2)
    {
        name = "AB";
    }
    else if (size == 3)
    {
        name = "ABC";
    }

   //prints the string:
    for (i = 0 ; i < strlen(name) ; i++)
        printf("%c", name[i]);

    return 0;

}

How can I change the code so that it be correct? Thanks in advance!

You've gotten to here without learning about strcpy?

You would need to use C99, and you would have to declare name after you have called scanf, so that size actually has a valid value. Then you would need to use something like strcpy to copy the strings you want into name. You need to also make sure you know that strings must include room for the nul character, so if you want a string whose length is 2, then you need 3 spaces allocated for it.

[edit] Alternately, you can just assign a bigger value to name, so it's bigger than the numbered options you are presenting, that way you know there is enough room to copy your letters in. [/edit]

Or, since you are using string literals here, you could make name a pointer to a char, and just assign string literals the way you are, and not worry about any of that.


Quzah.

quzah, thanks! But how do I change the code to follow your last suggestion?

Since you said you were new to programming (which I guess you went back and deleted), you would be better served learning about arrays before you start with pointers.


Quzah.

Ok, thanks again.