Why is this not working?

Everything is explained in the program on how it works. However, when compiled, it doesn't display the longest string. It displays the string I last entered. For example if I enter "What" "kind" "of" "program" "is" "this," it displays "this."

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include "strlib.h"
#include "genlib.h"
#include "simpio.h"

main()

{
      string i, z, g;
      
      printf ("This program displays the longest string out of the strings you input.\n");
      printf ("Signal the end of your input list with the word 'end'.\n");
      printf ("Enter your first string: ");
      g = GetLine();
      while (!(StringEqual (g , "end")))
      {
            z = g;
            printf ("Enter your next string: ");
            g = GetLine();
            if (StringLength (g) > (StringLength (z)))
            {
                  i = g;
                  }
            }
      printf ("\nThe longest string is: %s", i);
      getchar();
      }

You are only comparing to the most recent string (the old value of g, now stored in z), not to the longest-so-far (stored in i).

Hint: This is why one-letter variable names for anything more complicated than a counter make people annoyed.

You don't use any standard functions, and string isn't a standard C data type. Also, your indentation is messed up.


Quzah.

Originally Posted by tabstop

You are only comparing to the most recent string (the old value of g, now stored in z), not to the longest-so-far (stored in i).

Hint: This is why one-letter variable names for anything more complicated than a counter make people annoyed.

wow, thanks. I didn't think it would be that simple. I simply just replaced z with i in the if statement and assigned g to i in before the while statement. It looks like this.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include "strlib.h"
#include "genlib.h"
#include "simpio.h"

main()

{
      string i, z, g;
      
      printf ("This program displays the longest string out of the strings you input.\n");
      printf ("Signal the end of your input list with the word 'end'.\n");
      printf ("Enter your first string: ");
      g = GetLine();
      i = g;
      while (!(StringEqual (g , "end")))
      {
            z = g;
            printf ("Enter your next string: ");
            g = GetLine();
            if (StringLength (g) > (StringLength (i)))
            {
                  i = g;
                  }
            }
      printf ("\nThe longest string is: %s", i);
      getchar();
      }

Also,

Code:

main()

is wrong. Use

Code:

int main( void )

instead.

Originally Posted by PYROMANIAC702

I simply just replaced z with i in the if statement and assigned g to i in before the while statement.

tabstop expressed this as a hint, but it seems you missed it: use descriptive variable names. Otherwise, I will begin giving you a in which all n in my s are abbreviated to their first l.

Originally Posted by laserlight

tabstop expressed this as a hint, but it seems you missed it: use descriptive variable names. Otherwise, I will begin giving you a in which all n in my s are abbreviated to their first l.

Sorry about that. I just had no clue on what to name them.

Originally Posted by PYROMANIAC702

Sorry about that. I just had no clue on what to name them.

Calling "i" "longest" and "z" "previous" would probably have prevented the whole thread.

Originally Posted by PYROMANIAC702

I just had no clue on what to name them.

Well, look at what you wrote:

Code:

g = GetLine();

Code:

printf ("\nThe longest string is: %s", i);

So, g is the current string that you are considering and i is the longest string found thus far. You did not actually use z in your revised code, so you could have removed it.

Originally Posted by laserlight

Well, look at what you wrote:

Code:

g = GetLine();

Code:

printf ("\nThe longest string is: %s", i);

So, g is the current string that you are considering and i is the longest string found thus far. You did not actually use z in your revised code, so you could have removed it.

Oh yeah... z was used in my old code and I just forgot to remove it.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include "strlib.h"
#include "genlib.h"
#include "simpio.h"

main()

{
      string i, g;
      
      printf ("This program displays the longest string out of the strings you input.\n");
      printf ("Signal the end of your input list with the word 'end'.\n");
      printf ("Enter your first string: ");
      g = GetLine();
      i = g;
      while (!(StringEqual (g , "end")))
      {
            printf ("Enter your next string: ");
            g = GetLine();
            if (StringLength (g) > (StringLength (i)))
            {
                  i = g;
                  }
            }
      printf ("\nThe longest string is: %s", i);
      getchar();
      }