Modifying parallel arrays to arrays of structures

I been away from C programming for awhile now, and it's difficult for me to figure this out. The program itself works, however I am supposed to turn this code into an array of structures instead of having 3 parallel arrays.

I heard it doesn't take long if you already have a working set of code.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>  // preprocessor directive to allow use of printf()/sca$
#include <string.h> //preprocessor directive to allow use of strings
   
 //typedef below used to create a structure tag for structure definitions
typedef struct person { //Algorithm step 2
                       char first_name[20]; //array "first_name"element
    
                       //Algorithm step 3
                       char last_name[20]; //array "last_name"element
       
                       //Algorithm step 4
                       char age[4]; //array "age" element
 
                       }ppl ; //tag name
 
  
 void populate (ppl []); //PCF populate prototype
 void last_name_sort (ppl []); //PCF last_name_sort prototype
  
 int main (void ) //Main function- returns and integer/ accepts no argumen$
 { //Marks beginning of the main function's statement
   int i; //integer i created and initialized
   
   //Algorithm step 1 completed in next four lines
   printf("Hello! \nThe purpose of this program is to use parallel arrays $
   printf("order the names aphabetically (by last name) without mixing the$
   printf("names and ages. The newly sorted information will be printed to$
   printf("screen. \n\n\n\n");
   
   ppl person[7]; //defined structure "person"
 
   populate (person); //defined structure passed to PCF populate
 
    last_name_sort (person); //defined structure passed to PCF last_name_s$
    printf("\n\n<-------------------------~SORTED LIST~-------------------$
    for (i=0; i<= 6; i++)
    {
       //Algorithm step 8 in for loop
       printf("%s %s %s\n", person[i].first_name , person[i].last_name, pe$
    }
  
 printf("\n\n\n");
 printf("Thank you for using my program. I hope it was helpful!\n\n");
 return (0) ;
 }
 
 void populate (ppl person[])
 {
 int i; //creation of integer variable i
 
   printf("Please enter a first name, last name, and age with a space in b$
   printf("and the first letter of the first and last name capitalized: \n$
   printf("\n\n<-----------------------~UNSORTED LIST~--------------------$
 
  for (i=0; i<= 6; i++)
  {
   scanf("%s %s %s",person[i].first_name , person[i].last_name, person[i].$
  }
 
 return;
 }
 void last_name_sort( ppl person[])
 {
 int i, j;
 char temp[20]; //creation of first temporary array for 3way switch of las$
 char temp_1[20]; //creation of first temporary array for 3way switch of f$
 char temp_2[4]; //creation of first temporary array for 3way switchof age
 
 for (i=0; i<=5; i++) //outer for loop
 {
 for(j=0; j<=5; j++) //inner "nested" for loop
 {
 if (strncmp(person[j].last_name, person[j+1].last_name, 7) >0)
 {
 //Algorithm for last name sorting
 strcpy (temp, person[j].last_name);
 strcpy (person[j].last_name, person[j+1].last_name);
 strcpy (person[j+1].last_name, temp);
 
 //Algorithm so first name follows where last name is sorted
 strcpy (temp_1, person[j].first_name);
 strcpy (person[j].first_name, person[j+1].first_name);
 strcpy (person[j+1].first_name, temp_1);
 
 //Algorithm  so age follows where last name is sorted
 strcpy (temp_2, person[j].age);
 strcpy (person[j].age, person[j+1].age);
 strcpy (person[j+1].age, temp_2);
 }
 }
  
 return;
 }
}

Any tip, help or comment would be great!
Thank you.

...

...

You have an array of structures.

(Although you can assign structures these days, so you can do the swap using a temporary ppl object, without having to copy each field over, if that was your question.)

You're going to run into problems with this line...

Code:

   scanf("%s %s %s",person[i].first_name , person[i].last_name, person[i].$

Originally Posted by CommonTater

You're going to run into problems with this line...

Code:

   scanf("%s %s %s",person[i].first_name , person[i].last_name, person[i].$

People who use emacs need our compassion and understanding, not our scorn.

Yeah, that's what I thought. The ppl structure is already consisted of having 3 arrays inside it, making it arrays of structure, right?

I was confused 'cause he goes "aight, make this arrays of structure." and I'm staring at the code thinking exact that.

Thank you though, for not bashing me lol.


and Tater, am I going to have a problem because the line ends with $? Isn't it doing that because the code I pasted did not copy the entire thing? Or?

Originally Posted by xkohtax

Yeah, that's what I thought. The ppl structure is already consisted of having 3 arrays inside it, making it arrays of structure, right?

No. It makes it a structure that has some arrays. This is an array of structures:

Code:

struct foo
{
    ... whatever you want here ...
} arrayof[ 5 ];

arrayof is an array of five struct foo things.


Quzah.

Or in our case

Code:

ppl person[7];

Originally Posted by xkohtax

......
I was confused 'cause he goes "aight, make this arrays of structure." and I'm staring at the code thinking exact that.

He was probably referring to how you sort you array of structures. Refer to:

Originally Posted by tabstop

.......
(Although you can assign structures these days, so you can do the swap using a temporary ppl object, without having to copy each field over, if that was your question.)

Which would clean your code up quite a bit.