Thread: Simple strcmp program freezes upon scanf

  1. #1
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    Simple strcmp program freezes upon scanf

    Hello.

    This is a simple program that imports a custom header file called 'myfunc.h,' which contains a defined prototype for an alternative strcmp function.

    The code for the .c file is:
    Code:
    #include <stdio.h>
    #include <stdlib.h>
    #include "myfunc.h"
    
    
    int main(void) {
    	char* string1 = {0};
    	char* string2 = {0};
    	
    	printf("Enter string1: ");
    	scanf("%s", string1);
    	printf("Enter string2: ");
    	scanf("%s", string2);
    	
    	if (compstring(string1, string2) == 1) { printf("The two strings you entered are the same.\n"); }
    	else { printf("The two strings you entered are different.\n"); }
    
    
    	system("pause");
    
    
    	return 0;
    }
    and this is the header file:

    Code:
    #include <string.h>
    
    
    int compstring(char* str1, char* str2) {
    	if (strcmp(str1, str2) == 0) { return 1; }
    	else { return 0; }
    }
    Here is the resulting error:
    Simple strcmp program freezes upon scanf-thxcw-png


    Any ideas on what could be causing this? Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Registered User camel-man's Avatar
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    try making the string a static array first it could make a difference, you have a string literal which can not be modified if im not mistaken

  3. #3
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    I suggest making string1 and string2 into arrays instead of a pointers.
    Or, allocate space for each pointer to hold the data.

    Tim S.
    "...a computer is a stupid machine with the ability to do incredibly smart things, while computer programmers are smart people with the ability to do incredibly stupid things. They are,in short, a perfect match.." Bill Bryson

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by stahta01 View Post
    I suggest making string1 and string2 into arrays instead of a pointers.
    Or, allocate space for each pointer to hold the data.

    Tim S.
    Thank you for your help.

    I changed:
    Code:
    char* string1 = {0};
    char* string2 = {0};
    to:
    Code:
    char string1[] = {0};
    char string2[] = {0};
    and now the function returns 0 each time, even when the strings entered are the same, although I am not getting any errors during compile.

    To reiterate, the custom header was:
    Code:
    #include <string.h>
    
    
    int compstring(char* str1, char* str2) {
        if (strcmp(str1, str2) == 0) { return 1; }
        else { return 0; }
    }
    Why would the passed strings not return a value that indicates they are equivalent?

    Thank you again.

  5. #5
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    You need to allocate space to hold the information.
    You are allocating a single char per array; this is only enough to hold the empty string.

    Try
    Code:
    char string1[255] = {0};
    Tim S.
    "...a computer is a stupid machine with the ability to do incredibly smart things, while computer programmers are smart people with the ability to do incredibly stupid things. They are,in short, a perfect match.." Bill Bryson

  6. #6
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by drbr0wn
    Why would the passed strings not return a value that indicates they are equivalent?
    I tried this program:
    Code:
    #include <string.h>
    #include <stdio.h> 
     
    int compstring(char* str1, char* str2) {
        if (strcmp(str1, str2) == 0) { return 1; }
        else { return 0; }
    }
    
    int main(void) {
        char string1[] = {0};
        char string2[] = {0};
        printf("%d\n", compstring(string1, string2));
        return 0;
    }
    and it printed 1.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by stahta01 View Post
    You need to allocate space to hold the information.
    You are allocating a single char per array; this is only enough to hold the empty string.

    Try
    Code:
    char string1[255] = {0};
    Tim S.
    Aha! Thank you!!!

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