Thread: string print from 2 files

Hi,
I need to write a program that opens two files. The program prints line 1 of the first file, line 1 of the second file, line 2 of the first file, line 2 of the second file, and so on, until the last line of the longer file is printed.

no what I have is:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

#define MAX 40

int main(void)
{
    FILE *first, *second;
    char file1[MAX], file2[MAX];

    puts("Enter the name first file to be processed:");
    gets(file1);
    puts("Enter the name of the second file to be processed:");
    gets(file2);
    
    if((first = fopen(file1, "r")) == NULL)
    {
        printf("Can't open %s\n", file1);
        exit(1);
    }
    
    if((second = fopen(file2, "r")) == NULL)
    {
        fprintf(stdout, "Can't open file %s.\n", file2);
        exit(1);
    }
    
    puts("File contents: ");

    while(fscanf(first, "%s", file1) == 1)
    {
        puts(file1);
        
        if(fscanf(second, "%s", file2) == 1)
        {
            puts(file2);
        }
    }
        
    fclose(first);
    fclose(second);
    
    return 0;
}

Now what I have works only if file1 is longer then file 2. I have also attempted, without success:

Code:

while(fscanf(first, "%s", file1) == 1 && fscanf(second, "%s", file2) == 1)
{
     puts(file1);
     puts(file2);
}

That does not print them in the order required.
I have output1 which is:

Code:

1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7

and output2 which is:

Code:

2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4

what I want it to print is:

Code:

...
2.3
1.4
2.4
1.5
1.6
...

which works with the original code assuming output1 is longer then output2.
what I got testing the suggestion was

Code:

1.1
1.2
1.3
...
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4

Thank you