Thread: Help me find out what's wrong

  1. #1
    Registered User biosx's Avatar
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    Help me find out what's wrong

    I'm an amateur programmer, bare with me:

    I am trying to write my own strcat() function and testing it. Here is the code:

    Code:
    #include <stdio.h>
    #include <string.h>
    #include <malloc.h>
    
    int stringcat(char *s, char *t);
    
    int main(void) {     
          
          char *ptr1;
          char *ptr2;
          
          ptr1 = (char *)malloc(20 * sizeof(char));
          ptr2 = (char *)malloc(20 * sizeof(char));    
                
          char message1[] = "Please ";
          char message2[] = "Reconsider\n";
          
          strcpy(ptr1, message1);
          strcpy(ptr2, message2);
          
          stringcat(ptr1, ptr2);
                   
          while (*ptr1 != '\0')
                printf("%c", *ptr1++);
                
          free(ptr1);
          free(ptr2);
          
          return 0;
          
    }
    
    /* Copies string T to the end of string S */
    int stringcat(char *s, char *t)
    {
         while (*s++ != '\0')
               ;
         *s--;
         
         while ((*s++ = *t++) != '\0')
               ;
         *s = '\0';
         
         return 0;
    }
    I keep getting a parse error around the place where I declare/initialize the arrays (message1 & message2).

    Can anybody help me with this? The code looks fine!
    Last edited by biosx; 08-15-2001 at 01:29 AM.

  2. #2
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    Code:
    // PracticeWorkspace.cpp : Defines the entry point for the console application.
    //
    
    #include "stdafx.h"
    #include <stdio.h>
    #include <string.h>
    #include <malloc.h>
    #include<conio.h>
    
    void stringcat(char *s, char *t);
    
    int main(void) {     
          
        char *ptr1 = (char *)malloc(20 * sizeof(char));
    	memset(ptr1,'\0',20);
        char *ptr2 = (char *)malloc(20 * sizeof(char));    
                
        char message1[] = "Please ";
        char message2[] = "Reconsider\n";
          
        strcpy(ptr1, message1);
        strcpy(ptr2, message2);
         
        stringcat(ptr1, ptr2);              
    
    	printf("%s",ptr1);
    	
    	_getch();  
        free(ptr1);
        free(ptr2);
    
        return 0;
          
    }
    
    /* Copies string T to the end of string S */
    
    void stringcat(char *s, char *t)
    {
    
    	while (*s != '\0') s +=1;
    
    	while (*t != '\0')
    	{
    	
    		*s = *t;
    		s += 1;
    		t += 1;
    	}
    
    }
    Reminder to self. I must get used to this new board!
    Last edited by Witch_King; 08-15-2001 at 04:15 AM.
    I compile code with:
    Visual Studio.NET beta2

  3. #3
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    You're problems where here:

    Code:
    //no good because it advances the
    //pointer, so that free() can not
    //free the space properly
    
    while (*ptr1 != '\0')
      printf("%c", *ptr1++);
     
    //use printf("%s",ptr1); instead
    Also the other error
    Code:
    //should just be s--;            
      *s--;
    //and this is not an error
    *s = '\0';
    //but could have been writen as
    *s = *t;
    //either way
    What I'm saying here is use your code and just make these changes. It works too.
    Last edited by Witch_King; 08-15-2001 at 04:33 AM.
    I compile code with:
    Visual Studio.NET beta2

  4. #4
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    > I keep getting a parse error around the place where I declare/initialize the arrays (message1 & message2).
    Because you're writing C++, and compiling it as C.

    C does not allow declarations at statements to be mixed - you must declare all your variables before the first statement in any {} block.

    So change them over like this
    Code:
          char message1[] = "Please ";
          char message2[] = "Reconsider\n";
          ptr1 = (char *)malloc(20 * sizeof(char));
          ptr2 = (char *)malloc(20 * sizeof(char));
    If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
    If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.

  5. #5
    Registered User biosx's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Salem
    > I keep getting a parse error around the place where I declare/initialize the arrays (message1 & message2).
    Because you're writing C++, and compiling it as C.

    C does not allow declarations at statements to be mixed - you must declare all your variables before the first statement in any {} block.

    So change them over like this
    Code:
          char message1[] = "Please ";
          char message2[] = "Reconsider\n";
          ptr1 = (char *)malloc(20 * sizeof(char));
          ptr2 = (char *)malloc(20 * sizeof(char));
    Oh my god, it worked. I never knew that. I always mix them, especially with a for() loop. I usually declare i right before the loop.

    Thank you so much for clearing that up.

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