Passing structures to a function

Hello all, there are two main problems I am having with this program. The first is that I am not sure how to pass the two structure variables (date tom, and date mom) into the function and then have it execute. Also my series of do-while statements and if statements when executed on their own print infinitely, they do print the correct answer just far too many. Help would be great thank you

Code:

#include <stdio.h>

struct date
{
   int month;
   int day;
   int year;
};


void larger (struct date, struct date);


int main()
{


struct date tom;
struct date mom;


puts("Enter a month, day, and year separated by spaces (mm dd yy):\n");
scanf("%d %d %d", &tom.month, &tom.day, &tom.year);


puts("Enter another month, day, and year separated by spaces (mm dd yy):\n");
scanf("%d %d %d", &mom.month, &mom.day, &mom.year);


larger (struct date tom, struct date mom);
    
system ("PAUSE");
return 0;
}
    
void larger (struct date tom, struct date mom){


    if (tom.year>mom.year)
    printf("\nThe larger date is: %d/%d/%d \n\n",tom.month,tom.day,tom.year % 100);
    
    else if (mom.year>tom.year)
    printf("\nThe larger date is: %d/%d/%d \n\n",mom.month,mom.day,mom.year % 100);
    
    do{       
           if (tom.month>mom.month)
           printf("\nThe larger date is: %d/%d/%d \n\n",tom.month,tom.day,tom.year % 100);
    
           else if (mom.month>tom.month)
           printf("\nThe larger date is: %d/%d/%d \n\n",mom.month,mom.day,mom.year % 100);
           do{
               if (tom.day>mom.day)
               printf("\nThe larger date is: %d/%d/%d \n\n",tom.month,tom.day,tom.year % 100);
    
               else if (mom.day>tom.day)
               printf("\nThe larger date is: %d/%d/%d \n\n",mom.month,mom.day,mom.year % 100);  
               do{
                   printf ("\nThe two dates are the same.\n\n");
                 } while (tom.day==mom.day); 
                  
               }   while (tom.month==mom.month);
               
      }while (tom.year==mom.year);
}

Look at your do while loops, when will tom.whatever it may be != mom.whatever it may be. You need to increment those variables in there or else it will be possible infinite loops.

I have not ran your code but you might want to change your while condition to != instead of ==. That is just from what I can see right now, I might not be seeing it right.

EDIT:
Also, when you call your function in main you do not need the data type, just use the name. Drop the struct date part when you call it larger in main.

ex)

Code:

larger (struct date tom, struct date mom);

to

Code:

larger (tom,mom);

Thanks for your help calling the function, I am however not sure what you mean about the incrementation of the variables in the loops. Sorry I just have been trying to get this to go correctly and I'm not too sure how to change it.

Originally Posted by Matticus

For instance, look at some of your "while()" loops. They will clearly run forever.

Code:

while(condition)
{
    /* if "condition" is true, then the code in this body will execute */

    /* however, if "condition" is never updated in this loop,
       it will always be true and the loop will go on forever */
}

The same clearly holds true for "do-while()" loops.

Awesome thank you, I think earlier my brain was all jumbled up and I couldn't process the guidance. So thank you Matticus for the great guidance and thanks camel-man for the help with the function

What makes you think it would be appropriate for that function to have any loops in it?

How about just returning a value such as -1, 0, or 1 and then do the printing from main? It would save having 6 copies of the same printf statement.

Most dialects of C won't allow you to pass structures to functions.

You need to write

Code:

void larger(struct date *tom, struct date *mom)
{
  if(tome->year > mom->year)
     etc
}

Originally Posted by Malcolm McLean

Most dialects of C won't allow you to pass structures to functions.

What's a "dialect of C"?

In standard/ANSI/ISO C there is no problem passing structs as arguments and returning them.

Bye, Andreas