Thread: How do you create and print an array of characters

When indexing an array with a loop, use one of the following:

char array[SIZE];

for( x = 0; x < SIZE; x++ )

or

for( x = 0; x <= (SIZE-1); x++ )

but not

for( x = 0; x <= SIZE; x++ )

Remember: And array is a total of SIZE elements, and it's indexes range from 0 to SIZE-1.

Quzah.

Originally posted by Unregistered
I can't seem to find anything on how to print out an array of characters:

I want to make a table of dashes such as below:
----------
----------
----------

How would I go about doing that?

so far, my code goes like this:
int i, m=0;
char bufferarray [30];
for (i=0; i <31; i++)
{
bufferarray[i] = '\45';
}
for (m=0; m<i; m++)
{
printf("%s \n", bufferarray);
}

%s expects a NUL ('\0') terminated character arrays ( the '\0' signals the end of the string ) and it prints all the the characters till it finds the NUL character
so , do this instead

Code:

char bufferarray[31];
int i;
for(i=0;i<31;i++) bufferarray[i]='\45';
bufferarray[31]='\0';
printf("%s \n",bufferarray);

the second loop is not requried
Also , most string manipulation functions declared in string.h expect NUL terminated character arrays .

char bufferarray[31];
int i;
for(i=0;i<31;i++) bufferarray[i]='\45';
bufferarray[31]='\0';

Another way of initializing the array to null values upon creation is to do:

char bufferarray[SIZE] = {0};

You can initialize array elements upon creation as I've done above. Any element you do not specificly set will be set to zero, provided you set at least one element to something.

Thus, by setting the first one to zero, the rest default to zero, and we end up with a "null filled" array.

[edit]
char bufferarray[31];
int i;
for(i=0;i<31;i++) bufferarray[i]='\45';
bufferarray[31]='\0';

One correction:
bufferarray[31] = '\45';

This is beyond the scope of the array, and may crash your program.
[/edit]



Quzah.

You can include a newline a few ways:

1) Include it on the end of your string (array) and just print the whole string at once, X number of times.

2) Include a statement in your loop:

Code:

for( x = 0; x < SOMETHING; x++ )
{
    printf("%s", array );
    if( x % 10 == 9 )
        printf("\n");
}

3) Use a pair of loops:

Code:

for( x = 0; x < LINES; x++ )
{
    for( y = 0; y < CHARACTERS; y++ )
        printf("%c", array[y] );
    printf("\n");
}

Take your pick.

Quzah.

Originally posted by quzah


Another way of initializing the array to null values upon creation is to do:

char bufferarray[SIZE] = {0};

You can initialize array elements upon creation as I've done above. Any element you do not specificly set will be set to zero, provided you set at least one element to something.

Thus, by setting the first one to zero, the rest default to zero, and we end up with a "null filled" array.

[edit]
char bufferarray[31];
int i;
for(i=0;i<31;i++) bufferarray[i]='\45';
bufferarray[31]='\0';

One correction:
bufferarray[31] = '\45';

This is beyond the scope of the array, and may crash your program.
[/edit]



Quzah.

Yes , it should be
buffearray[30]='\0';
thanks for the correction