Thread: strcmp();

I want to use strcmp(); in my program.
I have read that it needs two string constants.
If I have a string say string1[99], and string2[99]. I input data into it and add a trailling \0. Does adding the trailing \0 create the string constant? My book states it has to be a string enclosed in "string". Can we not use a string scaned in by sscanf? I want to compare the two strings with the following syntax.
strcmp(string1,string2);.

sample program... sorry no compiler to check

Code:

#include<string.h>
#include<stdio>
char string1[99];
char string2[99];
memset(string1,'\0',99);
memset(string2,'\0',99);
int x;
scanf("%s%s",string1,string2);
x=strcmp(string1,string2);
printf("%i",x);

Any series of char, terminated by a '\0', makes up a string. If it's in a non-const array, then it itself isn't a "constant", meaning you can change it. The arguments to strcmp are given the const attribute, meaning that strcmp will not modify them within the function call itself.

Quzah.

So does that mean the above code is valid?
I do not see any syntax issues, but I again do not have a compiler to show how sloppy it is written.
So do I need to change the strings to const, or does the function do this already?

No, you don't need to make the arrays constant. When something is declared as constant in a function definition or prototype, it means that that argument will not or cannot be changed inside that function.

Quzah.

does that mean the code i wrote is valid?
i remember having issues with this last time i wrote it in C++.
and i currently do not have a compiler to test it.

Well yes, or no. Depending on your compiler. It's C99 or C++ code, in that you're declaring variables after you make a function call, meaning, all of your variables aren't declared at the first of the code block.

Yes, on a C99 compiler it would work. However, there's no need for the memset calls if you just delcare your arrays like so:

Code:

char array[somesize] = {0};

Because that initializes the first element of the array to zero, and all the rest default to zero, because any element uninitialized once you've initialized some of them, default to zero.

Anyway, yeah, it should be fine.

Quzah.

I tried on a prior c++ assignment to initialize the array with

Code:

array[SIZE]={\0};

but all other indexes other than array index 0 printed garbage.
it could have been other aspects of the program affecting it though.
doesn't the compiler read the code as initialize the array location referenced by SIZE to \0.

But then again, doesn't scanf place a null at the end of the string?
Would this be the same for sscanf?

I guess this is how it should have been written.

Code:

#include<string.h>
#include<stdio>
 
int x;
 
char string1[99]={\0};
char string2[99]={\0};
 
scanf("%s%s",string1,string2);
 
x=strcmp(string1,string2);
 
printf("%i",x);

Code:

char string1[99]={\0};

That's wrong. If you're trying to put the null in the first element, since it's a single character, you must enclose it in single quotes:

Code:

char string1[99]={'\0'};

Quzah.

oops.
I always forget something stupid in my syntax.
I would have probably been searching for that error for a couple days.

Code:

#include<string.h>
#include<stdio>
 
int x;
 
char string1[99]={'\0'};
char string2[99]={'\0'};
char string3[99]={'\0'};
 
scanf("%s%s",string1,string2);
 
x=strcmp(string1,string2);
 
printf("%i",x);

x=strcpy(string3,string1);

printf("%i",x);

I'm assuming since I have no compiler, but would this also be valid?

I guess it would work, but you should use fgets() instead of scanf(), and there is no way to tell when one string ends and one begins, you should put some character between them so you can seperate them, like scanf("%s_%s", string1, string2);, or fgets() and sscanf().

and there is no way to tell when one string ends and one begins,

Any white space constitutes a string end with %s.

Quzah.

Originally Posted by anonytmouse

Code:

scanf("%s%s",string1,string2);

Instead of this, you should use gets(). gets() is safer.

After over 500 posts you should know better than to suggest gets(). Read the FAQ.