startup help for my new project

hi there and thanks for reading (and be sure to read my signature)

i want to program a random-name-generator. the main program will have an option to print out one, five or then random names out of my database on the screen. the program will run in the dos-console in windows. i use djgpp to compile and dev-c++ to write my sourcecode. i will use plain c to program the generator.

in the beginning the database will include 20 or 30 names, just for testing out the program functions (random 1, 5, 10).

my two problems are:

1) i don't know which is the best way to write the names in the database? i will write them myself, and it must be included in the program so there can be no harm from 'outside'. i need a way to write the names in my database so the program can read out the names 'best'. can you help me with this?

2) i am not sure how to program the random 1, 5, and 10 functions. any ideas?

some 'theoretical' hints will help me thank you in advance (be sure to read my signature)

I would suggest you to store the name in lines, something like this:

name_one
name_two
...

so it's easy to read the names, because you just have to call fgets and eliminate the '\n'

what exactly is your problem with the random function? you will need srand() to initialize and call rand() eacht time you want a random number...

i want to include the name-database as *.c file in my program. how does it have to look like, so my program can read out each single name best?

my current problem with the random-function is, that i've never used it before...

i am not sure of the way to store and read the data... that's my problem with this program...

thanks for your help

Example for the random function:

---------------------------------------------------------------
# include <stdlib.h> // for command "random"
# include <time.h> // for command "randomize"

int generate;

randomize();
generate = random(10); // this will randomize numbers between 0 and 10

Practical use:

You write the program like that ....

Each name you write in every single line. So, you use random function in that way that you count all the lines that you're file has (generate = random(all_lines)).
---------------------------------------------------------------

With reading and writing I suggest that you use pointers and a structure.

ok thanks
i think i know how to do it, now...
(thanks for the random funtion)

database data does not belong in #include files!

functions, structure declarations, #defines, and other similars, yes, but data should be stored in text or binary files which are opened with fopen(), read with fread(binary), fgets(text), fscanf(text, I think). Write them back to these files using fwrite, fputs, fprintf.

#including files is for compilation, not storage of data.

can you tell me how to read data out of a file?

FILE: NAMES.TXT

NAME1
NAME2
NAME3
NAME4
NAME5

how can my program access a name out of this list (random) and print it out on the screen? only one list, only one name (random).