Using getc(stdin) or getchar(c)

I'm currently enrolled in a ANSI C course at my college and i'm having an issue with a particular portion of the assignment...

The Overview:

The user needs to be able to input a 'y', 'Y', 'n', 'N' as a response to 5 questions, but my program must also be able to accept Yes, NO, YUP, or NOPE, and similar examples, as long as the first character in their response is y or n, in their variations. I'm currently using:

scanf(" %c", &response) to get their response.

Problem is, my instructor wants us to use the getc(stdin) or getchar(c).

Since i am very new to C, the "advance" terms are beyond me, as well as we are not allowed to use them. Either way, i don't undertand the use of or how to use getc or getchar, the example programs are unclear at times and don't necessarily coincide with my use of them. here the same of what i have so far, i just need some direction on how to use getc or getchar inplace of my scanf, i'll copy my program here, it's not all that big. I'm a noob at this so please be nice

Code:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

/* Variables
* 
*    Patient Number - patNum
*  Patient Number (Left to Right)
*    First Digit    - d1
*    Second Digit   - d2
*    Thrid Digit    - d3
*    Fourth Digit   - d4
*    Fifth Digit    - d5
*    Sixth Digit    - d6
*
*    Modulous Digit - modDig
*    Patient# Temp  - temp
*
*/

int patNum = 0, temp, lpCtrl, symptoms;
int fever, headache, soreThroat, cough, sniffles, sneezes;
int fCount, hCount, stCount, cCount, sniCount, sneCount;
int d1 = 0, d2 = 0, d3 = 0, d4 = 0, d5 = 0, d6 = 0;
int odd_d1, odd_d3, odd_d5, sum,modSum, divSum, check, check_1, count;
char fever_rep, headache_rep, soreThroat_rep, cough_rep, sniffles_rep, sneezes_rep;

main()
{
  printf("Clark Hospital Diagnositic Center \n\n");
 
   for(;;)
/***/{

      printf("\n Enter the patient number (0 to exit): ");
      scanf(" %i", &patNum);

      if(patNum == 0)
       {
        printf("\n User has ended program \n"
               " Program will now terminate");
        exit(1);
       }

      temp = patNum;

      /* Patient Number Extraction */    

      d6 = temp % 10;
      temp = temp / 10;
      printf(" %i", d6);

      d5 = temp % 10;
      temp = temp / 10;
      printf(" %i", d5);

      d4 = temp % 10;
      temp = temp / 10;
      printf(" %i", d4);

      d3 = temp % 10;
      temp = temp / 10;
      printf(" %i", d3);
  
      d2 =temp % 10;
      temp = temp / 10;
      printf(" %i", d2);

      d1 = temp % 10;
      temp = temp / 10;
      printf(" %i", d1);      

          
      /* Patient Number Verificaton */

      odd_d1 = d1 * 2;
      odd_d3 = d3 * 2;
      odd_d5 = d5 * 2;

      if(odd_d1 > 10)
        odd_d1 = (odd_d1 % 10) + 1;
     

      if(odd_d3 > 10)
        odd_d3 = (odd_d3 % 10) + 1;

      if(odd_d5 > 10)
        odd_d5 = (odd_d5 % 10) + 1;

    
      sum = odd_d5 + odd_d3 + odd_d1 + d4 + d2;

      modSum = sum % 10;
      divSum = sum / 10;
      check = (divSum + 1) * 10;
      check_1 = check - sum;
      
      if(check_1 == d6)
        break;

      printf("\n The Patient Number %i is invalid \n", patNum);
      
     
/***/}    

  printf("\nWhich of the following symptoms does the patient have (Y for yes, N for no)\n\n");

  /* Fever Input Response */
  
  while(fCount == 0)
  {
  printf("     Fever -------- ");
  scanf(" %c", &fever_rep);
     if(fever_rep == 'Y' || fever_rep == 'y')
      {
       symptoms = symptoms + 1;
       fever = 1;
       fCount = 1;
       break;
      }        
     if(fever_rep == 'N' || fever_rep == 'n')
      {
       fever = 0;
       fCount = 1;
       break;
      }
     if((fever_rep != 'Y' || fever_rep != 'y') || (fever_rep != 'N' || fever_rep != 'n'))
      {
       printf("\n      Invalid Entry\n");
       continue;
      }
   }

  /* Headache Input Response */
  
  while(hCount == 0)
  {
  printf("     Headache ----- ");
  scanf(" %c", &headache_rep);
     if(headache_rep == 'Y' || headache_rep == 'y')
      {
       symptoms = symptoms + 1;
       headache = 1;
       hCount = 1;
       break;
      }        
     if(headache_rep == 'N' || headache_rep == 'n')
      {
       headache = 0;
       hCount = 1;
       break;
      }
     if((headache_rep != 'Y' || headache_rep != 'y') || (headache_rep != 'N' || headache_rep != 'n'))
      {
       printf("\n      Invalid Entry\n");
       continue;
      }
   }

  /* Sore Throat Input Response */
  
  while(stCount == 0)
  {
  printf("     Sore Throat -- ");
  scanf(" %c", &soreThroat_rep);
     if(soreThroat_rep == 'Y' || soreThroat_rep == 'y')
      {
       symptoms = symptoms + 1;
       soreThroat = 1;
       stCount = 1;
       break;
      }        
     if(soreThroat_rep == 'N' || soreThroat_rep == 'n')
      {
       soreThroat = 0;
       stCount = 1;
       break;
      }
     if((soreThroat_rep != 'Y' || soreThroat_rep != 'y') || (soreThroat_rep != 'N' || soreThroat_rep != 'n'))
      {
       printf("      Invalid Entry\n");
       continue;
      }
   }

  /* Cough Input Response */
  
  while(cCount == 0)
  {
  printf("     Cough -------- ");
  scanf(" %c", &cough_rep);
     if(cough_rep == 'Y' || cough_rep == 'y')
      {
       symptoms = symptoms + 1;
       cough = 1;
       cCount = 1;
       break;
      }        
     if(cough_rep == 'N' || cough_rep == 'n')
      {
       cough = 0;
       cCount = 1;
       break;
      }
     if((cough_rep != 'Y' || cough_rep != 'y') || (cough_rep != 'N' || cough_rep != 'n'))
      {
       printf("\n      Invalid Entry\n");
       continue;
      }
   }

    


   /* Sniffles Input Response */
   
   while(sniCount == 0)
   {
   printf("     Sniffles ----- ");
   scanf(" %c", &sniffles_rep);
      if(sniffles_rep == 'Y' || sniffles_rep == 'y')
       {
        symptoms = symptoms + 1;
        sniffles = 1;
        sniCount = 1;
        break;
       }        
      if(sniffles_rep == 'N' || sniffles_rep == 'n')
       {
        sniffles = 0;
        sniCount = 1;
        break;
       }
      if((sniffles_rep != 'Y' || sniffles_rep != 'y') || (sniffles_rep != 'N' || sniffles_rep != 'n'))
       {
        printf("\n      Invalid Entry\n");
        continue;
       }
    }


   /* Sneezes Input Response */
   
   while(sneCount == 0)
   {
   printf("     Sneezes ------ ");
   scanf(" %c", &sneezes_rep);
      if(sneezes_rep == 'Y' || sneezes_rep == 'y')
       {
        symptoms = symptoms + 1;
        sneezes = 1;
        sneCount = 1;
        break;
       }        
      if(sneezes_rep == 'N' || sneezes_rep == 'n')
       {
        sneezes = 0;
        sneCount = 1;
        break;
       }
      if((sneezes_rep != 'Y' || sneezes_rep != 'y') || (sneezes_rep != 'N' || sneezes_rep != 'n'))
       {
        printf("\n      Invalid Entry\n");
        continue;
       }
    }

     

}

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps search this forum for getchar. It comes up more frequently than you might imagine.

[edit]BTW, it's mighty nice to see code in someone's first post within code tags!

[edit=2]Something to mess with:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <ctype.h>

int main(void)
{
   int reply;
   do {
      fputs("prompt> ", stdout);
      fflush(stdout);
      reply = getchar();
      do { int ch; while( (ch = getchar()) != '\n' && ch != EOF ); } while(0);
   } while ( toupper(reply) == 'Y' );
   return 0;
}

/* my output
prompt> yup
prompt> yes
prompt> yellow
prompt> no
*/

just not very well at times

we haven't been introduced to the fflush or comparing to EOF. I'm restricted to material up to a certain point, i'm googled getc & getchar. I got confused on most of it

Originally Posted by daedenilus

we haven't been introduced to the fflush or comparing to EOF. I'm restricted to material up to a certain point, i'm googled getc & getchar. I got confused on most of it

That's too bad. One of the possible return values of getchar is EOF. So it's covered as soon as you read about getchar.

Originally Posted by Dave_Sinkula

That's too bad. One of the possible return values of getchar is EOF. So it's covered as soon as you read about getchar.

I don't quite understand how EOF applies to an input from a keyboard, and will getchar() take care of only the first letter of the string, and ignore the rest so it doesn't carry it down through the rest of the inputs... when i type 'yes' on my keboard when i run my posted program, the input seems to be carried down through the next two responses. I even typed 'yyyyyyy' and it completed the rest of my program for the requested input responses.

EOF is a value that is returned if there is an error. It's good to get to know that getchar is not guaranteed to give you anything.

The do...while loop is what I used to "eat up" characters beyond the first. There are FAQs here on such subjects.

With my posted code... After i input the patient's number "453282" and the program checks it and finds that it's a valid number, it hits symptom portion of my code, for some reason, it goes directly through the loop as if i entered something and gives me a "Invalid Response" message. What am i missing besides and education and a brain.

You're mixing types of input reading. When you type something in, you hit enter. Depending on what you're using to read input, this often times gets left in the input stream. Your next call to reading input sees it.


Quzah.

can you point me in the direction for what i should look up to fix this problem.

okay, i just resolved the problem of the "invalid response" coming up, but i'm still trying to figure out how to stop 'Yes' or any other strings of characters from bring up multiple "invalid responses" or continuing through my loop, like inputting 'yyyyyy' and exiting completely out of my while loop. I used

Code:

fever_rep = toupper(getchar());

whether my instructor likes it or not...

it's hard to find what i'm looking for in FAQ when i don't know what i'm looking for to begin with. Terminology seems to be key with the search function.

* points to http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial.html *