Thread: New to pointers - allocation problem

  1. #1
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    New to pointers - allocation problem

    Hi,

    I'm trying to use an array of strings as:

    char *str[MAX]

    I'm trying to store each a_id in the str. But after running the follwoing code I find that only the 1st a_id was assigned in all str indices.I've not assigned str to anything!
    I know that its some sort of stale pointer thats creating the problem.How to allocate for str?
    Could you please shed some light upon this?

    Code:
    while(!feof(f))
    		  {
    			fgets (all_id, 100 , f);
    			sscanf (all_id,"%*s %s %s",a_id,d_id);
    			str[i] = a_id;
    Thanks,
    Angkar

  2. #2
    Registered User 00Sven's Avatar
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    Code:
    sscanf (all_id,"%*s %s %s",a_id,d_id);
    Why is there a * there?

    Why it's bad to use feof() to control a loop
    ~Sven
    Last edited by 00Sven; 04-23-2006 at 05:53 PM.
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  3. #3
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    Whats the solution then?

  4. #4
    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    It should probably be
    Code:
     fgets (all_id, 100 , f);
    sscanf (all_id,"%s %s %s",a_id,d_id);
    str[][i] = a_id;
    Identifiers dont have an asterisk.

    When you have an array of strings like this, the first dimension is the actual "string" and the second one is that string's place in the array. Since you indexed the first dimension like that, you overwrote the first character of each string.
    Last edited by whiteflags; 04-23-2006 at 06:01 PM.

  5. #5
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    str[][i] = a_id; is not working - a syntax error!
    also * was in sscanf - its used to ignore the string that I dont want to read!

  6. #6
    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    I see, well write str*[i] = a_id; istead.

  7. #7
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    Now if I print within the while loop str is showing all the values!
    But when I try to print outside its losing them!
    Strange!

  8. #8
    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    Outside the loop, treat it like a normal array.
    Code:
     printf( "%s \n", str[i]);
    where i is whatever string you need.

    You need to dereference str to change it, but not to read.

  9. #9
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    There is no difference between *[] and [][] i think!
    And I'm using printf( "%s \n", str[i]); outside the loop!Somhow its value is changin there!

  10. #10
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    You need to allocate memory for each row of data
    Code:
    while ( i < MAX && fgets (all_id, 100 , f) != NULL ) {
      if ( sscanf (all_id,"%*s %s %s",a_id,d_id) == 2 ) {
        str[i] = malloc ( strlen(a_id) + 1 );
        strcpy(str[i], a_id);
        i++;
      }
    }
    Assuming that is all your other variables like a_id are arrays and not pointers.
    If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
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