Thread: Question With Functions

I don't know how to explain it any better than I have. It has nothing to do with the fact that it's a function. If you were doing it in main() it would have the same problem. You're overwriting the value of nSuit before you use it. The value you're passing to the function is doing meaningless because you're overwriting it.

Maybe someone else will have better luck explaining it.

Yes, try that. That should give you a consistent output.

Also, if you use an array you could avoid all the switch/case stuff. For example, something like:

Code:

{
  char *suits[] = { "Hearts", "Spades", "Diamonds", "Clubs" };
  int nSuit = rand()%4;

  puts(suits[nSuit]);
}

Also, the return values of your functions, aka cCard and cSuit are never assigned anything. That may also be why you're getting some unexpected results.

Read my comment above. Also, you won't be able to print the entire string generated in your DealCard function unless you make DealCard return a character pointer (but I don't know if you're learned that yet).

I think this is kind of what you're trying to do. At any rate, maybe it will help you see how functions work:

Code:

itsme@itsme:~/C$ cat card.c
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <time.h>

int pick_random_card(void)
{
  return rand() % 52;
}

char *card_to_str(int card)
{
  char *values[] = { "Ace", "Two", "Three", "Four", "Five", "Six",
                     "Seven", "Eight", "Nine", "Ten", "Jack", "Queen", "King" };
  char *suits[] = { "Hearts", "Spades", "Diamonds", "Clubs" };
  int value;
  int suit;
  static char buf[100];

  value = card % 13;
  suit = card % 4;

  sprintf(buf, "%s of %s", values[value], suits[suit]);
  return buf;
}

int main(void)
{
  int card;
  char *str;
  int i;

  srand(time(NULL));

  // Show 5 random cards
  for(i = 0;i < 5;++i)
  {
    card = pick_random_card();
    str = card_to_str(card);
    puts(str);
  }

  return 0;
}

Code:

itsme@itsme:~/C$ ./card
Six of Diamonds
Five of Clubs
Six of Spades
Nine of Spades
Ace of Diamonds
itsme@itsme:~/C$

Originally Posted by jarvis

i didnt assign any expression to it cuz i just need a variable to store whatever the switch would return.

Yeah, ok, but even if that's what you want to do, you're not doing it.

Originally Posted by jarvis

ur right, the example in my book put an expression in the return varibale, but that's because the function example in my book is mathematical, it's computing for something, in my case i just want it to return a string...

Then your function will have to return a char*.

do i really need to learn character pointers to print strings from a function?

You do if you want to return a string from a function. Alternatively, you could pass your array to the function and fill it in the function. Then you could just print it in main() without your function having to actually return it.

While trying to learn how functions work, I would definitely start with something simpler than strings. Play with integers or something first until you see how those work.

Originally Posted by jarvis

by the way, do i really need to learn character pointers to print strings from a function? got to ask our teacher about it, havent learned that yet.

Yes, you will have to, so you might want to get on that as soon as possible.