storing string

Hi All,

I am trying to storing a string of text in to a variable, but I dont know which data type I should use. Unlike VB6, C doesn't have String variable. char can only store a character at time(if I not wrong). The problem of using the array is that it is unknown length of text, therefore I can not set the array size. I know that there is something calls vector in C++. But in this assignment, we are not suppose to use vector as we not there yet.

Thank you very much for any input.

You'll want an array of char. For dynamic allocation, look into malloc. Please also visit the FAQ.

The simplest way is using a fixed size array. Otherwise it gets complicated:
You should allocate some memory and add to it each time you are getting more chars.
If you are using C++ you can use string data-type by including <string> header.
C99 has VLA that I don't know can help or not (I'm not sure if its size can be changed in that way).

Code:

main()
{

       char *ptText;//pointer
       int intCnt = 0;//is a number of character in the array
       ptText = malloc(intCnt * sizeof(int)); //allocate the memory

       printf("Please enter your text: \n");

        while(getchar() !='\n')
         {
                 scanf("%s", ptText[intCnt]);
                  ptText[intCnt] = getchar(); // assign to the array using pointer
                  intCnt++; //counter
           }

            printf("You have entered \%s\n", ptText);
           return  0;

}

Please see what I did wrong as the program is not run. The purpose of the program is to take the string of text (unknown of lenght) from input and output it. The problem is we dont know the length of the text string. otherwise i'd use the pre-determined arrary size.

Thanks.

Well, you'll probably need to start with more than zero characters of space. And then realloc as things grow. And remember to make the string 1 larger for the null character.

As you are reading in each character, you'll want to store it instead of merely discarding it. And don't use scanf like that -- with %s -- and don't mix it with getchar.

There is an FAQ on reading text from the user. It uses a fixed buffer, and so can you if you then realloc only when you've exceeded that size.

[edit]This really amounts to implementing something akin to C++'s getline for string in C, which would seem to be less than a trivial exercise.

I did some modifications as you to, still not runing. Can you please tell me what is wrong, more specific. I've spent all day, today tried to figure out but no success. Please help. Thanks.

main()
{

char ch; //declare the variable
char *ptText;//pointer
int intCnt = 1;//is a number of character in the array
ptText = malloc(intCnt * sizeof(int)); //allocate the memory

printf("Please enter your text: \n");
ch = getchar();

while(ch !='\n')
{
intCnt++;
ch = getchar();
ptText[intCnt] = ch;
printf("You have entered: \%c\n\", ptText[intCnt]);
}

return 0;

}

This is a code by Bjarne Stroustrup. {EDITED}

Code:

#define TRUE 1
#define FALSE 0
void quit()    /*write error message and quit*/
{
    fprintf(stderr,"memory exhausted\n");
    exit(1);
}
int main()
{
    int i;
    int max = 20;
    char* name=(char*) malloc(max);   /*allocate buffer*/
    if(name == 0) quit();
    printf("Please enter your first name:\n");
    while(TRUE){                /*skip leading white space*/
          int c = getchar();
          if(c == EOF) break;   /*end of file*/
          if(!isspace(c)){
                ungetc(c, stdin);
                break;
          }
    }
    
      i = 0;
    while(TRUE){
          int c = getchar();
          if(c == '\n'|| c == EOF){   /*at end; add terminating zero*/
                name[i] = 0;
                break;
          }
          name[i] = c;
          if(i == max-1){    /*buffer full*/
                max = max + max;
                name =(char*)realloc(name,max);  /*get a new and larger buffer*/
                if(name == 0)quit();
          }
          i++;
    }
    printf("Hello %s\n", name);
    free(name);   /*release memory*/
    return 0;
}

Please explain your program logic and what you are trying to do.

- read a line fragment into a fixed-length buffer using fgets
- allocate space to store the string fragment
- copy the buffer to the allocated space.
- repeat until you get the "end of the string", whatever you consider that to be (say EOF or a newline).

How you manage your very long string in memory is up to you - a single large string or a linked list of fragments is equally possible.

I don't see the point declaring a buffer as a pointer, why can't you simply do it like this:

Code:

char name[256];

> This is a code by Bjarne Stroustrup.
Wow - I would never have thought Bjarne would be capable of that level of incompetence at writing a C program. Where did you find this code of his?

> void quit() / /write error message and quit
This isn't even a C++ comment, nevermind a C comment.

> char* name=(char*) malloc(max);
Casting malloc in C is poor form.

> while(true)
true isn't a C keyword.

> int i = 0;
C doesn't support embedded declarations.

> name =(char*)realloc(name,max);
Classic realloc usage bug - if realloc fails, you have a memory leak.

Where did you find this code of his?

His site. An article named "Learning Standard C++ as a New Language".

> void quit() / /write error message and quit
This isn't even a C++ comment, nevermind a C comment.

It is is my mistake not Stroustrup's.

true isn't a C keyword.

I noted at the end of post.

I think Stroustrup was writing this code in a C++ compiler.

> name =(char*)realloc(name,max);
Classic realloc usage bug - if realloc fails, you have a memory leak.

I don't know. Maybe he wanted to keep the code simple.

char name[256];

What if the user input was more that 256 chars?

What is 'true'?

When I compiled, it say 'true' undelared (first use in this function).

Thanks.

I edited the code. Recompile it.
True is a C++ keyword. But has no meaning for C compiler. You should add that "#define true 1 [edit: deleted].

Originally Posted by Salem

> while(true)
true isn't a C keyword.

Well, in fact everything Salem mentioned is a problem, as we are compiling C.
You just need to make a few changes to get Mr. Stroustrup's code to work:

Code:

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

void quit(void) {
    fprintf(stderr, "memory exhausted.\n");
    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}

int main(void) {
    size_t max = 20;
    char *name = malloc(max);
    char *morename;
    int ch, i;

    if (name == NULL) quit();
    printf("Please enter your name: \n");
    /* skipping whitespace */
    do
       ch = getchar();
    while (ch != EOF && isspace(ch));
    ungetc(ch, stdin);

    for (i = 0; ; i++) /* add terminating zero */
    {
        ch = getchar();
        if (ch == '\n' || ch == EOF)
        {
            name[i] = '\0';
            break;
        }
        name[i] = ch;
        if (i == max - 1) /* buffer full */
        {
            max = max + max;
            morename = realloc(name, max);
            if (morename == NULL)
            {
                free(name);
                name = NULL;
                quit();
            }
            name = morename;
        }
    }
    printf("Hello %s.\n", name);
    free(name);
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

I edited it to be fully C compliant.