Simplifying code

So my code works but I've been told it's too complicated and that I will lose marks unless I simplify it... Any help would be great.

Code:

   while (1)
   {
      c = fgetc(fp);
      if (c == EOF)
         break;
      while ((c == ' ') || (c == '\r') || (c == '\n'))
      {
         c = fgetc(fp);
         if (c == EOF)
            break;
      }
      buffer[0] = c;
      index = 1;
      c = fgetc(fp);
      while ((c != ' ') && (c != '\r') && (c != '\n') && (c != EOF))
      {
         buffer[index] = c;
         index++;
         c = fgetc(fp);
      }
      buffer[index] = '\0';
      empNo = atoi(buffer);
      if (c == EOF)
         break;

      while ((c == ' ') || (c == '\r') || (c == '\n'))
      {
         c = fgetc(fp);
         if (c == EOF)
            break;
      }
      buffer[0] = c;
      index = 1;
      c = fgetc(fp);
      while ((c != ' ') && (c != '\r') && (c != '\n') && (c != EOF))
      {
         buffer[index] = c;
         index++;
         c = fgetc(fp);
      }
      buffer[index] = '\0';
      strcpy(lastName, buffer);
      if (c == EOF)
         break;

      while ((c == ' ') || (c == '\r') || (c == '\n'))
      {
         c = fgetc(fp);
         if (c == EOF)
            break;
      }
      buffer[0] = c;
      index = 1;
      c = fgetc(fp);
      while ((c != ' ') && (c != '\r') && (c != '\n') && (c != EOF))
      {
         buffer[index] = c;
         index++;
         c = fgetc(fp);
      }
      buffer[index] = '\0';
      strcpy(firstName, buffer);
      if (c == EOF)
         break;

      while ((c == ' ') || (c == '\r') || (c == '\n'))
      {
         c = fgetc(fp);
         if (c == EOF)
            break;
      }
      buffer[0] = c;
      index = 1;
      c = fgetc(fp);
      while ((c != ' ') && (c != '\r') && (c != '\n') && (c != EOF))
      {
         buffer[index] = c;
         if (index > 0)
         {
            if ((buffer[index] == '.') && (buffer[index - 1] == '.'))
            {
               printf("\nERROR");
               FreeList();
               fclose(fp);
               return 5;
            }
         }
         index++;
         c = fgetc(fp);
      }
      buffer[index] = '\0';
      hourlyRate = (float)(atof(buffer));

You have three repetitions of this:

Code:

while ((c == ' ') || (c == '\r') || (c == '\n'))
      {
         c = fgetc(fp);
         if (c == EOF)
            break;
      }

Doesn't it seem like they could be combined into just one loop or one function?

Same with the other interior while loops. When you see code blocks that are repeated 3 times in the same function, that's lack of a good design.

Step back and take a functional look at what your program does. Try and see the forest, not just the tree's.

Once you've gone to the trouble to code this nitty gritty Rube Goldberg "and it works", type of program, it's very hard to go back and re-design it from a more top down, perspective.

Adak