hey everyone,
I have some strings in argv that I need to concatenate to another
string, for example:
// argv[0] = "1"
// argv[1] = "2"
char *cmd = "ls"
*cmd after concatenating will be "ls 1 2"
thanks.
hey everyone,
I have some strings in argv that I need to concatenate to another
string, for example:
// argv[0] = "1"
// argv[1] = "2"
char *cmd = "ls"
*cmd after concatenating will be "ls 1 2"
thanks.
As you have it now, cmd is a pointer to a string literal which cannot be concatenated to as it's read-only. cmd must be a buffer (character array) or a pointer to dynamically allocated chunk of memory of sufficient size that is writable. After that, you can use sprintf/snprintf or the strcpy/strcat family of functions to get what you want.
Code:char *cmd = malloc(20); // 20 is just an example size strcpy(cmd,"ls "); strcat(cmd,argv[0]); strcat(cmd," "); strcat(cmd,argv[1]);
Last edited by hk_mp5kpdw; 08-21-2007 at 08:01 AM. Reason: forgot the strcat of the space between argv[0] and argv[1]
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-Christopher Hitchens
thanks.
I'm not sure exactly how much memory to allocate and I'm aware of
security issues that could occur with that so I looked up strcpy and
maybe I should use strncpy?
I thought of something like this, not sure it's ok:
char *cmd1 = "ls ";
char *cmd = malloc(20);
strncpy(cmd, cmd1, sizeof(cmd1));
strncat(cmd, argv[0], sizeof(argv[0]));
strcat(cmd, " ");
strncat(cmd, argv[1], sizeof(argv[1]));
printf("string is: %s \n", cmd);
free(cmd1) // this is also required to clear the memory, isn't it?
thanks again.
edit: actually I tried that and it doesn't print it very well, also it seems like it prints some junk characters...
edit2: if I replaced all the strn* functions with the strcpy/strcat functions it works well, where is the problem...?
Last edited by liri; 08-21-2007 at 08:20 AM. Reason: edit2
> strncpy(cmd, cmd1, sizeof(cmd1));
sizeof() is not the thing to use when you're dealing with pointers. It only tells you the size of the pointer, not the length of the string it is pointing to. Try strlen() instead.
The 3rd parameter to strncpy() should really be something to do with the size of where you're copying to (to prevent buffer overflow). Otherwise, there is no point and you may as well use strcpy() and strcat()
If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.
Also, whenever you use strn*(), you have to add the NULL terminator yourself if you want one. This is the reason that your code worked with strcpy()+strcat(), but not with strncpy()+strncat(): strncpy() took a string, say "string", and took sizeof(char *) characters (that is, 4) from it. It didn't add a NULL, as strncpy() is wont to do. So when you printed this string, there was "stri" plus some random characters from memory, until there happened to be a NULL.
dwk
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"Testing can only prove the presence of bugs, not their absence." -- Edsger Dijkstra
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The length you need for the buffer will be strlen(cmd) + strlen of each argv + number of spaces + 1 for the null terminator.
I might be wrong.
Quoted more than 1000 times (I hope).Thank you, anon. You sure know how to recognize different types of trees from quite a long way away.
how about this:Originally Posted by dwks
strncpy(cmd, cmd1, strlen(cmd1));
strncat(cmd, argv[0], strlen(argv[0]);
strcat(cmd, " ");
strncat(cmd, argv[1], strlen(argv[1]);
strcat(cmd, "\0"); // this being the NULL terminating string
printf("string: %s \n", cmd);
free(cmd);
this still doesn't work right although better than before.
thanks.
Try it with just strcpy and strcat for now.
The "strn" functions are a lot trickier to use when it comes to placing the \0 in the result.
> strcat(cmd, "\0");
But strcat() begins by searching for a \0. So if there isn't one your code is broken.
And if there is one, it does nothing.
If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.
How about:
sprintf(cmd,"%s%s %s",cmd1, argv[0], argv[1]);
Look at snprintf for something a bit more secure.
Or...
Code:char *cmd; int len; l = strlen(cmd1) + strlen(argv[0]) + strlen(argv[1]); cmd = malloc(len+2); strcpy(cmd, cmd1); strcat(cmd,argv[0]); strcat(cmd, " "); strcat(cmd, argv[1]); printf("%s\n", cmd); free (cmd);
sprintf is good if you're going to use multiple variables to concatenate, but no need to do it if its only one or two concatenations with one or two variables.
I think in this case I'd rather read and write 1 line of code vs 5.
I believe that snprintf() is less portable, however. I think that it's C99 and not C89.Look at snprintf for something a bit more secure.
dwk
Seek and ye shall find. quaere et invenies.
"Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it." -- Alan Perlis
"Testing can only prove the presence of bugs, not their absence." -- Edsger Dijkstra
"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." -- John Powell
Other boards: DaniWeb, TPS
Unofficial Wiki FAQ: cpwiki.sf.net
My website: http://dwks.theprogrammingsite.com/
Projects: codeform, xuni, atlantis, nort, etc.
