Thread: Strings and Substrings using arrays

I am having troubles with setuping the next part of the question. Also I am not exactly sure if my scanning parts for strings are correct. I'm trying get the using to input a 4 character string (s1), then another string less than 4 characters
(s2) to determine if s2 is a substring of s1.

here is my code so far:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{

	char s1[4];
	char s2[4];

	int i;

	
	printf("\nEnter three character word for string1: ");
	scanf("%s", s1[]);

	printf("\nEnter three characters or less to check for substring in string 1: ");
	scanf("%s", s2[]);

My example that I was going to test was to test the word "CALL" and then s2 would be "ALL".

My problem is to figure out how to get the arrays to notice that the substring s2 is the same as s1. The same characters in the same pattern and direction.

Can anyone help me out, thanks!

I was thinking about it, and would a for loop to scan if the arrays of the s2 is the same as the arrays in the s1. I suppose I would need a nested for loop in this case?

BTW, I can only use the library functions printf and scanf

I see no reason why you couldn't make a nested for loop work.

Think about how you would determine whether one string is a substring of another. And try not to abstract yourself away (in other words, if your answer is "I read it", you need to break that down further).

I would examine each character of the first string...then I would examine each character of the substring, then see if one of the characters match (I suppose from left to right). Then I would do the same process for the next character...

Well, here is in better details:

I would probably assign each character to a specific array for string 1 and string 2. I would then examine the substring's first character and then try and match it up with the strings. Then for the subtrings second character, it would have to be right after the character of the first string.
Once I don't see anymore matches, then the process is complete

Does that sound reasonable?

Originally Posted by dcwang3

I would examine each character of the first string...then I would examine each character of the substring, then see if one of the characters match (I suppose from left to right). Then I would do the same process for the next character...

Well, here is in better details:

I would probably assign each character to a specific array for string 1 and string 2. I would then examine the substring's first character and then try and match it up with the strings. Then for the subtrings second character, it would have to be right after the character of the first string.
Once I don't see anymore matches, then the process is complete

Does that sound reasonable?

Absolutely.

Originally Posted by dcwang3

I would probably assign each character to a specific array for string 1 and string 2.

I have no idea what you mean by this. I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter though.

Originally Posted by dcwang3

I would then examine the substring's first character and then try and match it up with the strings.

Good start -- but remember you can only look at one character at a time (from each string). You're "reading" again; you'll have to be way more explicit about "try and match it up".

Originally Posted by dcwang3

Then for the subtrings second character, it would have to be right after the character of the first string.

Right.

Originally Posted by dcwang3

Once I don't see anymore matches, then the process is complete

Does that sound reasonable?

There are three ways to run out of matches: running out of letters in the substring, running out of letters in the string, and finding two letters in position that don't match. You'll have to deal with each separately.

what is the best way and easiest way to do this then?

Originally Posted by dcwang3

what is the best way and easiest way to do this then?

You're headed in the right direction. You just need to be ready to break those steps down to the point where you can actually get them in a program.

Originally Posted by Elysia

Regarding scanf.
http://cboard.cprogramming.com/showp...37&postcount=9

so the way I did it is incorrect, or it is correct but shouldn't be used?

can someone tell me what the appropriate way to get the user's input of string characters?

Use fgets for it. Theres an example of how to use it in the faq.