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[elad]

there shouldn't be a { between the function name and the list of function arguments. Therefore this:

void getboard {(qtype item);

should be this:

void getboard (qtype item)
{

or this:

void getboard (qtype item) {

and likewise in all of the functions.

There should not be a semicolon after the closing brace } of functions.

strcpy() has two arguments, the destination char array comes first, then a comma, then the source char array. None of your calls to strcpy() follow that format. The source string presumably will come from the file you are reading, but your code never actually reads anything from file, that is there are no calls to >> or get() or getline() or whatever. Given the string is a title of a post or a question raised, there will probably be spaces embedded in the string so you will probably want to use getline() to read the file data in. Given that there will probably be many questions stored in the FAQ you will probably want to store the input in a container of some sort to search, although you could do a strcmp() to compare each string as it is read in with the string from the users post and if there isn't a "match" go to the next string in the file. All of this however, still doesn't settle how you are going to accomplish the matching process given the wide latitude/variability in phrasing questions. The matching process is somehting that probably is in the realm of artificial intelligence, and since I have enough trouble with my own, that topic is far beyond my capability.

[salvelinus]

Originally posted by Denethor2000
easier and more practical way :

#include <iostream.h>

int main()
{
        cout<<"Hello World";
}

you trying too hard

Forgot return 0;

[rev_happy]

Both of you forgot that I defined my varables as arrays, and then used them as static varables.

Salvanius, you are WAY ahead of the game here. I agree, AI would be useful in finding the correct results, but I need something that works, first, and that is perfect, eventually.

Elad, you are being very helpful in your response, but I learn by example, so some of your response, while very relevant, is greek to me. Here is what I could manage:

#include <iostream.h>
#include <fstream.h>
#include <string.h>

struct qtype {
   char board [80];
   char title [80];
   char body  [80];
}

void getboard (qtype item);
  { ifstream sourcefile ("board.txt");
    
   if (sourcefile.fail())
      cerr << "Error opening board.txt...";
   else
      (while ! sourcefile.eof());
         strcpy (item.board);
         
             
   sourcefile.close();
   return;
}

void gettitle (qtype item);
  { ifstream sourcefile ("title.txt");
    
   if (sourcefile.fail())
      cerr << "Error opening title.txt...";
   else
      (while ! sourcefile.eof());
         strcpy (item.title);
      
             
   sourcefile.close();
   return;
}

void getbody (qtype item);
 {  ifstream sourcefile ("body.txt");
    
   if (sourcefile.fail())
      cerr << "Error opening body.txt...";
   else
      (while ! sourcefile.eof());
         strcpy (item.body);
      
             
   sourcefile.close();
   return;
}
 
void output {
   cout << board << endl;
   cout << title << endl;   
   cout << body  << endl;
      
}

return 0; 

If you can repair this one, I will understand:

void getboard (qtype item);
  { ifstream sourcefile ("board.txt");
    
   if (sourcefile.fail())
      cerr << "Error opening board.txt...";
   else
      (while ! sourcefile.eof());
         strcpy (item.board);
         
             
   sourcefile.close();
   return;
}
return 0; 

Then I need to add the varable to make the three arrays, then there must be a way to load these three in one step, instead of three, as I have it now.

Please rember what Im trying to do in this step
1 load the three string values

the next step is
2 post them to what is loaded into "board", a form

then add
1.5 check to see if "title" already exists"

then add
3 post multiple boards

then add
4 set for other titles to match the same response

[rev_happy]

void getboard (qtype item);
  { ifstream sourcefile ("board.txt");
    
   if (sourcefile.fail())
      cerr << "Error opening board.txt...";
   else
      (while ! sourcefile.eof());
         strcpy (item.board,"board.txt");
         getline(item.board);
             
   sourcefile.close();
   return;
}
return 0; 

strcpy() has two arguments, the destination char array comes first, then a comma, then the source char array. None of your calls to strcpy() follow that format. The source string presumably will come from the file you are reading, but your code never actually reads anything from file, that is there are no calls to >> or get() or getline() or whatever. Given the string is a title of a post or a question raised, there will probably be spaces embedded in the string so you will probably want to use getline() to read the file data in.

So like this?

[elad]

#include <frstream.h>  //I don't have an up to date compiler

int main()
{
  char FAQtitles[3][80];
  ofstream fout("FAQfile.txt");
  char dummy[80];
  char searchFor[80];
  int i;
  char continue = 'y';
  char found = 'n';

  //get input for the FAQ File, you can get this from where ever you
  // want.  
  for(i = 0; i < 3; i++)
  {
     cout << "enter FAQ title" << endl;
     cin.getline(dummy, 80);
     fout << dummy;
  }

  //user enters multidimensional arrays, File I/O, pointers for titles 
  //in FAQ file

  //open FAQfile for searching;
  ifstream fin("FAQfile.txt");
  
  //allow user to search FAQ file
  while(continue == 'y')
  {
     //obtain input to search the FAQ file for
     cout << "enter title to search the FAQ file for" << end;
     cin.getline(searchFor, 80);
    
    while(found == 'n' && fin)
    {
       fin.getline(dummy, 80);
       if(strcmp(dummy, searchFor) == 0)
       {
           found = 'y';
       }
     }
     
      //if found is n, then search failed, if found is y the search succeeded
     if(found == 'y')
     {
        cout << "title entered matches one of the titles in the FAQ   
                   file" << endl;
      }
      else 
          cout << "the title " << searchFor << " not found." << endl;
      
     //determine if user wishes to search further
     cout << "enter y to continue and any other key to stop" <<endl;
     cin >> continue;
    } 

  return 0;
}

The above (uncompiled and untested) program is an (over)simplistic demonstration regarding techniques that could be used to create and search a FAQ file. Because of the limitations regarding interpretting input, however, if the user searched the above FAQ file for the title "File I/O" the search should succeed, but if they entered "using Files" it wouldn't. Likewise if they searched using "2D arrays" rather than "multidimensional arrays" it wouldn't work. Even if they searched using "Mulitdimensional arrays" or "pointer" it wouldn't work (although thoe problems could be more readily overcome). This interpretation of input rather than simple equivalency testing is the biggest technical hurdle in the overall process. The techniques to do it are well outside the scope of my knowledge.

[rev_happy]

I agree, the code for adapting this to FAQ searches will be complex, but we can slove that when we come to it.

The focus right now should be on the first part of the problem.

checking a particular webpage for a specific post,

if it is not there, posting it,
if it is there, going on to the next board.

I think you are skipping forward to the really complex stuff, which I can help answer once I get a working knowlege of this language.

I hope to attack this problem one step at a time.

Load title, body and location
check location for title
if =='n' then post title and body

I know, you want to do the fun stuff.

[Denethor2000]

Originally posted by salvelinus

Forgot return 0;

...........
........

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.....
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.....oh boohoo. I generated a warning. Time to jump off a bridge....