Thread: reading input files with different types of data

I have files with data that I want to use as input. Now heres the problem. The input files are built like this:

Code:

1
2

1.1
2.2

Now the thing I want to do is put the first two values in one array and the second two values in another array. BUT... the size of the arrays depend on how many values there are in the the first cluster. The input file could just as well look like:

Code:

1
2
3

1.1
2.2
3.3

To summarize: I want to get the length of the first cluster before I put it into an array. Perhaps dynamic arrays will do the trick?

If you want the length of the first cluster you must read the file twice (first for calculating the length and second for reading the values). It's better to use dynamic arrays. Here's an example:

Code:

#include <stdlib.h>
#include <malloc.h>

int main(void)
{
  int i;
  int *intArray = NULL;

  for(i = 1; i < 11; i++)
  {
    intArray = (int *)realloc(intArray, i * sizeof(*intArray) );
    intArray[i-1] = i;
  }

  free(intArray);
  return 0;
}

You can store each line of data into a vector. When you encount an empty line, then you can dynamically allocate an array of doubles based on the size of the vector. Copy the data in the vector to your array of doubles. Afterward, empty the vector and continue reading in new data.

Kuphryn

which function returns the existence of the empty line?

You determine the status of a line via the size of the string you read in. For example, if the string you read in for line #15 equals zero, then line #15 is empty.

Kuphryn