Problem passing a pointer

All I am trying to do here is change the first letter to a capital. While I'm in the function makefirstcapital the first letter is changed, the odd part comes when I go back to main firstname is bumped to secondname, and firstname has random stuff in it.

Code:

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

void makefirstcapital(char*);
using namespace std;

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{

  char first[20],second[20];
  cout<<"First name:";
  cin>>first;
  cout<<endl<<"Second name:";
  cin>>second;
  makefirstcapital(first);
  cout<<endl<<first;  



  
  cout<<endl;system("PAUSE");	
  return 0;
}
 

void makefirstcapital(char *name)
{
  char switchchar[1];

  switchchar[0]=name[0];
  strupr(switchchar);
  name[0]=switchchar[0];
}

Am I passing the pointer wrong? I appologize if this is a noobish question.

try this instead:

Code:

void makefirstcapital(char *name)
{
  *name = toupper((unsigned char) (*name) );
}

strupr() changes the entire string to upper case.

edit: Just realized that I forgot the assignment back from toupper(). Sorry about that.

You need to make switchchar 2 characters long and assign a '\0' to switchchar[1] before calling strupr(switchchar).

just for fun -

Code:

char * strformal(char * str)
{
 bool ready = true;
 for(int index = 0; str[index] != 0; ++index) {
  if(isalpha(str[index])) {
   if(ready) {
     ready = false;
     str[index] = toupper(str[index]);
    } else {
     str[index] = tolower(str[index]);
    } 
   } else {
    ready = true;
   }
  }  
 return str;
}


int main(void) {
 char s[] = "joHN s. hiGGens";
 printf("%s\n", strformal(s));
}

Code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

void strformal( char *str )
{
	int i;

	for (i = 0; str[i] != '\0'; i++)
		if ((str[i] >= 'A' && str[i] <= 'Z') || (str[i] >= 'a' && str[i] <= 'z'))
			if (((str[--i] == ' ') & 0x1) ^ (0x1 & (95 > str[++i])))
				str[i] += 32 * ((str[i] < 95) ? 1 : -1);
}


int main( void )
{
	char s[] = " joHN s. hiGGens";
	
	strformal(s);
	cout << s << endl;
}

[edit] A space prefix is neccessary. [/edit]

if u only want to make the first char capital u can use too:

Code:

void makefirstcapital(char *name)
{
  char capital = name[0] - 32; //-32 gives you the capital letter of each char(ascii code)
  name[0] = capital;
//you can change the 0 by a int variable to change any char number in  the string
}

you can modofy your function too, to receive an integer, this  integer should be the numeber of the char you want capital
looks better for me

>char capital = name[0] - 32; //-32 gives you the capital letter of each char(ascii code)
The world is not in ASCII. If you want something portable outside of the character set and locale that you're used to, use toupper.

I think most of you didn't read what the OP wanted to do.

All I am trying to do here is change the first letter to a capital.

Which means using strupr() is out, there is no need for a local variable in the function, nor any need for poorly written trick coding.

I'm just competing for the Most Crap In Fewest Lines Award

> strupr(switchchar);
Should be:
switchchar[0] = strupr(switchchar[0]);

>Should be:
>switchchar[0] = strupr(switchchar[0]);
It depends on the definition of whichever strupr you use. The function isn't standard, and those that I've seen are defined like this:

Code:

char *
strupr(
  char *src
  )
{
  char *p = src;

  while (*p) {
    *p = toupper((unsigned char)*p);
    ++p;
  }

  return src;
}

src is modified and returned as a pointer to a string, so your idea of passing individual characters won't work. You can pass the address, but that won't have the effect you'd like, I imagine.

>It depends on the definition of whichever strupr you use. The function isn't standard, and those that I've seen are defined like this:

Sorry Prelude, you're right, I was thinking toupper().

Thanks alot everyone. I found out what was causing the problem. Thanks for telling me about the toupper(). I'm learnin a little bit more everyday.
The code I threw up there was just the chunk I had a problem with. It was just a exercise I thought up to use pointers. I found what was causing the problems one was the switchchar[1], should of been switchchar[2](thank you!). The other was my original code I used cin.getline to get first and second, instead of cin>>. For some reason out of the function first was second and second had nothing in it. Thank you again everyone you guys have been a great help.

Originally Posted by bigbadbowlindud

The other was my original code I used cin.getline to get first and second, instead of cin>>. For some reason out of the function first was second and second had nothing in it.

I think (not too sure, maybe someone can correct this), but getline will leave the newline character at the end...so when you called getline or cin again, all you read was the newline? Can someone tell me is this is right????

getline() will discard the newline from the buffer
get() will leave the newline in the buffer