UCHAR conversion to char []

I think I am missing the concept behind the unassigned char. I understand that UCHAR stands for unassigned char. I am not used to this format however. I am using it to connect and run sql commands to MS SQL Server db.

My problem is, I want a combination of different string variables to make one large string and pass that as my sql statement. I am familiar with combining strings like this:

Code:

//using string.h namespace std;
string char1 ="Hello ";
string char2= "World";
char1 += char2;
//char1 now equals "Hello World"
//and to pass this value to file or ouput
strcpy(somestring, char1.c_str());

However how can I take a variable type of UCHAR and a character of arrays that can be passed to a handle such as:

Code:

char  buff[128]  = "Select Routename, LotID, Location FROM sublot WHERE LotID like '05101182025734%'";
UCHAR                   szSqlStr[128];

//open db code ect.... and then combine variables and execute
//currently trying to do this without success
sprintf((char *)szSqlStr,"%p",&buff);
cout <<szSqlStr<<endl;

/*//it looks correct on screen but I get garbage back, and I know the statement works because when I set the szSqlStr equal to this directly it works */

//part that is returning junk
 // Prepare the SQL statement by assigning it to the statement handle

                                retcode = SQLPrepare (hStmt, szSqlStr, sizeof (szSqlStr));

  

                                // Execute the SQL statement handle

                                retcode = SQLExecute (hStmt);

                                

                                // Project only column 1 which is the models

                                SQLBindCol (hStmt, 1, SQL_C_CHAR, szRoutename, sizeof(szRoutename), &cbRoutename);
								SQLBindCol (hStmt, 2, SQL_C_CHAR, szLotID, sizeof(szLotID), &cbLotID);
								SQLBindCol (hStmt, 3, SQL_C_CHAR, szLocation, sizeof(szLocation), &cbLocation);
  

                                // Get row of data from the result set defined above in the statement

                                retcode = SQLFetch (hStmt);

								cout <<szRoutename<<endl;
								cout <<szLotID<<endl;
								cout <<szLocation<<endl;

Sorry if that took too long to get out... Thanks for any help, this is driving me nutz!

Sorry I meant to put this in the C++ forum.

UCHAR is an unsigned char.
Also, you use:
sprintf((char *)szSqlStr,"%p",&buff);

%p prints out the memory location that a pointer is pointing at. I think you want %s, which would be replaced with the string. (Be sure that szSqlStr is long enough for buff)
sprintf((char *)szSqlStr, "%s", buff);

[EDIT] Since you're not changing buff, you could pass buff as the SQL query. Also: http://www.cplusplus.com/ref/cstdio/printf.html

sorry I meant to change that back originally I had used the

Code:

sprintf ((char*)szSqlStr, "%s", buff);

however that did not work. I don't think I am over loading the varaible. Still puzzled, I am looking at the link now. Thanks for the reply, any other ideas are greatly appreciated.

You could try:

Code:

strcpy( (char*)szSqlStr, buff );

But if sprintf() doesn't work, I doubt strcpy() will either.

no luck, on the strcpy, I tried that one ealier without success, again it looked good on the cout<< however the return was garble.

Wonder if this is because of the null character at the end of the array of char, buffer? Maybe it does not recognize that in my statement when passing it to the db as a sql statement?

That was it, the null character, I just chopped it off by shortning my UCHAR by one less than the char string and it worked! I got my designated results!

Code:

char buff [81] = "my statement";
UCHAR szSqlStr [80]; // this got rid of the null character!

// the results came back good!

Using this code:

Code:

char buff [81] = "my statement";
UCHAR szSqlStr [80];

sprintf((char *) szSqlStr, "%s", buff);

There is still a null at the end of szSqlStr, as sprintf null terminates your string. And, if the string in buff is 80 bytes long, then 81 bytes is written to szSqlStr! This may or may not crash your program, and in any case, the null is still there.

You have a cout statement in your original post. What is szSqlStr after using sprintf/strcpy? (Better yet: use C++ strings. I have no experience with C++ strings, but they'd probably be easier and safer to use.) If the string is correct, what do the SQL functions return?

Not sure what you mean Cactus.. I think I see your point, it may have been a fluke with the null terminator, however, the way I did my calcs it appears to work. When you say C++ strings are you referring to CString?

Please don't think I'm being snide, I like your idea about bullet proofing the code. Objective return is my goal. I think your point was that I am still returning a null terminator at the end of a string either way. But what I am trying to figure out is, if I join strings do I carry a single null terminator and dump the rest? Or do they all carry along with the new string? Trying to effort that now.