Thread: Need Help With Strings N Things

Hey guys -

I'm a c++ n00b, but I'm slowly starting to get the hang of it. For a bonus assignment in class, we have to make a little survey type application, and then the output just restates what the user put in (I guess to show we know how to I/O).

I'm having trouble with the address and college major inputs. Because they both most likely will have spaces in whatever the user inputs, it's messing me all up! Please take a look at my code and tell me what I'm doing wrong!

Code:

// Personal Survey
// Jennifer Tonon
// 10-12-05
// This progam stores personal information entered by a user, and repeats
// it back to them for confirmation.

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

   int main()
   
   {
      char cName [15]; // user's first name
      char cLast [15]; // user's last name
      string cAddress; // user's street address
      char cCity [20]; // user's city
      char cState [15]; // user's state
      char cZip [5]; // user's zip code
      char cTelephone [10]; // user's telephone number
      string cMajor; // user's college major
      
      cout << "What is your first name? ";
      cin >> cName;
      cout << "What is your last name? ";
      cin >> cLast;
      cout << "What is your street address? ";
      getline(cin,cAddress,'\n');
      cout << "What is your city? ";
      cin >> cCity;
      cout << "What is your state? ";
      cin >> cState;
      cout << "What is your zip code? ";
      cin >> cZip;
      cout << "What is your telephone number? ";
      cin >> cTelephone;
      cout << "What is your major in college? ";
      getline(cin,cMajor,'\n');
      
    cout <<"Your first name is " << cName <<"\n";
    cout <<"Your last name is " << cLast <<"\n";
        	cout <<"Your street address is " << cAddress << "\n";
        	cout <<"Your city is "<< cCity <<"\n";
        	 cout <<"Your state is " << cState <<"\n";
        	cout <<"Your zip code is " << cZip << "\n";
       		cout <<"Your telephone number is " << cTelephone << "\n";
      		cout <<"Your major is " << cMajor << "\n";      		

      
	  system("PAUSE");
      return 0;    
          
          
   }

usless there is a reeeeeally goood reason for doing so, you should replace all those c-stylde character arrays with c++ std::string class. getline() will accept everything typed, including spaces. But you normally need to only specify the first two arguments to getline(). And don't forget the using namespace clause, or your compiler will complain like he!!

Code:

using std::string;
using std::cin;
using std::getline;
string cMajor;
getline(cin,cMajor);

You are using cin>> to get some input, then later using getline to get some more input. This poses a problem because the two methods work a little differently.

When you get input from a user, the user types in their data and hits <enter>. When you use cin>> to get that input from the user, it reads in the data but leaves the newline from the <enter> in the input stream. Normally this isn't an issue because it is skiped over the next time you use cin>>. However, the getline function doesn't skip over the newline character. Instead, it stops as soon as it reads the first one. So if you use getline after cin>>, you will not get any information because it will stop at the leftover newline.

The solution is to add cin.ignore() after a call to cin>> that comes before a call to getline (or just do it after every call to cin>>).

And I agree that all your variables should be strings instead of char arrays.

Thanks guys, your advice worked like a charm! You saved my butt big time!