C Strings in Structures.

Hi, I'm sorry I don't have my actual code to show give an example, at this time, but I'll try to recreate my problem for you.

Using Dev C++ as a compiler, I found that if I define a character array in a structure and initialized the array inside of main I would get an "Invalid conversion from 'const char*' to 'char'" error.

Can anyone tell me why this is and how it could be fixed?

Here is some example code:

Code:

---


#include <iostream.h>

struct foo {
      char foofoo[10];  // I also tried " char foofoo[] "
      };

int main() {
    foo footwo;
   
    footwo.foofoo[4] = "Foo";  // I also tried just " footwo.foofoo " without
                                  // the array.   
    cout << footwo.foofoo;
   
    cin.get();
   
    return 0; 
}

---

Code:

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10 |  C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\Source Code\RPG.cpp  |  invalid conversion from `const char*' to `char'

---

You can't copy C-strings like this:

Code:

---

    footwo.foofoo[4] = "Foo";  // I also tried just " footwo.foofoo " without
                                  // the array.

---

They do not work like std::string. Instead, try strcpy.

Also note that footwo.foofoo[4] is a single character, not a string. Here is an example of how to use strcpy():
http://www.cplusplus.com/ref/cstring/strcpy.html

Code:

---

#include <iostream.h>

struct foo {
      char foofoo[10];
      };

int main() {
    foo footwo;
   
    strcpy (footwo.foofoo, "Foo");
     
    cout << footwo.foofoo;
   
    cin.get();
   
    return 0; 
}

---

This worked perfectly, thanks guys.

Also, I do understand that footwo.foofoo[4] is just the fourth value of the array. The logic just didn't hit me, at first. Thanks for pointing it out.

Quote:

---

Also, I do understand that footwo.foofoo[4] is just the fourth value of the array. The logic just didn't hit me, at first. Thanks for pointing it out.

---

It's the 5th. ;)

No nitpicking, my brain isn't functioning correctly. ;)

Sorry, more nitpicking. Has anybody told you yet that you are using an out of date and non-standard header that doesn't exist on some modern compilers? You should be using <iostream> instead of <iostream.h>.

Also, why did you decide against the C++ string class? Your original code would have worked as expected.

Because I want it to output the text one letter at a time using a timer.

for instance:

Code:

---

int x = 0;

while ( footwo.foofoo[x] != '\0' ) {
    cout << footwo.foofoo[x];
    x = x + 1;

    timer();
}

---

...and I know iostream.h is antiquated, but I'm not really posting this code for anyone to compile, and it compiles fine on mine, so I wasn't really worried.

You can do that with the string class as well:

Code:

---

int x = 0;

while ( x < footwo.foofoo.length() ) {
    cout << footwo.foofoo[x];
    x = x + 1;

    timer();
}

---

Cool, then, it works good. Thank you.

You mean this line?

Code:

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cout << footwo.foofoo[x];

---

The [x] there is necessary to only write out a single letter at a time. It behaves the same way for the string class as it does for a character array- outputting the character at position x.

The string type allows square brackets:

Code:

---

string s = "hippo";

cout << s[1];  // prints 'i'

---

[edit] ugh, beaten again [/edit]

*cough*

Code:

---

struct foo {
      char foofoo[10];  // I also tried " char foofoo[] "
      };

int main() {
    foo footwo = { "Foo" };
   
    cout << footwo.foofoo;
   
    cin.get();
   
    return 0; 
}

---

*cough*

Code:

---

#include <iostream>

using std::cout;
using std::cin;

---

:)

Meh I just copied an modified his code. Plus the standard clause is in effect: If one posts a code to illustrate a point but doesn't include headers or silly little using declarations, it is the reader's responsiblity to add them in.

I know, I know.