Thread: copying struct to char

  1. #1
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    copying struct to char

    Hello..

    Im working on a dns resolver program and Im having some problems with making the request for dns server..

    the header structure is:

    Code:
    typedef struct {
    	unsigned short id;
    	unsigned short flags;
    	unsigned short qdc;
    	unsigned short anc;
    	unsigned short nsc;
    	unsigned short arc;
    } dnsheader;
    
    int somefunc() {
    	dnsheader *head = makeheader();	//this will create the header, set the values and pass the pointer to it
    
    	//now i want to copy header to char
    	char *buf = new char[1024];
    	memset(buf, 0, sizeof(buf));
    	memcpy(buf, &head, sizeof(dnsheader));
    
    	char *ptr = buf + sizeof(dnsheader);
    
    	//here i will put the rest of data in the buf char
    	return 0;
    }

    What am I doing wrong?

    Thanks a lot for help

  2. #2
    VA National Guard The Brain's Avatar
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    Without knowing any exact compiler errors or which lines numbers errors occur, I think this could be a problem:
    Code:
    char *ptr = buf + sizeof(dnsheader);
    you can do this..
    Code:
    char *ptr = buf;
    or this:
    Code:
    memcopy(ptr, buf, sizeof(dnsheader));
    Last edited by The Brain; 07-02-2006 at 11:36 AM.
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  3. #3
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    > What am I doing wrong?
    All sorts of things potentially.

    1. Assuming that your struct is packed perhaps.

    2. makeheader();
    Does this return a pointer to local memory, or something more permanent (like allocated memory)?

    3. memcpy(buf, &head, sizeof(dnsheader));
    You probably want to copy what head pointed to (drop the &)

    4. memset(buf, 0, sizeof(buf));
    Tells you the size of the pointer (probably 4), not the amount it points to (1024)
    If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
    If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Salem
    1. Assuming that your struct is packed perhaps.
    Some other code that I took a look at had packed struct, but I dont know what that means. Why would I need that? Where could I read more about it?

    Thanks

  5. #5
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    Essentially, a compiler is free to add padding between struct members to better optimise the alignment of each data item (in memory) for efficient access.
    http://c-faq.com/struct/padding.html

    This comes as a surprise when people expect a struct to have a certain size. Mostly they print sizeof(myStruct) and ask why it isn't the same as the sum-of-sizes of the members of the struct.

    Packing is a very compiler specific way of squeezing out the padding, at the expense of more complicated code (generated by the compiler).

    Another issue is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endian
    If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
    If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.

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