Thread: Problem with setting a character array in a class member.

Code:

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <iostream.h>
#define MAX 10

class inputOutputList
{
      public:
              char listFileName;
              char carInputNames[10][50]; //Create ten-car entries; Used for searching text documents
              char carOutputNames[10][50];//" " "; Used for outputting the correct name to corresponding input name list item.
      
              void SetCarInputName(char Input[50], int entryNumber)
              {
                     carInputNames[entryNumber][0] = *Input;   //Leaving it like this, it only processes that one element in the array so using the string "Buick", it just stores it as "B". Removing the [0] to try to copy the whole string over reports "incompatible types in assignment of `char' to `char[50]'     
              }
              void SetCarOutputName(char Output[50], int entryNumber)
              {
                     carOutputNames[entryNumber][0] = *Output;       
              }     
};

inputOutputList theMainCarList;


//Prototypes are above
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//MAIN PROGRAM below
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
int main()
{
    FILE *f;
    char input[10000];
    char output[10000];
    char temp_char[1];
    
    int outputIndex = 0;
    int dummy = 0;
    cin>>dummy;

    f=fopen("inline.txt","r");
    if (!f)
        return 1;
    fgets(input,10000,f);


    theMainCarList.SetCarInputName("Buick", 1);
    cout<<theMainCarList.carInputNames[1]<<endl;
    cin>>dummy; //Ask for input to "halt" the program.
    
    
    

    system("pause"); //Ineffectual.
    fclose(f);
    return 0;
    
    
}

Hello. My problem is highlighted in red. Running the program as it is now, only a "B" is shown which tells me the assignment in the class's function is only assigning the first element in the array the letter. Removing the "[0]" to attempt copying the whole string instead of that specific element reports the error "incompatible types in assignment of `char' to `char[50]' ". I'm a noob to manipulating characters/strings in classes. ***_ _ _ ***

To copy C style string, you'd use strcpy

Code:

strcpy( carInputNames[entryNumber], Input );

Using C++'s std::string class makes things a little more intuitive though. You'd do something like:

Code:

              string carInputNames[10];
      
              void SetCarInputName(string Input /* const string & input for correctness*/, int entryNumber)
              {
                     carInputNames[entryNumber] = Input;
              }

There are many benefits to using this type, some of which you can find using a simple google query. http://www.google.com/search?q=c%2B%2B+string And unless your assignment requires use of C strings, then this is highly advised.

Gracias Señor. The first example worked like a charm; The string class sput out tons of seemingly unrelated errors(And, yeah, I included the C++ string header file using #include <string>). I'm using Bloodshed Dev-C++ which I think uses the Ming compiler; Maybe that has something to do with it.