Thread: Carrying ints a chars over to other functions.

There are two main ways to handle a string. One is to use character arrays, the other is to use the C++ string class. In C++ using the C++ string class is generally the better option, but sometimes classes/books/tutorials are old and unmodernized or just disagree and use character arrays instead.

So if you can, then I'd suggest using the C++ string class. That means using string instead of char* or char[]. The C++ string class has a function called size(), and if chFunc1 was a string then your call to size() would work.

However, if you are being taught character arrays, then I guess you should use those for now and strlen is what you need for the size. Just remember to learn C++ strings on your own later if you want to continue with C++.

can i still refer to an individual character if i use the string class?

You are mixing cin >> with getline. That leads to problems because when the user types in something like the 5 to answer the How many addies are req'd question, they type 5<enter>. The <enter> leaves a newline character in the input stream, but cin >> does not read that in, it leaves it there for later. When you call getline to get the address, it looks for the next newline character and it finds the one leftover from the previous <enter>. That's why the email address is empty.

The solution is to add cin.ignore() after any call to cin >> to ensure that the newline character is ignored. You shouldn't add the ignore() after calls to getline() because unlike operator>>, getline() automatically reads and ignores the newline it finds at the end.

if i put getline(), cin.ignore(), or if i jst change it to:

Code:

for (int i=0; i <= 10; i++) {
        randomize();
        saveAddy(); }

, I get the same result.

its still doing the same thing

You put cin.ignore() immediately after all calls to cin >> and it didn't change anything? Can you post your latest code with that change?

Should it be wriiten as...

Code:

cin >> var;
cin.ignore();

// or

cin.irgnore() >> var;

?

Originally Posted by Daved

You put cin.ignore() immediately after all calls to cin >> and it didn't change anything? Can you post your latest code with that change?

Here's the updated code...

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <time.h>
#include <cctype>
#include <windows.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <fstream>
#include <sstream>
using namespace std;
/*
These constants define our upper
and our lower bounds. The random numbers
will always be between 1 and 12, inclusive.
*/
const int LOW = 1;
const int HIGH = 12;

string getAddy() // Get the email address from the user...pretty self-explanatory...
{
       cout << "Enter address below: ";
       string addy;
       getline(cin,addy);
       cout << "\nDid you enter \"" << addy << "\"? [y|n]: ";
       char yn;
       cin >> yn;
       cin.ignore();
       switch ( yn ) {
              case 'y':
                   break;
              case 'n':
                   cout << "\nPlease try again." << endl;
                   getAddy();
              default:
                      cerr << "\nInvalid selection. Please try again." << endl;
                      getAddy();
              }
       return addy;
}

string randomize()
{
     string addy = getAddy(); // Puts the value of getAddy into a string
     int len = addy.size(); // Get the length of the string
     string randAddy;                            //
     string usedAddies;                          // 
     ifstream used_addies ("addies.txt");        // Makes sure that no two addies
     while (! used_addies.eof()) {               // generated are the same.
           getline(used_addies, usedAddies); }   //
     used_addies.close();                        //
     stringstream str_randAddy;                  //
     for (int i=1; i <= len; i++) {
         if (rand() < HIGH * 0.15) {
                    randAddy[i] = toupper(addy[i]); // Capitilize some random characters
                    }
         }
     str_randAddy << randAddy;
     if (usedAddies.find(str_randAddy.str(), 0) != std::string::npos) { // If it's already been made, start over
                                             randomize(); }
     return randAddy;
}

void saveAddy() // Save the randomized addy to addies.txt ...again pretty self-explanatory...
{
     string addy = randomize();
     ofstream addies ("addies.txt", ios::app);
     if (addies.is_open()) {
        addies << addy << ", ";
        }
        /*
        If there was a problem
        opening the file, terminate
        the program.
        */
     else {
          cerr << "Error: Could not open log file. 10 seconds 'till quit.";
          for (int i=10; i=0; i--) {
              cout << i;
              Sleep(1000);
              }
          abort();
          }
     return;
}

int main()
{
    getAddy();
    cout << "How many addies are req'd? : "; // tells the program how many addies to generate
    int reqd;
    cin >> reqd;
    cin.ignore();
    for (int i=0; i <= reqd; i++) {
        randomize();
        saveAddy(); }
    cout << "Finished generating addies!!" << endl;
    system("PAUSE");
    return 0;
}

...although I don't think that was the problem, because the first time I enter the addy it works, but then it tries to (unsuccessfully) do getAddy() again, even though it's written to call randomize() and then saveAddy().

ok, here's the updated code...

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <time.h>
#include <cctype>
#include <windows.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <fstream>
#include <sstream>
using namespace std;
/*
These constants define our upper
and our lower bounds. The random numbers
will always be between 1 and 6, inclusive.
*/
const int LOW = 1;
const int HIGH = 12;

string getAddy() // Get the email address from the user...pretty self-explanatory...
{
       cout << "Enter address below: ";
       string addy;
       getline(cin,addy);
       cout << "\nDid you enter \"" << addy << "\"? [y|n]: ";
       char yn;
       cin >> yn;
       cin.ignore();
       switch ( yn ) {
              case 'y':
                   break;
              case 'n':
                   cout << "\nPlease try again." << endl;
                   return getAddy();
              default:
                      cerr << "\nInvalid selection. Please try again." << endl;
                      return getAddy();
              }
       return addy;
}

string randomize()
{
     string addy = getAddy(); // Puts the value of getAddy into a string
     int len = addy.size(); // Get the length of the string
     string randAddy;                            //
     string usedAddies;                          // 
     ifstream used_addies ("addies.txt");        // Makes sure that no two addies
     while (! used_addies.eof()) {               // generated are the same.
           getline(used_addies, usedAddies); }   //
     used_addies.close();                        //
     stringstream str_randAddy;                  //
     for (int i=1; i < len; i++) {
         if (rand() < HIGH * 0.15) {
                    randAddy[i] = toupper(addy[i]); // Capitilize some random characters
                    }
         }
     str_randAddy << randAddy;
     if (usedAddies.find(str_randAddy.str(), 0) != std::string::npos) { // If it's already been made, start over
                                             randomize(); }
     return randAddy;
     
}

void saveAddy() // Save the randomized addy to addies.txt ...again pretty self-explanatory...
{
     string addy = randomize();
     ofstream addies ("addies.txt", ios::app);
     if (addies.is_open()) {
        addies << addy << ", ";
        addies.close();
        }
        /*
        If there was a problem
        opening the file, terminate
        the program.
        */
     else {
          cerr << "Error: Could not open log file. 10 seconds 'till quit.";
          for (int i=10; i>0; i--) {
              cout << i << "...\n";
              Sleep(1000);
              }
          abort();
          }
     return;
}

int main()
{
    getAddy();
    cout << "How many addies are req'd? : "; // tells the program how many addies to generate
    int reqd;
    cin >> reqd;
    cin.ignore();
    for (int i=0; i <= reqd; i++) {
        randomize();
        saveAddy(); }
    cout << "Finished generating addies!!" << endl;
    system("PAUSE");
    return 0;
}

looking a bit better; it does getAddy(), then it asks me how many addies I require, but then it just does getAddy() over and over!