[plz help]confusion about comparison between two strings to me

[kyaky]

Dear guys~~
i met a problem which is spoiling me long time... i havent figure it out~
i am coding in linux...the following code shows the comparison of two strings... the size and the content are same but why it doesnt report "same"... plz help me...

bool FindRecord()
{
    char Seeker[MaxCallNumber];
    int SeekrPos = 0;
    cout << "Enter Call Namber: ";
    cin >> Seeker;
    
    
    
        fstream iofile("ass1.dat", ios::in | ios::out | ios::binary);
        if (!iofile)
        {
            cerr << "open error!" << endl;
            abort();    
        }
        
        while ((strcmp((Database[SeekrPos].CallNumber),Seeker) != 0) && (SeekrPos < NumBooks))
        {
            	cout << "Database[SeekrPos]:" << Database[SeekrPos].CallNumber << endl;
		cout << sizeof(Database[SeekrPos].CallNumber) << endl;
		cout << "Seeker: " << Seeker << endl;
		cout << sizeof(Seeker) << endl;
		SeekrPos++;
        }
        
        if (strcmp((Database[SeekrPos].CallNumber),Seeker) == 0)
        {
        
        cout << "found!!!"<< endl;
	iofile.seekg(SeekrPos*sizeof(Database[SeekrPos]),ios::beg);
        iofile.read((char*)&Database[SeekrPos],sizeof(Database[SeekrPos]));
        cout << "CallNumber: " << Database[SeekrPos].CallNumber << endl;
        cout << "Title: " << Database[SeekrPos].Title << endl;
        cout << "Author: " << Database[SeekrPos].Author << endl; 
        cout << "BookStatus: " << Database[SeekrPos].BookStatus << endl; 
        cout << "DueDate: " << Database[SeekrPos].DueDate << endl; 
        cout << "BorrowersName: " << Database[SeekrPos].BorrowersName << endl;
        }
	else
	{
		cout << "couldn't find!!!";
	}
}

the konsole says that:

Enter command (or m for menu): f
Enter Call Namber: 001.645.2
Database[SeekrPos]:001.645.2
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.721.3
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.384.2
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.098.5
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.491.8
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.967.2
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.077.4
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.947.2
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.997.1
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.095.3
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.823.8
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:001.812.9
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
Database[SeekrPos]:005.920.4
15
Seeker: 001.645.2
15
couldn't find!!!
========================

thx a lot!!!!

[kyaky]

if i do it in DEV in windows,,, it works alright...

[Daved]

Can you output the Database[SeekrPos] and Seeker values with something around it to make sure there is no trailing whitespace or anything:

cout << "Seeker-->" << Seeker << "<--" << endl;

You can also output each letter (and maybe its ASCII value) for each string you pass to strcmp.

[kyaky]

do i need to use this to reset all element in the array?

memset(ch,0x00,sizeof(ch));

btw why the size shows they are same?

[kyaky]

i wonder why when the size and elements are same , but it reports "not same"

[kyaky]

it still has the same problem...

[Daved]

sizeof returns the size of the array, but strcmp uses the length of the strings. These can be different. The string length is found by looking for the first null character (which is the character with the value 0x00). So even if the two arrays have a size of 15, it is possible that one has a string with 9 characters before the terminating null, and the other has a string of 10 characters (or some other number).

My guess is that by initializing the arrays to null characters, you no longer have garbage characters filling out the array after the actual string is loaded.

[kyaky]

sry, i saw wrong... it still has the same problem... ................................ -. - OZN

[Daved]

What was the output when you added the --> <--?

[kyaky]

output:

Enter command (or m for menu): f
Enter Call Namber: 001.645.2
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.645.2
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.721.3
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.384.2
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.098.5
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.491.8
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.967.2
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.077.4
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.947.2
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.997.1
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.095.3
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.823.8
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]001.812.9
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
<--Database[SeekrPos]005.920.4
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15
couldn't find!!!

[kyaky]

it has no space between <-- --> and "text"

[kyaky]

wait... thats strange...~~~ why it is like that "<--Database[SeekrPos]001.823.8"

OMG

[kyaky]

the position is totally strange!!!

[kyaky]

if i change it to

cout << "11111Database[SeekrPos]-->" << Database[SeekrPos].CallNumber << "<--Database[SeekrPos]"<< endl;

the output is :

Enter command (or m for menu): f
Enter Call Namber: 001.645.2
<--Database[SeekrPos]s]-->001.645.2
15
Seeker-->001.645.2<--Seeker
15

something wrong with output buffer or something else?

[kyaky]

where the hell is "s]" from.......... i am nearly crazy... 5:30am...