Help please with function program.

I am rather new to C++ and I have to write a program that will accept data for today's date, first name, last name, and amount to an enterData() function and pass it to a printCheck() function. Then I need it to display in the correct spots on a check. I am stuck and am not really sure what to do next. Please help.

[code]

Code:

---

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;


// Function prototypes:
void enterData();
void printCheck();


int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])

{
        enterData();  // call to function
        printCheck(); // call to function

        return 0;
}

void enterData()  // function
{
string todaysDate, firstName, lastName;
double amount;

    cout << "Enter today's date: ";
        cin  >> todaysDate;
        cout << "Enter the first name: ";
        cin  >> firstName;
        cout << "Enter the last name: ";
        cin  >> lastName;
        cout << "Enter the amount: ";
        cin  >> amount;
}

void printCheck() //function
{
    cout << "Zzyz Corp                                      Date: (today's date)"<<endl;
        cout << "1164 Sunrise Avenue                                        "<<endl;
        cout << "Kalispell, Montana\n                                        "<<endl;

        cout << "Pay to the order of: (firstName lastName)      $ (amount)\n "<<endl;
       
           

        cout << "UnderSecurity Bank                                        "<<endl;
        cout << "Missoula, MT                                              "<<endl;
        cout << "                                                ____________________"<<endl;
        cout << "                                                Authorized Signature";

        cout << endl << endl;
       
}

---

The strings you are entering are local variables, that will be destroyed when they go out of scope. IE: at the end of the function.

You could bundle your stuff up in a vector, then have

Code:

---

#include <vector>
#include <iterator>

...

std::vector<string> getData();  // returns vector of strings

printCheck(std::vector<string>);  // takes vector of strings for an argument

...

printCheck(getData());

---

Joe


EDIT: or you could make a class ;)

You need a method to preserve the data entered in the enterData function so that it can later be displayed in the printCheck function. You can do this best by declaring the variables in the main function and passing them (by reference) into the enterData function. Any changes made to them in that function will be reflected in the values the variables have in the main function. Then you can again pass them to the printCheck function so they can be output.

Code:

---

void enterData(string&,string&,string&,double&);
void printCheck();


int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
    string todaysDate, firstName, lastName;
    double amount;

    enterData(todaysDate,firstName,lastName,amount);  // call to function
    printCheck(); // call to function

        return 0;
}

void enterData(string& todaysDate, string& firstName, string& lastName, double& amount)  // function
{
    cout << "Enter today's date: ";
    cin  >> todaysDate;
    cout << "Enter the first name: ";
    cin  >> firstName;
    cout << "Enter the last name: ";
    cin  >> lastName;
    cout << "Enter the amount: ";
    cin  >> amount;
}

void printCheck() //function
{
    cout << "Zzyz Corp                                      Date: (today's date)"<<endl;
        cout << "1164 Sunrise Avenue                                        "<<endl;
        cout << "Kalispell, Montana\n                                        "<<endl;

        cout << "Pay to the order of: (firstName lastName)      $ (amount)\n "<<endl;
       
           

        cout << "UnderSecurity Bank                                        "<<endl;
        cout << "Missoula, MT                                              "<<endl;
        cout << "                                                ____________________"<<endl;
        cout << "                                                Authorized Signature";

        cout << endl << endl;
       
}

---

Now you just need to modify the bits in red above, the printCheck function related code, to accept those arguments and print them out. I'll leave that as an exercise for you.

The quick way is to use global variables:

Code:

---

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

// file scope variables
static string todaysDate;
static string firstName;
static string lastName;
static double amount;

// Function prototypes:
void enterData();
void printCheck();

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])

{
        enterData();  // call to function
        printCheck(); // call to function

        return 0;
}

void enterData()  // function
{

    cout << "Enter today's date: ";
        cin  >> todaysDate;
        cout << "Enter the first name: ";
        cin  >> firstName;
        cout << "Enter the last name: ";
        cin  >> lastName;
        cout << "Enter the amount: ";
        cin  >> amount;
}

---

A better way is to wrap in a struct

Code:

---

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

struct Data {
    string todaysDate;
    string firstName;
    string lastName;
    double amount;
}

// Function prototypes:
void enterData();
void printCheck();

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])

{
        Data d;
        enterData(d);  // call to function
        printCheck(d); // call to function

        return 0;
}

void enterData(Data& d)  // function
{

    cout << "Enter today's date: ";
        cin  >> d.todaysDate;
        cout << "Enter the first name: ";
        cin  >> d.firstName;
        cout << "Enter the last name: ";
        cin  >> d.lastName;
        cout << "Enter the amount: ";
        cin  >> d.amount;
}

---

Could anyone tell me if I have the check set up right? And if it is in the right place?

How can I get the data I enter to show up on the check?

I figured out how to get the data displayer but when I enter the date as Sep. 30, 2007 it only shows up as Sep. Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

When I type in the date it is putting the Sept. in the date spot but it is putting 30, 2007 in the pay to the order slot. Any ideas why?

Code:

---

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

string todaysDate;
string firstName;
string lastName;
double amount;

void enterData();
void printCheck();


int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])

{
        enterData();
        printCheck();

        return 0;
}

void enterData()
{


    cout << "Enter today's date: ";
        cin  >> todaysDate;
        cout << "Enter the first name: ";
        cin  >> firstName;
        cout << "Enter the last name: ";
        cin  >> lastName;
        cout << "Enter the amount: ";
        cin  >> amount;

        cout << endl << endl;
}

void printCheck()
{
    cout << "Zzyz Corp                                      Date:    "<< todaysDate <<endl;
        cout << "1164 Sunrise Avenue                                        "<<endl;
        cout << "Kalispell, Montana\n                                        "<<endl;

        cout << "Pay to the order of:" << firstName << lastName <<      "$" << amount << endl;
       
           

        cout << "UnderSecurity Bank                                        "<<endl;
        cout << "Missoula, MT                                              "<<endl;
        cout << "                                                ____________________"<<endl;
        cout << "                                                Authorized Signature";

        cout << endl << endl;
       
}

---

I don't know what's wrong with your code, but the style is horrible. If you are going to use C++ you should learn how to use it right.

In this case it means learning how to put data into a class instead of using global variables. Global variables are generally considered a bad thing and should be avoided.

The way to do it is this:
Your program deals with one thing: a check.
With this check it does two things: it reads the data, and it prints the check.
These two actions are properly viewed as features of the check. As such they should be made into methods of a check object that you create.

So you need to learn how to use classes (objects), meathods(functions belonging to classes), and how to store data in classes.

I just replied to this in another thread - stop posting the same thing multiple times.

My teacher said to use global variables.

Code:

---

cout << "Enter today's date: ";
cin  >> todaysDate;

---

cin beaks up input according to whitespace (tabs, spaces, newlines). So If you enter "Sept. 30, 2007", only "Sept." gets stored into the todaysDate variable. And "30," and "2007" get stored into firstName and lastName (respectively). So it should be no surprise that you are getting weird output. What you need to do is change:

Code:

---

cin >> todaysDate ;

---

Into:

Code:

---

getline(cin,todaysDate);

---

This will read an entire line of input (up to the newline) and store it into todaysDate.