Pointer Mayhem

I'm trying to write a program that uses linked-lists, the intent is to improve my understanding of pointers.
I ran into a strange problem (sigh as usual) ....everytime i call my appendlist() function an element is added to the linked-list but if the function is called on the same line it overrides the previous element....can somebody please explain to me how this is happening???

The Problem:

Code:

---

void appendlist(struct ll *curlist, void *datax){
        struct ll newlinkedlist =  newlist(datax); //local allocation problem??? something to do with stack/heap?!!
        struct ll *end = endlist(curlist);
        end->flink = &newlinkedlist;
        newlinkedlist.blink = end;
        newlinkedlist.flink = NULL;
}

---

The Method I call the Function:

Code:

---

int main(){
    struct ll alist = newlist("BEGIN"); //new element1 added
   
    int i,ii;
    for(i=0;i<100;i++){
        char *text = (char*)malloc(11);
        for(ii=0;ii<10;ii++){
            text[ii] = rand() &#37; 108+126;
        }
        text[ii] = 0;
        appendlist(&alist,text); //overrides element2
        appendlist(&alist,text); //overrides element3
    }
 
    appendlist(&alist,"goat"); //new element4 added
    appendlist(&alist,"pig"); //new
    appendlist(&alist,"fry"); //new
    appendlist(&alist,"shy"); //new
    appendlist(&alist,"ape"); //...
    printlist(&alist);
    return 0;
}

---

The Semi-Working Code:

Code:

---

#include <string.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include<stdio.h>
struct ll {
      struct ll *blink;
      void *data;
      struct ll *flink;
};

struct ll newlist(void *datax){
        struct ll newlinkedlist;
        newlinkedlist.blink = NULL;
        newlinkedlist.data = datax;
        newlinkedlist.flink = NULL;
        return newlinkedlist;
}
struct ll *beglist(struct ll *list){
        struct ll temp = *list;
        while(temp.blink != NULL){
            temp = *temp.blink;
        }
        if(temp.flink != NULL){
            temp = *temp.flink;
            return temp.blink;
        }
        else{
            return list;
        }
}

struct ll *endlist(struct ll *list){
        struct ll temp = *list;
        while(temp.flink != NULL){
            temp = *temp.flink;
        }
        if(temp.blink != NULL){
            temp = *temp.blink;
            return temp.flink;
        }
        else{
            return list;
        }
}

void printlist(struct ll *list){
    struct ll *ptrfinder = beglist(list);
    int i = 0;
    while(ptrfinder != NULL){
        printf("%i:%s\n",i++,ptrfinder->data);
        ptrfinder = (ptrfinder->flink);
    }
}

void appendlist(struct ll *curlist, void *datax){
        struct ll newlinkedlist =  newlist(datax); //local allocation problem??? something to do with stack/heap?!!
        struct ll *end = endlist(curlist);
        end->flink = &newlinkedlist;
        newlinkedlist.blink = end;
        newlinkedlist.flink = NULL;
}


int main(){
    struct ll alist = newlist("BEGIN"); //new element1 added
   
    int i,ii;
    for(i=0;i<100;i++){
        char *text = (char*)malloc(11);
        for(ii=0;ii<10;ii++){
            text[ii] = rand() % 108+126;
        }
        text[ii] = 0;
        appendlist(&alist,text); //overrides element2
        appendlist(&alist,text); //overrides element3
    }
 
    appendlist(&alist,"goat"); //new element4 added
    appendlist(&alist,"pig"); //new
    appendlist(&alist,"fry"); //new
    appendlist(&alist,"shy"); //new
    appendlist(&alist,"ape"); //...
    printlist(&alist);
    return 0;
}

---

Code:

---

void appendlist(struct ll *curlist, void *datax){
        struct ll newlinkedlist =  newlist(datax); //local allocation problem??? something to do with stack/heap?!!
        struct ll *end = endlist(curlist);
        end->flink = &newlinkedlist;
        newlinkedlist.blink = end;
        newlinkedlist.flink = NULL;
}

---

The local variable newlinkedlist will destruct once the function ends, hence end->flink will point to garbage or unexistant data.
Allocate your data with malloc and don't forget to FREE! The same goes for text inside main because you're leaking memory which is BAD.

And for some general understanding:
http://cpwiki.sourceforge.net/A_pointer_on_pointers

Perhaps it will enlighten some.

Problem:

Code:

---

struct ll newlist(void *datax){
        struct ll newlinkedlist;
        newlinkedlist.blink = NULL;
        newlinkedlist.data = datax;
        newlinkedlist.flink = NULL;
        return newlinkedlist;
};

void appendlist(struct ll *curlist, void *datax){
        struct ll newlinkedlist =  newlist(datax); //local allocation problem??? something to do with stack/heap?!!
        struct ll *end = endlist(curlist);
        end->flink = &newlinkedlist;
        newlinkedlist.blink = end;
        newlinkedlist.flink = NULL;
}

---

What it is telling you is that you are using a pointer to a local version of that object. You need to use malloc() to create a block of memory which exists outside the local stack for that function.

Example:

Code:

---

struct ll *newlist(void *datax){
        struct ll *newlinkedlist = malloc(sizeof(*newlinkedlist));

        if(newlinedlist != NULL)
        {
                newlinkedlist->blink = NULL;
                newlinkedlist->data = datax;
                newlinkedlist->flink = NULL;
        }
        return newlinkedlist;
};

---

That should fix you up.

I appreciate the help,
local memory allocation is no longer as foreign to me.

Updated Working Code:

Code:

---

#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
struct ll {
      struct ll *blink;
      void *data;
      struct ll *flink;
};

struct ll *newlist(void *datax){
        struct ll *newlinkedlist = malloc(sizeof(*newlinkedlist)); //thanks master5001 ;)
        if(newlinkedlist != NULL){
            newlinkedlist->blink = NULL;
            newlinkedlist->data = datax;
            newlinkedlist->flink = NULL;
        }
        return newlinkedlist;
}
struct ll *endlist(struct ll *list){
        struct ll temp = *list;
        while(temp.flink != NULL){
            temp = *temp.flink;
        }
        if(temp.blink != NULL){
            temp = *temp.blink;
            return temp.flink;
        }
        else{
            return list;
        }
}
struct ll *beglist(struct ll *list){
        struct ll temp = *list;
        while(temp.blink != NULL){
            temp = *temp.blink;
        }
        if(temp.flink != NULL){
            temp = *temp.flink;
            return temp.blink;
        }
        else{
            return list;
        }
}

void printlist(struct ll *list){
    struct ll *ptrfinder = beglist(list);
    int i = 0;
    while(ptrfinder != NULL){
        printf("%i:%s\n",i++,ptrfinder->data);
        ptrfinder = (ptrfinder->flink);
    }
}
char *printposlist(struct ll *list,unsigned long int pos){
    struct ll *ptrfinder = beglist(list);
    unsigned long int i = 0;
    while(ptrfinder != NULL && i < pos){
        ptrfinder = (ptrfinder->flink);
        i++;
    }
    if(i != pos || ptrfinder == NULL){
          return "";
    }
    else{
          return (ptrfinder->data);
    }
}
signed long int findlist(struct ll *list, void *datax, unsigned int dbytes){
    signed long int i = 0;
    struct ll *ptrfinder = beglist(list);
    while(ptrfinder != NULL){
        if(memcmp( (ptrfinder->data),datax,dbytes) == 0){
            return i;
        }
        ptrfinder = (ptrfinder->flink);
        i++;
    }
    return -1;
}

void appendlist(struct ll *curlist, void *datax){
        struct ll *newlinkedlist =  newlist(datax);
        struct ll *end = endlist(curlist);
        end->flink = newlinkedlist; //thanks Elysia
        newlinkedlist->blink = end;
        newlinkedlist->flink = NULL;
}
void removelist(struct ll *curlist, void *datax, unsigned int dbytes){
        struct ll *ptrfinder = beglist(curlist);
        struct ll *temp = NULL;
        while(ptrfinder != NULL){
            if(memcmp((ptrfinder->data),datax,dbytes) == 0){
                  if(ptrfinder->blink != NULL && ptrfinder->flink != NULL){
                      (ptrfinder->blink)->flink = ptrfinder->flink;
                      (ptrfinder->flink)->blink = ptrfinder->blink;
                  }
                  if(ptrfinder->blink == NULL && ptrfinder->flink != NULL){
                        (ptrfinder->flink)->blink = NULL;
                        *curlist = *ptrfinder->flink;
                       
                  }
                  if(ptrfinder->blink != NULL && ptrfinder->flink == NULL){
                        (ptrfinder->blink)->flink = NULL;
                  }
                  free(ptrfinder);
                  return;                           
            }
            ptrfinder = (ptrfinder->flink);
        }
}
/*
TODO
implement the following:
insert(position,data) ...replace append with it
remove(position,data)
sort()
*/

int main(){
   
    struct ll *alist = newlist("BEGIN");
    int i,ii;
    for(i=0;i<10;i++){
        char *text = (char*)malloc(2);
        for(ii=0;ii<1;ii++){
            text[ii] = rand() % 108+126;
        }
        text[ii] = 0;
        appendlist(alist,text);
    }
 
    appendlist(alist,"goat");
    appendlist(alist,"pig");
    appendlist(alist,"fry");
    appendlist(alist,"shy");
    appendlist(alist,"ape");
    appendlist(alist,"........head");
    removelist(alist,"........head",strlen("........edad"));
    printlist(alist);
    //printf("%s\n",printposlist(alist,6));
    printf("%i\n",findlist(alist,"goat",strlen("goat")));
    //struct ll begin = *beglist(&alist);
    //struct ll end  = *endlist(&alist);
    //printf("x:%s\n",( (alist.flink)->flink)->data);
    //printf("b:%s\n", begin.data);
    //printf("e:%s\n", end.data);
    return 0;
   
}

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