struct pointer

I'm having problems with my struct pointer (i think). the program is supposed to read in a string of numbers and convert them to int's in an array backwards. so if it reads in the string 123456789\0 the array will be 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. this way i can add and subtract them later. there are 2 problems I'm having: first when i read the string in and convert it to the array all of my arrays seem to have the same value as the last string i read in even though the other part of the struct is right, and second when i go to print the values in the struct the array values are wrong in the print function but not anywhere else. it seems to print out addresses rather then the values.

the file format is as follows:

1
1 738493 382938

the first line tells me how many operations there are.
the fist number in each line tells me what operation to do... 1 is plus and 2 is minus
the following 2 numbers are the strings that will be read and computed.

any help would, well, help. i still need to get them to add and subtract but i think if i can fix this that will be easy.

this is the code i hope you lot don't mind if i post it all it's 127 lines...

Code:

---

//big int test
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

#define MAXSIZE 200

struct integer* read_integer(char* stringInt);
void print(struct integer *p);

struct integer
{
        int* digits;
        int size;
};

int main(void)
{
    struct integer number[3];
    struct integer *p;
    char string_int[200];
    int i;
    int j;
    int file_lines;
    int test;
   
    FILE *fin;
   
    fin = fopen("bigint.txt","r");
    fscanf(fin, "%d ", &file_lines);
   
    for(i = 0; i < file_lines; i++)
    {
        fscanf(fin, "%d ", &test);

        for(j = 0; j < 2; j++)
        {

            fscanf(fin, "%s ", string_int);

       
            p = read_integer(string_int);
           
            number[j].size = p->size;
           
            //this part seems to be over written to all of 'number' not just
            //number[j] so all of my struct have the same number.digits array
            number[j].digits = p->digits;

        }
        p = &number[0];
       
       
        //this is the same code as in the print function
        //the print function here works correctly but the one in the print
        //  function is not
        printf("%d\n", p->size);
        for(i = 0; i < p->size; i++)
        {
            printf("%d\n", p->digits[i]);
        }
       
        print(p);
    }
    system("pause");
    return 0;
}

//Preconditions:    the first parameter is string that stores
//                  only contains digits, doesn't start with
//                  0, and is 200 or fewer characters long.
//
//Postconditions:  The function will read the digits of the
//                  large integer character by character,
//                  convert them into integers and return a
//                  pointer to the appropriate struct integer.

struct integer* read_integer(char* stringInt)
{
    struct integer* big_number;
    int size;
    int number[200];
    int temp;
    int i;
    int j;
   
    size = strlen(stringInt);
   
    big_number = malloc(sizeof(struct integer));
    big_number->digits =(int*) malloc(sizeof(int) * size);
   
    for (i = size -1, j = 0; i >= 0 ; i--, j++)
    {
        number[i] = (int) (stringInt[j] - '0');
    }
   
    big_number->size = size;
    big_number->digits = number;
   
    //this is to check and see if the pointer has the right information
    printf("%d\n", big_number->size);
    for(i = 0; i < big_number->size; i++)
    {
        printf("%d\n", big_number->digits[i]);
    }
   
    return big_number;
}

//Preconditions:    p is a pointer to a big integer.
//
//Postconditions:  The big integer pointed to by p is
//                  printed out.
//

void print(struct integer *p)
{
    int i;
   
    printf("%d\n", p->size);
   
    //this print loop prints out wrong even though the other one is right
    for(i = 0 ; i < p->size; i++)
    {
        printf("%d\n", p->digits[i]);
    }
}

---

big_number->size = size;
big_number->digits = number;

several lines above it - you have allocated memory for digits array
now - you loose this memory and switching to the local vaiable, that will be destoyed after the function exits.

delete your local number array - and use the allocated with malloc big_number->digits array

that helped a lot thank you :D. now it 'remembers' the different arrays and it prints them out in the print function; but, now in the print function it seems that the last number in my array is being turned into a 0. again i works out of the print function but when it passes to the function it seems to lose it.

the only thing i would think is the malloc is wrong but it works outside of the function.

I'll color what i changed

Code:

---

//big int test
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

#define MAXSIZE 200

struct integer* read_integer(char* stringInt);
void print(struct integer *p);

struct integer
{
        int* digits;
        int size;
};

int main(void)
{
    struct integer number[3];
    struct integer *p;
    struct integer *q; //i added this so i can print both arrays
    char string_int[200];
    int i;
    int j;
    int file_lines;
    int test;
   
    FILE *fin;
   
    fin = fopen("bigint.txt","r");
    fscanf(fin, "%d ", &file_lines);
   
    for(i = 0; i < file_lines; i++)
    {
        fscanf(fin, "%d ", &test);

        for(j = 0; j < 2; j++)
        {

            fscanf(fin, "%s ", string_int);

       
            p = read_integer(string_int);
           
            number[j].size = p->size;
            number[j].digits = p->digits;
           
            free(p->digits);
            free(p);

        }
        p = &number[0];
        q = &number[1];
       
        //this is the same code as in the print function
        //the print loop here works correctly but the one in the print
        //  function is not
       
        printf("%d\n", p->size);
        for(i = 0; i < p->size; i++)
        {
            printf("%d", p->digits[i]);
        }
        printf("\n");
       
        print(p);
        print(q);
    }
    system("pause");
    return 0;
}

//Preconditions:    the first parameter is string that stores
//                  only contains digits, doesn't start with
//                  0, and is 200 or fewer characters long.
//
//Postconditions:  The function will read the digits of the
//                  large integer character by character,
//                  convert them into integers and return a
//                  pointer to the appropriate struct integer.

struct integer* read_integer(char* stringInt)
{
    struct integer* big_number;
    int i;
    int j;
    //i removed int number[200] and char temp
   
    big_number = malloc(sizeof(struct integer));
    big_number->size = strlen(stringInt);//i moved this here befor it was higher
    big_number->digits =(int*) malloc(sizeof(int) * big_number->size);
   
    for (i = big_number->size -1, j = 0; i >= 0 ; i--, j++)
    {
        big_number->digits[i] = (int) (stringInt[j] - '0');
    }
   
    //this is to check and see if the pointer has the right information
    printf("%d\n", big_number->size);
    for(i = 0; i < big_number->size; i++)
    {
        printf("%d", big_number->digits[i]);
    }
    printf("\n");
   
    return big_number;
}

//Preconditions:    p is a pointer to a big integer.
//
//Postconditions:  The big integer pointed to by p is
//                  printed out.
//

void print(struct integer *p)
{
    int i;
   
    printf("%d\n", p->size);
   
    //this print loop prints out wrong even though the other one is right
    for(i = p->size -1 ; i >= 0; i--)//i changed the order so it prints the right way around
    {
        printf("%d", p->digits[i]);
    }
    printf("\n");
}

---

free(p->digits);
you just freed thee memory that is pointed by number[j].digits

So later you are using the memory that is not yours anymore

get rid of p and q in the main - you have number - array of structs.
pass a corresponding struct into the readinteger function as a parameter (by pointer) and avoid allocating the
big_number = malloc(sizeof(struct integer));


you will work on the struct from main - and allocate only digits array as needed.

and you get rid of confusing part

number[j].size = p->size;
number[j].digits = p->digits;

because initialization of these members will be done by readinteger function - and you will know that you should not free digits array till you finish working with number[j] struct

I guess i shouldn't have freed it. it works now but how do i get my function to be assigned to the struct directly without using a pointer? because this is an assignment and i have to use the function headers as is and i tried "&number[j] = readInteger(...);" the only thing that seems to work is a pointer to the struct.

... but please tell me it i'm missing something

and thank you again!!

What you are doing is fine. Just don't free p->digits. You can (and should) free p after you've made the copy of it's contents.
[And you can do that simpler with number[j] = *p].

--
Mats