memcpy not doing its job

Hi guys!

I have a problem with memcpy. I have a memory location with 3 strings, all 0 terminated and want to shorten it to 2 strings.

Example:

Code:

---

Tree\0House\0Banana\0
becomes
House\0Banana\0

---

And my code:

Code:

---

        void msgbox(char text[]){MessageBox(NULL,text,"Debug",MB_OK);}
        char msgbuf[200];
        memcpy(tmp, startnewstring, newlength);
        if((worktodo = realloc(worktodo, newlength!=0?newlength:1)) == NULL) break;
        memcpy(worktodo, &tmp, newlength);
                sprintf(msgbuf, "newlength: %d, startnewstring: %d, tmp: %s, worktodo: %s", newlength, startnewstring, tmp, worktodo);
                msgbox(msgbuf);

---

tmp = a char array where House\0Banana\0 should be saved temporarily
startnewstring = the memory location of House\0 (= memory location of Tree\0 + 5)
newlength = the length in bytes of House\0Banana\0
worktodo = the array that holds Tree\0House\0Banana\0 and should become House\0Banana\0


It seems the memory copying into tmp is successful but the copying back into the new worktodo is not.

That's what I get:

Code:

---

---------------------------
Debug
---------------------------
newlength: 13, startnewstring: 13319336, tmp: House, worktodo: °=Ë
---------------------------
OK 
---------------------------

---

Why is there gibberish in worktodo?

TIA, Hawk

> memcpy(worktodo, &tmp, newlength);
Is tmp really a char array, like you assert?

Because if tmp is a char pointer, then tmp and &tmp are DIFFERENT things.

You also need to be careful about using realloc. Do not use the same pointer for the result as the one being realloc'ed. If realloc returns NULL, the old memory is still allocated, but your pointer to it is trashed. This is a leak.

Code:

---

char *tmp = malloc(newlength!=0?newlength:1);

---

About realloc I know, but thanks. I am too lazy to implement any security in raw code. That will be the task when my snippet works and I will put it into my project.


Okay, I see now that it works with

Code:

---

char *tmp = malloc(1);
memcpy(memorylocation, tmp, 1);

---

but

Code:

---

char msgbuf[1];
memcpy(memorylocation, &msgbuf, 1);

---

needs the '&'. Where can I read up why?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hawkin

Code:

---

char *tmp = malloc(newlength!=0?newlength:1);

---

About realloc I know, but thanks. I am too lazy to implement any security in raw code. That will be the task when my snippet works and I will put it into my project.


Okay, I see now that it works with

Code:

---

char *tmp = malloc(1);
memcpy(memorylocation, tmp, 1);

---

but

Code:

---

char msgbuf[1];
memcpy(memorylocation, &msgbuf, 1);

---

needs the '&'. Where can I read up why?

---

You don't need it in the second case either. array names are treated as pointers to their first entry, so it ends up being the same as the first case.

Actually it's memcpy(destination, source, bytes);

I can't tell from your discussion if you have that backwards or not.