Help in Dictionary Program

Good day!

I am only a beginner at c programming and I need some help to clarify the correct use of fseek function. Here is my program this is only for letter a:

Code:

---

#include <stdio.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <string.h>
#define SIZE 10
#include <io.h>

struct entry{
char  results[50];
};

main()
{

char letter[SIZE];
FILE *fp, *fp2;
int  num =0;
char add, newword[50], word[10], buffer[50];
long size, len;
struct entry buffers;

 printf ("Enter a letter:\t");
 gets(letter);
 strlwr(letter);
if (letter[0] == 'a')
{
  if ((fp = fopen ("a.txt", "r")) != NULL)
  {           
  printf("Type a word:\n");
  gets(word);
  len = strlen(word);
  fseek(fp, (long) (len*sizeof(struct entry)), 0);
  fread(&buffers, sizeof(struct entry), 1, fp);
  fprintf(stdout, "%s", buffers.results);
  fclose(fp);
    }}
getch();
}

My target is to create a dictionary program.
This is my expected output:

Enter a leter:    a
Enter a word:    abaculus

abaculus        small tile for mosaic

But the result of my actual program is inaccurate.

hoping for your response. Thankyou.

---

If a.txt contains variable length lines of text (a word, followed by its definition), then fseek is not useful.

fseek works best on fixed length records (lines of text are variable length).

You can use fseek() on a text file, but you need to produce a separate index file first. This is done by reading the whole text file once, and recording where each line starts by calling ftell(). You can then use these values in future fseek() calls to find the start of a given line.

Post some lines of a.txt.

I shortened a.txt into this just for example.

Word Definition
aba garment of camel or goat hair; camel or goat-hair fabric
abacinate to blind by putting red-hot copper basin near the eyes
abactor cattle thief
abaculus small tile for mosaic
abaft toward or at the stern of a ship; further aft
abampere unit equivalent to 10 amperes
abapical at the lowest point
abarticular not connected with the joint
abasement action of humbling or degrading
abasia inability to walk due to lack of muscular coordination
abask in genial warmth

the word is separated to meaning by a tab.
can you show me how to use fseek on a separate index file?
thanks for replying

On the face of it, it doesn't seem like the kind of problem where fseek() is useful - at least for a beginner.

Code:

---

char buff[BUFSIZ];
while ( fgets( buff, sizeof buff, fp ) != NULL ) {
  // compare the first word of buff with your search word
}

---

Code:

---

printf("Type a word:\n");
gets(word);

while (fgets( word, sizeof(word), fp ) != NULL)
  // compare the first word of word with your search word
 
  c = strcmpi(word, "aba");
  strcpy(buffer, word);
  if(c == 0)
{ 
printf("%s", buffer);
}

---

why is it none is printed?
or i just have wrong codes?

Sir how about EOL it can be useful?
thanks.
really need help

I don't understand, you're getting a word with gets() (unsafe by the way), and then you're overwriting it immediately, with another word.

Can you back up to the logic, and forget the code for now?

sorry for that.
can you help me correct my codes?
Or can you give me some informations that will help to debug this program?
thanks.

Bump bump

A full sized dictionary is beyond your level of programming, atm. To do it properly with that much data, requires some very sophisticated programming.

However, some good results are well within reach. :)

Since the words will all be kept sorted, a binary (fast) search can be used to locate it, in the file (if we're clever). And since the definition will be kept to 80 char's or less, we can match up the index numbers, like so:

word[0] = "aardvark"
define[0] = "A furry ground dwelling, medium sized insect eater, with a long snout. Native to southern Africa".

The zeroes above are the key. The definitions can be in another file altogether, (which allows the fast search), but the words index, will always match the definitions index. That association can never change. If and when the words get resorted, the definitions will be moved to match that of the word.

Instead of opening up one file at a time, with all the info we want, we'll open up two. :D

BUT, we can do much better. Because we have more words than we can ever search through as we want to, so -- we'll divide them up (divide and conquer is right), by the length of the word:

A8Word.txt would have "Aardvark", for instance. A8Def.txt would have the definition for Aardvark. For a program, it's easy to find the right filename, see?

Now, we can do an incredibly fast search and keep our files relatively reasonable in size. A utility function or program will put all the words into the right file, for us. No need to try and do it all with cut and paste, by hand.

Your initial program organization wouldn't allow you to do what you wanted, as far as I can see.

Does that sound OK, or too much?

Quote:

---

Now, we can do an incredibly fast search and keep our files relatively reasonable in size. A utility function or program will put all the words into the right file, for us. No need to try and do it all with cut and paste, by hand.

---

i do understand what you want to do. but that paragraph...
how i can put all words into the right file without doing cut and paste at the notepad?

thanks for your post it helps alot!

I'll show you. :D

If you post up maybe 25 words and their definitions (limited to 80 chars worth, hopefully), then we can talk more specifics.

If this is an assignment that's due tomorrow, you know it won't be ready that fast, right?

no, i have 3 more days to do it. ty
i'll wait your reply.
thanks

OK, we'll make it an abbreviated version.

Do you have a file with good formatting, with all the words in sorted order, and all the (short hopefully) definitions, listed?

Post a small (25 or so word list and their definitions), so I can get a clear idea of what you have for data.

I have the classify program ready to go. Sandman catch you? :D

I'll use the few example words and def's you posted, up above then.

Word Definition
aba garment of camel or goat hair; camel or goat-hair fabric
abacinate to blind by putting red-hot copper basin near the eyes
abactor cattle thief
abaculus small tile for mosaic
abaft toward or at the stern of a ship; further aft
abampere unit equivalent to 10 amperes
abapical at the lowest point
abarticular not connected with the joint
abasement action of humbling or degrading
abasia inability to walk due to lack of muscular coordination
abask in genial warmth

i used space to separate words and meanings coz tab doesn't work.

I'm from Philippines.
You can post anytime your reply, i'll just comment. the time zone here is GMT +8.

thanks.

This is the shorter version. W means it's a word file, and D in the filename, means it's a definition.

The example you gave, with tabs (and I believe it will work fine with a space also, although I haven't tried it yet), was the test data. It needs to go into a file named "classify.txt", and be in the same directory as the program (for now).

I'm touching up the definition file part of this, and will post it up in a bit.

Code:

---

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#define MAX 30

int main() {
  int i, len;
  char n, s1[MAX], def1[80]={""};
  char file1[9] = {""}, appen[5]={".txt"}, tmp[9]={""};
  FILE *fp;
        //printf("\n Enter a word: ");  //lines like this are for debugging only
        //scanf("%s", s); (void) getchar();
  fp = fopen("classify.txt", "rt");
  if(fp==NULL) {
    printf("ERROR opening file - terminating");
    return 1;
  }
  i=0;
  while(1) {
    i = fscanf(fp, "%s%*c%[^\n]s", s1, def1);
    if(i < 2)
      break;
    printf("\n%s    %s", s1, def1);
            //getch();  //printf("\n%s", s);
    len=strlen(s1);
    file1[0]=s1[0];
    file1[1]='W';
    itoa(len, tmp, 10);
    strcat(file1+2, tmp);
    strcat(file1, appen);
    printf("\nFilename is: %s",file1);
            //getch();

    //reset all the string arrays to 0
    for(i=0;i<9;i++) {
      file1[i]='\0';
      tmp[i]='\0';
    }
    for(i=0;i<MAX;i++)
      s1[i] = '\0';
    for(i=0;i<80;i++)
      def1[i]='\0';
  }
  fclose(fp);
  printf("\n\n\t\t\t    press enter when ready");
  (void) getchar();
  return 0;
}

---

So aba gets a filename of aW3.txt, and Abe would go in there, as well.
Aardvark would go in aW8.txt, etc.

Test this part out a bit. I haven't done much of that.

thanks Sir Adak
ill just study it first.
thanks a lot.

I don't like working files like this, but you can't have several score of files open at the same time, either.

First: this needs to be in it's OWN directory, with no ?Wn.txt or ?Dn.txt, where ? is any letter, and n is any number. If a previous run's files are there, delete them first, then run this.

I slowed it with a couple of very short pauses, to let the hardware handle the file work, with better reliability (imo).

This program should be run just ONCE (once you know it's accurate), on the data. Any other words that need to be added, should be done by either another function, or by hand, with cut and paste, on the correct word and define file.

Code:

---

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#define MAX 30

int main() {
  int i, len;
  char n, s1[MAX], def1[80]={""};
  char file1[9] = {""}, appen[5]={".txt"}, tmp[9]={""};
  FILE *fp, *fpW, *fpD;


        //printf("\n Enter a word: ");
        //scanf("%s", s); (void) getchar();
  fp = fopen("classify.txt", "rt");
 
  if(fp==NULL) {
    printf("ERROR opening classify.txt file - terminating");
    return 1;
  }
  i=0;
  while(1) {
    i = fscanf(fp, "%s%*c%[^\n]s", s1, def1);
    if(i < 2)
      break;
    printf("\n%s    %s", s1, def1);
            //getch();
    len=strlen(s1);
    file1[0]=s1[0];
    file1[1]='W';
    itoa(len, tmp, 10);
    strcat(file1+2, tmp);
    strcat(file1, appen);
    printf("\nFilename is: %s",file1);
    fpW = fopen(file1, "at");

    if(fpW == NULL) {
      printf("Error opening %s - terminating", file1);
      return 1;
    }
    fprintf(fpW, "%s\n", s1);
    fclose(fpW);
    delay(50);           
    file1[1]='D';
    fpD = fopen(file1, "at");
    if(fpD == NULL) {
      printf("Error opening %s - terminating", file1);
      return 1;
    }
   
    fprintf(fpD, "%s\n", def1);
    fclose(fpD);
    delay(50);
          //getch();

    //reset all the string arrays to 0
    for(i=0;i<9;i++) {
      file1[i]='\0';
      tmp[i]='\0';
    }
    for(i=0;i<MAX;i++)
      s1[i] = '\0';
    for(i=0;i<80;i++)
      def1[i]='\0';
  }
  fclose(fp);
 
  printf("\n\n\t\t\t    press enter when ready");
  (void) getchar();
  return 0;
}

---

It's late, and I'm nodding off. I'll check in with you, after I get some zzz's.
This is the program that will actually write the respective files, so check it out. You are my beta tester. :D

Seems one hell of a way to make a mountain out of a mole-hill to me...

I think the OP needs to make their own code, rather than you impressing everyone with your complicated scanf calls.