argc & argv

Hello there,

I’m having problem with argc and argv.
The program suppose to work in such a way that once an input from the argc it will display the srand num.

Code:

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#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
        int i;

        printf("%d\n", argc);
        for(i=0; i<argv; i++)

        if(argc > 1)
        {
          int num;
          srand(time(NULL));
          while(num-- > 0)
                printf("%d ", rand() % 10);
        }
        return(0);
}

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The code above, doesn't seems to be right. Which I'm aware but having trouble understanding and combining different functions and arguements as a whole. As for now, I do understand how it works individually.

Code:

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Quote:

       

               

---

               
                        "argv & argc"
                       
               

---

       

#include <stdio.h>

int main(int arc, char *argv[])
{
  int i;
  printf("%i\n", argc);

  for(i=0; i< argc; i++)
    printf("%s\n", argv[i]);

 return(0);
}

       

Quote:

       

               

---

               
                        "srand num"
                       
               

---

       

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>

int main (void)
{
  int num=10;
  srand(time(NULL));
 
  while(num-- > 0)
    printf("%d ", rand() % 10);

 return(0);
}

---

Really appreciate any help.
Thanks in advance!

I'm not sure what your problem is. In argv strings are stored. If you want to convert the strings to numbers, you can use the function atoi(), which is in stdlib.h. If you want to use the numbers as stored in argv then you could do something like this:

Code:

---

for (i = 1; i < argc; i++)
{
  /* Convert i-th string in argv to an integer value. */
  num = atoi (argv [i]);
}

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Regards,
Shiro

Well, first you're comparing "i" with "argv" when I think you mean to compare it with "argc". "argv". Second, you're not initializing "num" which is why it will only print once. Perhaps this is what you mean:

Code:

---

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    int i;
    printf("argc: %d\n", argc);

    for (i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
        srand(time(NULL));
        printf("%d ", rand() % 10);
    }
    return 0;
}

---

This prints something along the lines of when run with the arguments "a b c d":

Code:

---

argc: 5
9 9 9 9 9

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Thanks for your help Nessarose! :)

However, the program is not functioning to what is being asked for.

I'm using gcc compiler for my program, after i typed

Quote:

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./numList 5 20 (it should appear...by random)
5
6
11
3
18

Note: 5 indicates how many times it should display and 20 is the range of number from srand.

---

It should work more or less like the attached code.

Code:

---

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>

int main (void)
{
  int num=10;
  srand(time(NULL));
 
  while(num-- > 0)
    printf("%d ", rand() % 10);

 return(0);
}

---

Now, my problem is how to display range of srand num using the command line argument. Does this make sense? :confused:

Any help?
Thanks!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nessarose

Code:

---

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    int i;
    printf("argc: %d\n", argc);

    for (i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
        srand(time(NULL));
        printf("%d ", rand() % 10);
    }
    return 0;
}

---

This prints something along the lines of when run with the arguments "a b c d":

Code:

---

argc: 5
9 9 9 9 9

---

---

Well, your output is all the same, because you're using srand incorrectly. You should only ever call srand once in your program. Call it outside the loop, before you call rand.

Quzah.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by miryellis

Code:

---

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>

int main (void)
{
  int num=10;
  srand(time(NULL));
 
  while(num-- > 0)
    printf("%d ", rand() % 10);

 return(0);
}

---

Now, my problem is how to display range of srand num using the command line argument. Does this make sense? :confused:

Any help?
Thanks!

---

First off, do you actually know how to make rand display a range, rather than just "0 - 9" like you've shown above? That's your first problem.

The second problem is that you need to use something like atoi to convert the arguments into numbers. Then you use those numbers in the forumulae for your range generation.

I'll leave that up to you. Give it a shot, and see what you can come up with. Do it in the two steps as I've suggested.
1) Make a program that will generate a range. Search the board for random numbers or rand and I'm sure you'll find examples of its use for ranges.
2) Make a program that will convert numbers from their string form to an actual integer.
3) Make a program that combines 1 and 2.

Quzah.

You also shouldn't use time() to seed your random numbers. time() returns type time_t, which by standard does not have to be an arithmitec type. srand() takes an unsigned int; it could on some systems be not possible to convert the return value of time() to an unsigned int. For example:

Code:

---

/*  Somewhere in time.h */
typedef struct {
      int hours; /* Hours from Midnight January 1, 1970 */
      int second; /* Seconds plus hours will result in tiem from Midnight January 1, 1970 */
} time_t;
/* Somewhere in your code */
srand(time(NULL));  /* Won't work */

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Get the point?

i followed quzah and chris, then write this program:

Code:

---

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    int i;
    int num;
    printf("argc: %d\n", argc);
    num=atoi(argv[1]);

    printf("argv[1] is the paramenter represents the number u wanna print.\n");
    printf("argv[1]=%d\n",num);

    srand(time(NULL));

    for (i = 0; i < num; i++) {
       
        printf("%d ", rand() % 10);
    }
    return 0;
}

---

i used gcc to compile and exexute,and get the right result.
if any potential problems,correct me.

You didn't yield to my resonse. If you really want to use the current time to seed your random numbers you can get creative with some time.h functions, but you can't use directly time()'s return value portably.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chrismiceli

You didn't yield to my resonse. If you really want to use the current time to seed your random numbers you can get creative with some time.h functions, but you can't use directly time()'s return value portably.

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If you type cast it you can. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bideyore

i followed quzah and chris, then write this program:

...snip...

i used gcc to compile and exexute,and get the right result.
if any potential problems,correct me.

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If you want to take it a step further, use two command line arguments, one for the minimum number, and one for the top number, and generate a number randomly between those two.

Quzah.

Thank you for all the prompt replies... :)

I will read on atoi as quzah suggested and check on bideyore's code too.

Back in here once I "trip" on it again. ;)
Thanks you guys!

i am reading the FAQ to seek a better way of generating random numbers : )
here i changed a little to use 3 arguments: argv[1]: numbers to print; argv[2]: minimum number;argv[3]:top number;
i also add a little function to check the number of the arguments.

Code:

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#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>

void GenRandNum(char* argmin, char* argmax, char* argnum)
{
    int i;
    int min,max,num;
    min=atoi(argmin);
    max=atoi(argmax);
    num=atoi(argnum);

    srand(time(NULL));

    for (i = 0; i < num; i++)
    {
        printf("%d ", (min + ( rand() % max )) );
    }
}

int CheckArg(int argc)
{
    if(argc == 4)
            return 1;
    else
        return 0;
}



void print()
{
    printf("use arg[1] to show how many numbers u wanna create.\n");
    printf("use arg[2] and arg[3] to specify ur range.\n");
}

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    if ( CheckArg(argc) )
            GenRandNum(argv[2],argv[3],argv[1]);   
    else
        print();
    return 0;
}

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