pass by refrence help.

The function takes a string pointer and returns by refrence a string . I can print the string just fine in the function inself but when i try to print it from the main function it prints some junk. Can any body tell me why?? Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Code:

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int validateInptFile(char *fPtr, char **seqNo){
char fileName[18], sNo[10];

strncpy(sNo, &fileName[9], 4);
sNo[4] = '\0';

*seqNo = &sNo[0];
printf("seqNo > %s\n", *seqNo);
//output "0001"
}


//function call from main

validateInptFile(newAddFile, &curSeqNo));
printf("MAIN > %s\n", curSeqNo);
//outputs some junk

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1) References don't exist in C. You are using a pointer to get to the data
2) You are trying to use a pointer to a local nonstatic variable that is destroyed after the function end

Simpler is:

Code:

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int validateInptFile(char *fPtr, char *seqNo){
  char fileName[18], sNo[10];

  strncpy(sNo, &fileName[9], 4);
  sNo[4] = '\0';

  strcpy(seqNo, sNo);
  printf("seqNo > %s\n", seqNo);
  //output "0001"
}

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Or even simpler:

Code:

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int validateInptFile(char *fPtr, char *seqNo){
  char fileName[18];

  strncpy(seqNo, &fileName[9], 4);
  seqNo[4] = '\0';

  printf("seqNo > %s\n", seqNo);
  //output "0001"
}

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And then the call would be:

Code:

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validateInptFile(newAddFile, curSeqNo));

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