Thread: Copy character array to char * pointer

  1. #1
    Registered User
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    Nov 2007
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    Copy character array to char * pointer

    I have an array of characters name "mess_in" and I would like to assign this to a char* pointer. I attempted using strncpy() but am not sure if this is correct. When I run it once this seems to work correctly but subsequent calls do not seem to be copying the right data. Here is my code:

    Code:
    	/*Assign memory for each of the variables as needed*/
    	request = malloc(BUFSIZ);
    	temp = malloc(256);
    
    	/*Read in the HTTP request from the client*/
          if( (nr=read(socket, mess_in, BUFSIZ) ) < 0) {
                fprintf(stderr, "Trouble Reading From Client.\n");
                fprintf(stderr, "Errno Value:  %s\n", strerror(errno));
    		return -1;
          }      
    
    	/*Copy the buffer into the request variable*/
         strncat(request, mess_in, strlen(mess_in));

  2. #2
    Registered User
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    Nov 2007
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    omg shoot me now, lol. I didn't even realize i had strncat when I wanted strncpy. Fixed it!

  3. #3
    Registered User ssharish2005's Avatar
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    Cambridge, UK
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    May be you should also have to include some error checking for your malloc returns. Thats very important!!!

    -ssharish
    Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving - Einstein

  4. #4
    Hurry Slowly vart's Avatar
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    Rishon LeZion, Israel
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    who said that mess_in is nul-terminated? use the return value of read instead of strlen
    and do not forget to nul-terminate request manually after each strncat if you want next strncat to work properly
    All problems in computer science can be solved by another level of indirection,
    except for the problem of too many layers of indirection.
    – David J. Wheeler

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