Thread: Another mock question that doesnt compile!

Hi, another mock exam question right here! Ive tried to run this code to work out what it is doing but it says line1 hasnt been declared. The exam question asks what the output will be so i will have to try and work out what its result is meant to be.

Code:

char c *line, line2[20]
int index = 0;
strcpy(line2, "2 and 2 are 4");
c = line2[0];
line1 = (char *)malloc(15*sizeof(char));
while (c != '\0'
{
      line1[index] = c;
      if (c = '2') printf("ok\n");
      index = index+1;
      c = line2[index];
};
line1[index-1]='\0';
printf("%s\n",line1);

There are no scanf so that i know there is no input. The two outputs I can see if "ok \n" and printing the line1 string. There is a while conditional saying that while the value of c is not equal to "\0" then print ok. I have two questions about the code thus far.

1. What does '\0' mean. It says if the value of c is not equal to that. However it looks like c is being defined as a char so how can a char be 0?

2. What else is going on wiht this code, i dont really undestand the malloc and strcpy lines.

3. Is the [20] after line2 defining how many is that maximum chars that this can hold in the string?

it says line1 hasnt been declared

It hasn't. On the first line you declare line and line2, and you're also missing a semi-colon.

What does '\0' mean.

It's called a null-character. It signifies the end of a string

However it looks like c is being defined as a char so how can a char be 0?

A char is just a number used to to represent characters. At some point it has to be stored in binary, which in this case at least, is just 8 bits. Make all the bits 0, and you have the number zero. Represent that number as a character, and it means the end of a string.

i dont really undestand the malloc and strcpy lines.

malloc allocates a certain amount of memory for you dynamically. It's used when you're using large amounts of memory, and/or you don't know beforehand how much. However it needs to be used in conjunction with free() so that you're program doesn't leak memory.

strcpy is used for string assignment. Do a google search on both of these and you'll find plenty of documentation and examples.

Is the [20] after line2 defining how many is that maximum chars that this can hold in the string?

Right - but that includes the null character. So the biggest string this array could hold would have the first character at line2[0] and the last at line2[18] and a null character at line2[19]. All the array elements are next to eachother in memory, so with no null character, string functions would just keep reading the memory that's AFTER the array is supposed to end.

Hi, thank you both for the help. To explain why i am in this situation, these are not old exam questions, these are what i have been sent by my exam teacher. I have an exam in three weeks on these questions. I have been using the tutorial section of this site to learn, so far im on tutorial 5 where i think i should be able to answer these questions.

First, c should be == because it is comparing the value and not setting it, is that correct?

Secondly, i understand that letters can now be represented as numbers. To do this a char is given a numerical value, but when it comes to print the numerical value will be converted into its equivalent letter. Is this correct? In that case would the char 10 for example still count as a single character, becuase two numbers are used to make it but it would print only a single char? In the same way I take it /0 counts as a single char despite being technically two? A space also contributes to a char i assume.

Since the numbers 2 and 4 are defined as part of a char string and not an int string, should they not be converted to ascii letters when they are printed? What is going on with the [index] parts of the code, is it copying the individual chars into line1?

Finally may i please just state my understanding of the script now.

First C is defined as a char, line is defined as a pointer and line2 is set a char limit of 20. The text "2 and 2 are 4" is then copied into line2. Then a while loop is started, and while it hasnt reached the end of the string, it will execute the middle code. This states that is the char 2 is present then print "ok\n". When the end of the string is reached, the loop ends, and prints out the complete line1. Hence why this is printed:

ok\n
ok\n
2 + 2 = 4

First, c should be == because it is comparing the value and not setting it, is that correct?

Correct. If you're saying "if(c = 6)" that's like saying "if(6)" which is true. If it doesn't make sense why:

Code:

a = 6; // a is 6
b = a = 6; // b is now 6

therefore
((a = 6) == 6) is true

Secondly, i understand that letters can now be represented as numbers. To do this a char is given a numerical value, but when it comes to print the numerical value will be converted into its equilalent letter. Is this correct? In that case would the char 10 for example still count as a single character, becuase two numbers are used to make it but it would print only a single char? In the same way I take it /0 counts as a single char despite being technically two? A space also contributes to a char i assume.

You need to look at the ascii table. A char IS a number. It isn't represented as a number, it basically IS a number. When you print a number (char), it prints the character that is represented by that number. So to print the number 7 on the screen, you don't send the number 7, you send the number that represent the character for 7. The ascii value for '7' is not 7. Make sense?

So '/0' is 0, but 0 is something else (it's 100 and something, I think)

Hi,

I found this online:
http://www.cs.utk.edu/%7Epham/ascii_table.jpg

Am i correct in thinking if i wanted to print the number 7 i would use the number 55 (the decimal equivilient). So a char doesnt have to be a letter, it is just a charactor, which can include letters, numbers and symbols.

In which case why is it that when we want to print the char letter "a" we simply put "a" in the printf? Also why were the numbers 2 and 4 in this equation not converted?

Im sorry if im getting confused, im trying to get my head around all this.

The %c tells the computer to interpret the number and display the appropriate character. %d means to print the number in decimal format.

edit: and yes - you would be correct in that assumption - my guess was wayy off!

Ah that makes slightly more sence. Would i be right in saying that if set to %c or %s letters and numbers could be displayed as they are seen:

abc123

would be displayed as:

abc123

However if %d then the decimal values of the numbers and letters would be shown instead.

EDIT: Ah you cleared it up for me sean, thank you.

If anyone happens to look at this again would you mind explaining how the "2+2=4" is copied to line1. I can see it has something to do with [index] but im not sure what exactly is going on.

If it is easier to point me in the direction of information that would help me understand that would also be helpful.

Code:

char c *line, line2[20]
int index = 0;
strcpy(line2, "2 and 2 are 4");
c = line2[0];
line1 = (char *)malloc(15*sizeof(char));
while (c != '\0'
{
      line1[index] = c;  //c drops it's char onto the end of line1, first '2', then others
      if (c = '2') printf("ok\n");
      index = index+1;  //index increments, so 
      c = line2[index];  //c can pick up another char from line2, here
};
line1[index-1]='\0';
printf("%s\n",line1);

In the red line of code, c is set equal to 2.

After that, in the loop in blue, c is used to "carry" the 2 (first), and then the rest of the line2 string, char by char, into line1.

It picks up it's char at the bottom of the loop, and drops it off at the top, when it's looping around.

C is the bucket, in the bucket brigade throwing water on the fire.

Ive been looking at that for a while but i think I understand what you mean now.
C is set as line2[0];, which is the first letter on line2, which is 2. Index is added one and that new index then stored the second char of line two in c, which is then copied to line1 at the start of the loop.

[Index], is that a universal name, or is this just what he has decided to call it? What actually is index, or any value placed in brackets like that [].

When he uses the word index in a program, he has to define it, because it's not a word recognized by the compiler. But in general, the number inside the square brackets is referred to as the 'index' of that element.