Thread: Beginner C Question Help

Originally Posted by msh

You loop for input until the user gives you something that looks like a digit.

No, you make some pseudo code for what you want to do and translate it into real C code, whether or not that includes isdigit.
Beginners won't learn if you throw the spoon to them. They must learn to get it themselves.
In other words, don't tell them how to logically do something! They must use their own logic to come to this conclusion!
It's alright to explain functions do and introduce new functions to help with a specific task, but logic must never be handed out! This is a very critical part of programming and it is essential that every programmer out there knows it like the back of their hands!

I actually appreciate you guys not giving me the direct answer.

But I've run into another error and I just don't see what I'm doing wrong. I tried to simplify the program without using isdigit (because I don't even see why it's necessary in this program) but I'm still getting an error...but much less errors.

error: too few arguments to funtion 'time'

Code:

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

int main()
{

    int iResponse = 0;
    int iAnswer = 0;
    srand(time());

    iAnswer = (rand() % 10) + 1;

    printf("Guessing Game\n");
    printf("\nGuess a number from 1 to 10: ");
    scanf("%d", &iResponse);

    if (iResponse < 1 || iResponse > 10)
    {
        printf("Enter a number between 1 and 10");
    }
    else
    {
        if (iResponse == iAnswer)
        {
            printf("\nYou guessed right!\n");
        }
        else
        {
            printf("\nSorry, you guessed wrong\n");
            printf("The correct guess was %d\n", iAnswer);
        }
    }
}

EDIT: When I remove the header #include <time.h> the program runs BUT as soon as it runs a Microsoft Window pops up and says "Guessing Game.exe has stopped working".

Any ideas?

What we're really wondering, is why this is difficult for you to figure out:

error: too few arguments to funtion 'time'

Do you know that 'time' is in your program?
Do you know what an 'argument' is?
Do you know what 'too few' means?
Which part is confusing?


Quzah.

>> I did look it up...and I know what it does. But for some reason it wasn't working in the program. Why don't you tell me why?

One rule of programming is to be sure to read the documentation on any function you plan to use. You'll need to know what arguments it takes, the constraints on the arguments, and what it returns. Had you looked up the docs on time you would have found that it takes a pointer to a time_t. Thus the error "too few arguments to function 'time'". Here's what my docs say:

Header File

time.h

Category

Time and Date Routines

Syntax

#include <time.h>
time_t time(time_t *timer);

Description

Gets time of day.

time gives the current time, in seconds, elapsed since 00:00:00 GMT, January 1, 1970, and stores that value in the location pointed to by timer, provided that timer is not a NULL pointer.

Return Value

time returns the elapsed time in seconds.

Originally Posted by pmacdonald

What I don't understand is why in this book do they not give you all the correct information before asking you a question where you need said information. Going off the examples in the book the program I wrote should've worked...they didn't use any other header except #include <stdio.h> and #include <ctype.h>.

I've never looked at that book, but whenever I run across a mistake like that I think, "Oh, maybe this was so I'd have to spend extra time thinking about that", which I actually hope there are not so many published writers with that attitude.

>> I'm going to start over with this program and start with writing out the pseudo code.

Always a good idea. It usually helps clarify your ideas, anyway. Good luck.

Originally Posted by pmacdonald

What I don't understand is why in this book do they not give you all the correct information before asking you a question where you need said information. Going off the examples in the book the program I wrote should've worked...they didn't use any other header except #include <stdio.h> and #include <ctype.h>.

If that's true, you may consider a new book.
If you keep finding yourself writing code that works in the book but not with your code, then it's time to switch.