scanf return values

**pirog** · 09-09-2009

hi guys,

ok, i just realised something about scanf and its return values. when a user tries to assign (for example) three values to three variables, the return value of scanf is 3. nice.
THEN, if the user decides to input 4 values, return value of scanf is still three (since it reads only first three of them). where has the fourth value gone?
I'd like the user to be forced to input just three numbers by using:

Code:

if ((scanf("%lf%lf%i", &num1, &num2, &num3)) == 3)
{
       //some more of these calculations
}

else
{
      printf("Wrong number of arguments\n");
      return 1;
}

but that does not work. if i give 4 values, programme gives no errors and carries on with calculations.

how would i restrict user to input only 3 values otherwise? is that a normal behavior for scanf?

**laserlight** · 09-09-2009

Originally Posted by pirog

THEN, if the user decides to input 4 values, return value of scanf is still three (since it reads only first three of them). where has the fourth value gone?

The fourth value remains in the input buffer.

Originally Posted by pirog

how would i restrict user to input only 3 values otherwise?

You could read in the whole line and parse it using say, sscanf().

**pirog** · 09-09-2009

Thanks laselight,

i think it is an unnecessary use of input buffer. do extra values keep on filling up buffer and can this buffer overflow (if the number given to it is too large, for example)?

hmmm, reading the line and then parsing through sscanf()? i thought scanf() would do a similar job without the need of scanning the whole input line. well, I am not even a moderate (yet) programmer myself, but I'll try your solution.

yet, what bugs me, is that scanf can only give me first three values and not the actual number of values i provided. Makes IF statement redundant! heh.

thanks anyway.

**laserlight** · 09-09-2009

Originally Posted by pirog

yet, what bugs me, is that scanf can only give me first three values and not the actual number of values i provided. Makes IF statement redundant! heh.

What happens if the user only enters two values?

**pirog** · 09-09-2009

laserlight,

actually, the programme waits until i enter at least 3 values. even if i separate them by X number of CARRIAGE RETURNS. Of course the programme (however small) terminates on the account of any letters. i guess that's typical of SCANF().

**laserlight** · 09-09-2009

To enter just two values, enter them, then simulate EOF (e.g., CTRL + Z or CTRL + D).

**pirog** · 09-09-2009

while running this programme in the terminal and pressing C-Z or C-D gives me russian letters (my keyboard is set to Eng/Rus). Anyway, the following ensures such termination and gives my own error message:

Code:

	if (n != EOF)
		printf("Warning: Input reading terminated by error.\n");

where n is my SCANF() return value
but i am not worried about the user inputting only two values (the above takes care of that). it is him putting 4 values, that still results in return value of SCANF() to be 3. I think it is a shame for scanf to take on predetermined number of arguments.

i am still to implement your solution involving SSCANF() - doing somehting else at the moment.

**pirog** · 09-11-2009

Tried to implement the SSCANF suggestion, but unsuccessfully.
From what errors I could unscramble, the issue was in an incorrect formating. I am going to stick to SCANF routine, although I still think it is not so beautiful.

thanks for help anyway

**dwks** · 09-11-2009

You can't just use sscanf() as a drop-in replacement for scanf(). sscanf() parses its tokens from a char[] array rather than from stdin. So the general idea is that you use fgets() or a similar function to read data into a buffer, and then use sscanf() to parse that buffer. Quick example:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    char buffer[BUFSIZ];
    int x, y, z;
    
    printf("Enter exactly three numbers on one line:\n");
    for(;;) {
        int bogus;
        
        if(!fgets(buffer, sizeof buffer, stdin)) return 1;
        
        if(sscanf(buffer, "%d%d%d%d", &x, &y, &z, &bogus) != 3) {
            printf("Hey. I said *exactly* three numbers.\n");
        }
        else break;
    }
    
    printf("Product %d*%d*%d = %d\n", x, y, z, x*y*z);
    
    return 0;
}

Example run:

Code:

Enter exactly three numbers on one line:
1 2
Hey. I said *exactly* three numbers.
1 2 3 4
Hey. I said *exactly* three numbers.
1 2 3
Product 1*2*3 = 6

There are other ways to see if the user entered data beyond what you expected. You could use %p to see how far sscanf() read and then see if there were any non-space characters between there and the end of the string (or just use %c to make your life a lot easier).

**pirog** · 09-12-2009

Thanks for such an informative reply, DWKS!!!

I shall certainly try it your way, but as far as i can see that pretty much answers my question.
What i was doing, as you probably understood from previous posts, was using SSCANF just as I would use SCANF. Of course, I couldn't make getc to work either and was left to use scanf's buffer and that basically defeats the purpose of SSCANF.

Thanks a lot. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

**pirog** · 09-12-2009

dwks,

the example you've given worked like a charm. Although i did not get the idea behind bogus variable, but then it came to me that it is a dummy variable and is necessary for the limitation of user input.
Couldn't define BUFFSIZE in pre-processor and then use it in CHAR BUFF[BUFFSIZE], so i just set it in declaration CHAR BUFF[120]. Other than that, there were no probs with the example.

Only thing left is to apply the solution to my programme.

Thanks a lot!

**dwks** · 09-12-2009

Although i did not get the idea behind bogus variable, but then it came to me that it is a dummy variable and is necessary for the limitation of user input.

Yes, "dummy" would perhaps have been a better name. Oh well.

Couldn't define BUFFSIZE in pre-processor and then use it in CHAR BUFF[BUFFSIZE], so i just set it in declaration CHAR BUFF[120]. Other than that, there were no probs with the example.

BUFSIZ is pre-defined in stdio.h to be something at least 512. It's a good size to use for buffers. If you want to use your own size, of course, you could say #define BUFFER_SIZE 120 or something -- but don't try to re-define BUFSIZ, since the compiler probably won't like that too much.

**pirog** · 09-12-2009

hey dwks,

i defined BUFFSIZE in a pre-processor statement as you have it in your last post, but my compiler did not like it. not quite sure why (i might have a look at it later), but that's the reason i defined it in declaration of CHAR BUFF[120]

i took a liberty of looking at your webpage, it looks good - i might visit it for reference purposes

good luck

p.s. still, i am left to implement your solution in my programme (when i get a chance)

**tabstop** · 09-12-2009

Originally Posted by pirog

hey dwks,

i defined BUFFSIZE in a pre-processor statement as you have it in your last post, but my compiler did not like it. not quite sure why (i might have a look at it later), but that's the reason i defined it in declaration of CHAR BUFF[120]

i took a liberty of looking at your webpage, it looks good - i might visit it for reference purposes

good luck

p.s. still, i am left to implement your solution in my programme (when i get a chance)

I like guessing: don't put a semicolon at the end of your define (and don't put an equals sign in it either).

**pirog** · 09-12-2009

hey tabstop,

i did not keep the backup of it (since that was a trial file, although i do in general) but i did not use the equal sign.
Yet, I am pretty sure i had a semicolon in there

appreciated!
thanks to everyone for their input.

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