Thread: duplicating and reversing a string?

Hello,
I'm quite new to c programming and I'm trying to solve this exercise

Write a function that reverses a string e.g world to dlrow
.
Use this prototyp
/* Returns a reversed copy of s. */

Code:

char *reverse(char *s);

The function should reverse a copy and not the original string. Use strdup to to copy the given string.
Use strlen to determine the length of the string

I am able to use strlen and also strdup separately but I have no clue how I should combine the two commands to help me with the task. I would be really grateful for any help which could point me into the right direction.

What I have so far:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

char *reverse (char *s);

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
	char word[999] = {0};
	int result = 0;

	printf("Please enter a word:");
    scanf("%s", &word);
	
	reverse (&word);
	
	return 0;
}

char *reverse (char *s)
{
	int i = 0;
	int length = 0;
	char *copy;

	copy = NULL;
	length = strlen (s);

	copy = strdup(s);
	printf ("%s\n", copy);   /*test*/
}

- replace "&word" with "word"
- goto the end of string then loop to begin and collect any char in a temp-variable, then copy temp to your string

Originally Posted by BillyTKid

- replace "&word" with "word"
- goto the end of string then loop to begin and collect any char in a temp-variable, then copy temp to your string

Thanks I deleted the &.
I think my major problem ist that I don't know exactly how I should go to the end (or beginning) of the string when I only use a pointer.

You go to the end of string with

Code:

char *s = "blah";
char *end = s+strlen(s);

end points to terminating char '\0' from s.
For non-empty strings you can loop to begin like:

Code:

while( end-- != s )
  putchar( *end );

Originally Posted by BillyTKid

You go to the end of string with

Code:

char *s = "blah";
char *end = s+strlen(s);

This pointer stuff is quite overwhelming and confusing
So according with what I read s contains the address of the first letter
So let's say the word is "apple" -->*s = a --> s = (address number)

length of apple = 5
i.e s + strlen(s) = (address number + 5) that would contain 0 (because end of string)

But what I really don't understand is why does *end contain 0 now? Don't we pass on the address to *end. How does it know that we want the content of the address saved?
I hope my explanations are not too confusing . I'm really lost right now.

Originally Posted by laserlight

If end points to the null character, then *end yields the value of the null character.

I guess I have to accept it although I'm not sure I really understand it

So I tried this but now it's crashing

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

char *reverse (char *s);

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
	char word[999] = {0};
	
	printf("Please enter a word:");
                scanf("%s", &word);
	
	reverse (word);
	
	return 0;
}

char *reverse (char *s)
{
	int i = 0;
	int length = 0;
	char temp = 0;
	char *end = s + strlen(s) - 1; 
	char *copy;
	copy = NULL;
	length = strlen(s);

	for (i; i < length; i++) 
	{
		temp = *end;                 /*copies the content of end into temp*/
		copy = strdup(temp);     /*duplicates temp*/
		copy++;                        /*adds one to address*/
		end--;                       
	}
	
}

The crash comes when attempting copy = strdup(temp);. It reads

Unhandled exception at 0x0043110c in Master.exe: 0xC0000005: Access violation reading location 0x00000066.

Obviously I'm doing something wrong. Any hints before I go slightly mad?

Originally Posted by BillyTKid

strdup is not ANSI C.

Thanks for this. I've been for long in belief that it is even though I've went through the standard many times. Luckily POSIX is okay for me mostly.

Originally Posted by BillyTKid

Your code is stuff, not my. Its too difficult for you to read 3 short lines of code?
strdup is not ANSI C.

I'm sorry I have upset you I didn't mean too. I never said that your code isn't good. I believe it is. It is just very hard for me to implement it because this is by far the hardes exercise we had until now.

Turn up your compiler warning levels and fix the warnings.
You're doing silly things like decaring a function to return something and then not returning anything. The compiler will emphatically complain that this is a problem (which it certainly is), if you let it!

I know it's not giving anything back yet. I'm trying to get the reversing right before. I know it's complaining about it and I will fix it later but unfortunately that's not the reason why it's not working


I guess I will give up for now . Thanks for all your help and I'm sorry if I upset anyone.