Thread: Trouble using gets(var) for struct data

Hey everyone. I'm fairly new to C programming, in fact cprogramming.com tutorials is where I began my education. I've run into a bit of trouble however, trying to get a char array input and writing it to a file from a struct pointer data variable.

Code:

/*
 * File:   addvictim.c
 * Author: Crypto
 * Purpose: Adds a victim document to the depository.
 * Created on February 28, 2011, 2:24 PM
 */

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

struct fields {
    int age;
    char *name;
};

FILE *file;
char path[256] = "C:\\Users\\Seven\\Depository\\Victims\\";
char fname[32];
char ext[5] = ".dat";
struct fields dox;
struct fields *ptr;

int main(void) {
    ptr = &dox;
    printf("Enter your desired %s file name : ", ext);
    gets(fname);
    file = fopen(strcat(path, strcat(fname, ext)), "a+");
    printf("Enter the victim full name : ");
    gets(dox.name);
    fprintf(file, "NAME : %s \n", ptr->name);
    getchar();
    return (0);
}

Compiles 100% of course but after I get all input and do getchar() and press enter it says the application has stopped working.

what am I doing wrong?

^ This is all an attempt to improve off my horrific original code.

Code:

/* 
 * File:   addvictim.c
 * Author: Crypto
 * Purpose : 
 * Created on February 26, 2011, 2:24 PM
 */

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

/*
 * 
 */
int main(void) {
    FILE *file;
    char filep[256] = "C:/Users/Seven/Depository/Victims/";
    char victim[32];
    char ext[5] = ".dox";
    char name[25];
    char gender[7];
    char dob[12];
    char hometown[32];
    char tele[15];
    char email[256];
    char pass[256];
    char misc[256];

    printf("Enter victim name : ");
    gets(victim);
    file = fopen(strcat(filep, strcat(victim, ext)), "a+");
    printf("Enter the victim full name :");
    gets(name);
    fprintf(file, "NAME : %s \n", name);
    printf("Enter the victim gender :");
    gets(gender);
    fprintf(file, "GENDER : %s \n", gender);
    printf("Enter the victim date of birth :");
    gets(dob);
    fprintf(file, "DATE OF BIRTH : %s \n", dob);
    printf("Enter the victim hometown :");
    gets(hometown);
    fprintf(file, "HOMETOWN : %s \n", hometown);
    printf("Enter the victim telephone number :");
    gets(tele);
    fprintf(file, "PHONE # : %s \n", tele);
    printf("Enter the victim email  :");
    gets(email);
    fprintf(file, "EMAIL : %s \n", email);
    printf("Enter the victim password :");
    gets(pass);
    fprintf(file, "PASSWORD : %s \n", pass);
    printf("Enter the victim miscellaneous information:");
    gets(misc);
    fprintf(file, "MISC : %s \n", misc);
    fclose(file);
    printf("\nComplete! \n");
    getchar();
    return (0);
}

By using a data structure.

First, remove gets() from your mind, and never use it again.
SourceForge.net: Gets - cpwiki

The big problem with your first attempt was that the name structure was an uninitialised pointer. you need to make it point at some memory before trying to read in data.

Quite - perhaps we're better off letting them carry on using gets() then