Thread: How to select a string from an arry of strings

  1. #1
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    How to select a string from an arry of strings

    I have defined the following:

    Code:
    static volatile char const *name_list[8][8] = {"Line 0  ", "Line 1  ", "Line 2  ", "Line 3  ", "Line 4  ", "Line 5  ", "Line 6  ", "Line 7", "Line 8  "};

    My question is: how do I select a string from this array and in what kind of variable can I store the selected string?

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    Quote Originally Posted by MNM(tm) View Post
    I have defined the following:

    Code:
    static volatile char const *name_list[8][8] = {"Line 0  ", "Line 1  ", "Line 2  ", "Line 3  ", "Line 4  ", "Line 5  ", "Line 6  ", "Line 7", "Line 8  "};

    My question is: how do I select a string from this array and in what kind of variable can I store the selected string?
    Use an index, or a pointer, to select your string. You only need *name_list[8]], (or name_list[8][8]), but not both, for your array.

    what would this do?
    Code:
    printf("%s \n", name_list[2]);
    strings are most commonly stored in char arrays in C. What is the problem with using one, here?
    Last edited by Adak; 12-31-2011 at 07:47 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    You only need *name_list[8], (or name_list[8][8]).
    In both cases I get a compiler error: "Too many initializer values", so that's why I have to use "char const *name_list[8][8] ..."

    But when I also define another variable:
    Code:
    static volatile char *selected_name;
    and I try to assign a selected string form the array to it, by using:

    Code:
    selected_name = name_list[8];
    the compiler complains with an error: "expression must be a modifiable lvalue"



    ps.: "char const name_list[][8] ..." seems to be accepted by the compiler as well.

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    You can not use the assignment operator with C-strings, you need to use strcpy().

    Jim

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    Humbug.

    strcpy() needs string.h to be included, and that's not available in my compiler. (I'm using TI's Code Composer Studio to write programs for MSP430 processors).

    I guess I'm going to need to use pointers then?

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    Or a loop to copy character by character until the end of string character. Are you sure that this compiler does not include string.h?

    Jim

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    Yup, I'm sure.

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    Well of course, 0 to 8 strings, is NINE strings, so there's the cause of your "too many initializers" error.

    Writing you own strcpy() is easy:

    Code:
    for(i=0;origin_array[i];i++) {
       destination_array[i]=origin_array[i];
    }
    destination_array[i]='\0';

  9. #9
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    Maybe you just need to add a const like this:
    Code:
    static volatile const char *selected_name;
    Why are you using volatile ?

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    You could generate it programatically, and then reverse it to get the strings back out again:

    Code:
        register u8 i;
        char **strs;
        strs = kmalloc(8,GFP_KERNEL);
        
        for (i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
            strs[i] = kmalloc(8,GFP_KERNEL);
            strs[i][0] = 'L';
            strs[i][1] = 'i';
            strs[i][2] = 'n';
            strs[i][3] = 'e';
            strs[i][4] = ' ';
            strs[i][5] = i + '0';
        }

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    Quote Originally Posted by oogabooga View Post
    Maybe you just need to add a const like this:
    Code:
    static volatile const char *selected_name;
    Why are you using volatile ?
    To make sure the compiler creates the const in RAM instead of Flash Memory.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by MNM(tm) View Post
    To make sure the compiler creates the const in RAM instead of Flash Memory.
    IIRC, volatile does NOT mean it does what you want.

    It means the value can change without code changing it; it tells the compiler NOT to optimize the variable out.

    Tim S.

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    Okay, then I was making a terribly wrong assumption.
    Thanks for making this clear to me.

  14. #14
    Third Eye Babkockdood's Avatar
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    Just curious, why wouldn't your compiler include string.h? It's apart of the standard C library, and all of those headers should be installed by default.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Jargon File
    Microsoft Windows - A thirty-two bit extension and graphical shell to a sixteen-bit patch to an eight-bit operating system originally coded for a four-bit microprocessor which was written by a two-bit company that can't stand one bit of competition.

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