Quick check

**SofaWolf** · 06-25-2012

Code:


#include <stdio.h>


int main()
{
    float age;
    char sts;
    printf("State your age: ");
    scanf("%f", &age);
    printf("Are you working?\n ");
    scanf("%c", &sts);


    if ( age > 59 && sts == 'W' )
            printf("Working senior");
    else if ( age > 59 && sts != 'W')
            printf("Retired senior");
    else if ( age < 59 && age > 20 )
            printf("Adult");
    else if ( age < 20 && age > 12 )
            printf("Teen");
    else if ( age < 12 )
            printf("Child");
}

What did I do wrong? When I compile and run it, it asks for the age but not the status (sts).

Thanks.

**Matticus** · 06-25-2012

"scanf()" can be tricky if you're not familiar with it. In this code:

Code:

scanf("%f", &age);

... it reads the user input for a floating point number. When you press 'enter,' it updates the variable with the user input, but it doesn't read the newline character - this remains sitting in the buffer. The newline is picked up by the next "scanf()" automatically, and this makes it appear to "skip" the next "scanf()" call. One way around it is to add a "getchar()" after the first "scanf()." This will eat up that stray newline.

"scanf()" also returns the number of arguments it successfully read - this can be used to help validate the user input.

Read up on "scanf()" for more information.

**SofaWolf** · 06-25-2012

Thanks, that did the trick.

**aosterminal** · 06-26-2012

I'm pretty sure that for Age, you should use an int instead of a float variable, right? I guess it doesn't matter a whole lot in this program, but ints are for whole number, and peoples' ages are usually whole numbers.

**sparkomemphis** · 06-26-2012

what happens when someone is 59, 20 or 12 ?

**hk_mp5kpdw** · 06-26-2012

FWIW an alternate solution would be to slightly modify the second scanf call with a space in front of the %c specifier.

Instead of:

Code:

scanf("%c", &sts);

Use this:

Code:

scanf(" %c", &sts);

The difference is subtle but important. The space is a hint to the scanf function that it should throw away leading white-space (space/tab/newline characters). With the newline from the previous scanf call dealt with using such a method, this scanf call will now properly block (wait) for user input as intended by the OP. And it doesn't require an extra line of code (not that one line makes that much of a difference).

I'd almost go as far as to say that in just about all cases - there may be a few exceptions - any %c specifier in a scanf call should be preceded by a blank space in the format string. Call it 98 or 99% of the time or so.

**christop** · 06-26-2012

As a matter of style, I like to use the following pattern:

Code:

    if ( age < 12 )
            printf("Child");
    else if ( age < 20 )
            printf("Teen");
    else if ( age < 59 )
            printf("Adult");
    else if ( sts == 'W')
            printf("Working senior");
    else
            printf("Retired senior");

This pattern reduces range-checking errors, as sparkomemphis brought up, and you only have to modify each age threshold in one place (of course, using #define for each threshold is a good idea too). It's also a good idea to test your program using values at the thresholds as inputs (in this case, 12, 20, and 59).

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