Thread: Help! No idea where to start on this. Arrays of structs, doubly linked lists.

I've posted the assignment. I'm not asking someone to do this for me, just to point me in the right direction.

I know how to create and manage structures and to a lesser extent arrays of structures, I'm just in the dark about how to connect two arrays of structs to a doubly linked list (which is what I assume the assignment is asking me to do).

Any and all help is greatly appreciated. The attached file is the assignment.

Code:

//Paul Omans
#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>

struct directory{
    char circleName[42];
    int startBlock;
};

struct FAT{
    char name[42];
    char number[42];
    int nextBlock;
    int previousBlock;
};

int main(){
    struct directory directoryClass[10];
    struct FAT FATClass[100];


}

Here's what I have so far.

Originally Posted by Paul Omans

I'm just in the dark about how to connect two arrays of structs to a doubly linked list (which is what I assume the assignment is asking me to do).

I don't think you have to connect both arrays to a doubly linked list. Only each "circle" is implemented as a doubly linked list within the FAT array. Your directory array just provides the starting index for each circle list and your FAT array holds all the data.

I think a good starting point for you is reading each line from the file, parsing it and print out what you should do. This would assure that the reading/parsing part works.

Then you can tackle each operation (adding, deleting, querying) separately

Bye, Andreas

Code:

//Paul Omans
#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include<string.h>

struct directory{
    char circleName[42];
    int startBlock;
};

struct FAT{
    char name[42];
    char number[42];
    int nextBlock;
    int previousBlock;
};

int main(){
    struct directory directoryClass[10];
    struct FAT FATClass[100];
    static const char filename[] = "hw7.data";
    FILE *file = fopen(filename, "r");
    if (file != NULL)
    {
        char line[128];
        while(fgets(line, sizeof line, file)!= NULL)
        {
            int length = strlen(line); int i;
            for(i=0;i<length;i++)
            {
                //Parse each line into separate words
            }
            fputs(line, stdout);
        }
        fclose(file);
    }

}

Here's what I have so far. I'm not sure how to parse the line out to separate strings.

Here's what I have so far. I'm not sure how to parse the line out to separate strings.

Well what are you thinking?

I was thinking to split each line into separate strings at each whitespace and put the strings into the two structures. For example, a line could be "Friends Chuck 2326042 a" and I would split it into "Friends", "Chuck", "2326042", "a".

Originally Posted by Paul Omans

I was thinking to split each line into separate strings at each whitespace and put the strings into the two structures. For example, a line could be "Friends Chuck 2326042 a" and I would split it into "Friends", "Chuck", "2326042", "a".

Well that is a start. I'd do it. Don't worry about it being optimal or anything like that. Implementing your ideas is a better learning experience than hand-holding. If you don't learn how to solve a problem you can't be a programmer, since a lot of software development is getting these kinds of ideas and applying them.

I'll help you once your idea breaks the program.