Thread: Pointer Error

Hey guys, I'm fairly new to C programming and don't understand pointers very well. This program compares two strings and outputs the suffix (suffix of "globally" and "internally" is "ally"). I am getting this error: suffix.c:21:2: warning: passing argument 2 of ‘strcpy’ makes pointer from integer without a cast [enabled by default]
It also seg faults if I run the program. What is my problem?

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
int main()
{
        char first[80];
        char second[80];
        printf("Please enter the first word: ");
        fgets(first, 80, stdin);
        printf("Please enter the second word: ");
        fgets(second, 80 ,stdin);
        int i;
        int different = 0;
        for(i=1; different == 0; i++)        {       
                if (first[strlen(first)-i] != second[strlen(second)-i])
                different = 1;
        }
        char same[80];
        strcpy(same, first[strlen(first)-i]);
        printf("%s", same);
        return 0;
}//main

Ok a function from a library makes your code to have an error.Why?Because you pass wrong parameters.Your friend, the compiler, tells you which ones you pass wrong.Now you pass wrong the second one.

So how to solve this?Take a look at reference of strcpy

Then think about what this code does

Code:

int array[10]; /* Declare an array of ints */
array[4] = 5; /* Set the fifth element of the array to 5 */

So when i say array[number] i access only one element of the array.

Then think about what strlen returns to you...Hmmm... A number!Practical an unsigned int.

So when you say

Code:

int length = strlen(first)-i;

you will get variable length equal to the length of string first(without the terminating null ) minus the value of i.

So when you write this

Code:

first[strlen(first)-i]

it is equivalent to write it like this

Code:

int length = strlen(first)-i
first[length];

This will give access in one letter of the string , not the whole string.If did not cheat and look at the reference, you will understand that strcpy receives as arguments strings and not characters.

Ok I see. So I am only giving it one character when it needs a whole string. So how would I give the second half of the string? Can I use strcpy? Or is there another function that will copy only the last bit of characters to a new string?

Here you have what you need

Wow that was super simple thanks

Originally Posted by dojha00

What i understand is that u want to store second half of the string in 'same' string using strcpy function and u want to send the address of second half---
if it's so then write

Code:

length=strlen(first);
strcpy(same,(first + length - i));

Another way to write that is like this:

Code:

length = strlen(first);
strcpy(same, &first[length - i]);

which I personally find to be a little clearer than just adding a pointer with indexes.