Do I use struct correctly?

**soawperL25** · 12-13-2013

I am trying to write a program which will determine the user's zodiac sign when she or he inputs his or her birth date. I am trying to use struct for the first time on this program. But, it fails to work. I am not really sure what causes this since I am still new on struct. My compiler tells me something like error: expected expression before .. token. What does that mean? is there something wrong on how I use struct?

I read somewhere that you're not allowed to assign a member of struct a value. Is that true?

Here is my code.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
struct zodiac
{
    char name[20];
    int date1, date2, mon1, mon2;
};
main()
{
    int d, m, y, a;
    struct zodiac bintang[12]; 
    bintang[0]={"Capricorn",  22, 12, 19, 1};
    bintang[1]={"Aquarius", 20, 1, 18, 2};
    bintang[2]={"Pisces", 19, 1, 20, 3};
    bintang[3]={"Aries", 21, 3, 19, 4};
    bintang[4]={"Taurus", 20, 4, 20, 5};
    bintang[5]={"Gemini", 21, 5, 20, 6};
    bintang[6]={"Cancer", 21, 6, 22, 7};
    bintang[7]={"Leo", 23, 7, 22, 8};
    bintang[8]={"Virgo", 23, 8, 22, 9};
    bintang[9]={"Libra", 23, 9, 22, 10};
    bintang[10]={"Scorpio", 23, 10, 21, 11};
    bintang[11]={"Sagitarius", 22, 11, 21, 12};
    printf("Input your birth date in following format (dd mm yyyy): ");
    scanf("%d %d %d", &d, &m, &y);
    for(a=0; a<12; a++)
    {
        if((d>=bintang[a].date1 && m==bintang[a].mon1)||(d<=bintang[a].date2 && m==bintang[a].mon2))
        printf("You are a %s.", bintang[a].name);
    }
}

**std10093** · 12-13-2013

Your problem is not really a struct issue, but an issue to how to initialize an array statically.
Let's use this simple example.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
        int a[3];
        a[0] = {0};
        a[1] = {1};
        a[2] = {2};

        return 0;
}

This will produce similar errors as the ones you have

Code:

px.c: In function ‘main’:
px.c:6:9: error: expected expression before ‘{’ token
px.c:7:9: error: expected expression before ‘{’ token
px.c:8:9: error: expected expression before ‘{’ token

You can do that without the brackets, like

Code:

a[0] = 0;
...

Well, since we are playing with arrays, for loop comes in handy.

Or, if you really want to use brackets, you should do that

Code:

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
        int a[] = {0, 1, 2};

        return 0;
}

Notice that I did not declare the size of the array. Compiler finds it automatically, by counting how many entries I gave for the array. If I had declared the size of the array, equal to three, then it would be the same for us. Notice that I use

Code:

int main(void)
{
    ...
    return 0;
}

instead of

Code:

main()
{
     ....
}

They are pretty close, but we use to write it by the first way. It is more correct. Probably your teacher hasn't get you into the concept of functions, thus leaving main() alone, which is ok - imho- for beginners. I am sure he will explain it, when the time comes. Your teachers knows better from anybody else, when its time to introduce his students to a concept, since he has a plan for the course he is lecturing.

If you feel uncomofmortable with structs, see this simple example, which however, has functions in the code. In other words, if you haven't been taught functions yet, leave the link for future reference.

So, the code should be

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
struct zodiac
{
    char name[20];
    int date1, date2, mon1, mon2;
};

int main(void)
{
    int d, m, y, a;
    struct zodiac bintang[] = {
        {"Capricorn",  22, 12, 19, 1},
        {"Aquarius", 20, 1, 18, 2},
        {"Pisces", 19, 1, 20, 3},
        {"Aries", 21, 3, 19, 4},
        {"Taurus", 20, 4, 20, 5},
        {"Gemini", 21, 5, 20, 6},
        {"Cancer", 21, 6, 22, 7},
        {"Leo", 23, 7, 22, 8},
        {"Virgo", 23, 8, 22, 9},
        {"Libra", 23, 9, 22, 10},
        {"Scorpio", 23, 10, 21, 11},
        {"Sagitarius", 22, 11, 21, 12}
    };
    printf("Input your birth date in following format (dd mm yyyy): ");
    scanf("%d %d %d", &d, &m, &y);
    for(a=0; a<12; a++)
    {
        if((d>=bintang[a].date1 && m==bintang[a].mon1)||(d<=bintang[a].date2 && m==bintang[a].mon2))
        printf("You are a %s.", bintang[a].name);
    }
}
    return 0;   /* You forgot to return 0 from your main(). Don't do that, main()'s feelings get hurt when you do that. :) */

**Matticus** · 12-13-2013

I see "Ophiuchus" didn't make it into your array.

Are you using the real dates, or the popularly incorrect ones?

**Hodor** · 12-13-2013

This is not relevant at all: Queen Live Aid Full Video HQ - YouTube

**soawperL25** · 12-15-2013

Thank you very much, std10093! From your explanation, I have developed my previous code into a better one. And this is what I got:

Code:

// created by M0513027
#include <stdio.h>
struct zodiac
{
    char zodiacName[10];
    int date1, mon1, date2, mon2;
};
struct month
{
    char monthName[30];
    int date;
};
main()
{
    int d, m, y, a, c=0;
    struct zodiac bintang[]=
    {
        {"Aquarius", 20, 1, 18, 2},
        {"Pisces", 19, 2, 20, 3},
        {"Aries", 21, 3, 19, 4},
        {"Taurus", 20, 4, 20, 5},
        {"Gemini", 21, 5, 20, 6},
        {"Cancer", 21, 6, 22, 7},
        {"Leo", 23, 7, 22, 8},
        {"Virgo", 23, 8, 22, 9},
        {"Libra", 23, 9, 22, 10},
        {"Scorpio", 23, 10, 21, 11},
        {"Sagitarius", 22, 11, 21, 12},
        {"Capricorn",  22, 12, 19, 1}
    };
    struct month bulan[]=
    {
        {"January", 31},
        {"February", 28},
        {"March", 31},
        {"April", 30},
        {"May", 31},
        {"June", 30},
        {"July", 31},
        {"August", 31},
        {"September", 30},
        {"October", 31},
        {"November", 30},
        {"December", 31},
        {"January"}
    };
    puts("Input your birth date in the following format (dd mm yyyy): ");
    scanf("%d %d %d", &d, &m, &y);
    if(y%4==0 && y%100!=0 || y%400==0)
        bulan[1].date=bulan[1].date+1;
    for(a=0; a<12; a++)
    {
        if(d>=1 && d<=bulan[a].date && d>=bintang[a].date1 && m==bintang[a].mon1)
        {
            printf("\nYou were born on %d %s %d.\n", d, bulan[a].monthName, y);
            printf("You are a/an %s.\n", bintang[a].zodiacName);
            c++;
        }
        else if(d>=1 && d<=bulan[a].date && d<=bintang[a].date2 && m==bintang[a].mon2)
        {
            printf("\nYou were born on %d %s %d.\n", d, bulan[a+1].monthName, y);
            printf("You are a/an %s.\n", bintang[a].zodiacName);
            c++;
        }
    }
    if(c==0)
        puts("\nSorry, your input is invalid.");
    return 0;
}

**c99tutorial** · 12-15-2013

Why is "January" in index 12 of bulan? From your for loop which accesses this table, it looks like you will never access this last member:

Code:

for(a=0; a<12; a++)

**soawperL25** · 12-15-2013

But, if I delete that part, the program will not run well. I mean if I input 5 1 2010. The output will be "You were born on 5 Aquarius 2010."... That's what I have tried. I have to put "January" in index 12 again because as you can see in line 61, it's bulan[a+1]. I hope you get what I mean.

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