text field

**M_amaR** · 10-22-2003

hi, i'm new to this forum

i have been learning c programmin for a bit now, I have this problem, i want to have make something like a message box which allows you to enter 25 line MAX. IF you wish to stop, double enter to quit.

The only problem is that the text for the message field is not aligned ( to get a clear picture of what i m saying, please run this code in your complier. I use Turbo C 3.0)

I want to align all the text that you enter for the next line start from the same location right under from the first line.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#define MAXLINES 25

main()
{
clrscr();
char name[15];
char subject[15];
char msg[100];

textcolor(7);gotoxy(3,5);
cprintf("Name:");
gets(name);
textcolor(7);gotoxy(3,7);
cprintf("Subject:");
gets(subject);
textcolor(7);gotoxy(3,9);
cprintf("Message:");
gets(msg);


int get_lines(char *lines[]);

 char *lines[MAXLINES];

     int number_of_lines;

     /* Read in the lines from the keyboard. */

     number_of_lines = get_lines(lines);

     if ( number_of_lines < 0 )
     {
	 puts(" Memory allocation error");
	 exit(-1);
    }

     return(0);
 }

 int get_lines(char *lines[])
 {
     int n = 0;
     char buffer[80];  /* Temporary storage for each line. */

     gotoxy(3,9);cprintf("Message:");

     while ((n < MAXLINES) && (gets(buffer) != 0) &&
	    (buffer[0] != '\0'))
     {
	 if ((lines[n] = (char *)malloc(strlen(buffer)+1)) == NULL)
	     return -1;
	 strcpy( lines[n++], buffer );
     }
     return n;


}

i thought of using a for loop along with gotoxy();
but not sure how?
i would like a little help...
thanks..
amaR

**Azuth** · 10-22-2003

Just a tip: Help will come a lot faster around here if people don't have to execute your code to see what your problem is.

Some of the functions you use may not be available in all compilers. So while it's good that you mention what compiler you're using, you limit the number of people that can answer your question.

Try to give a short example of how the output is now and how you'd like it to be. (Code tags may help in preserving the formatting so people can see clearly what you mean).

**M_amaR** · 10-22-2003

ok.. thx for tip.

CURRENT OUTPUT

Code:

Name:*input name*

Subject:*input subject*

Message:*input message -- first line
message --second line
message -- third line*

EXPECTED OUTPUT

Code:

Name:*input name*

Subject:*input subject*

Message:*input message -- first line
                 message --second line
                 message -- third line*

do u notice the difference...
the expected output has the message text left aligned.
but the other does not.

does this make things clear?
thanks again!!

**WaltP** · 10-22-2003

Just figure out how many spaces you need to output to align the text and use a loop as you surmised. Or if you mean you want to indent the length of "Message: " simply output the correct number of spaces in another cprintf();

And don't worry about

Some of the functions you use may not be available in all compilers. So while it's good that you mention what compiler you're using, you limit the number of people that can answer your question.

You certainly don't want to hear about ncurses when using borland, and hear that getch() is not portable. You DO get the best help when you mention the compiler.

Sorry, Azuth but your statement seems to imply that mentioning the compiler is not a good thing. I don't think that's what you meant, but it is worded that way.

**Azuth** · 10-23-2003

Rereading it I can see how it might be taken that way, and you're right, it's not what I meant, I'll be more careful. It was non-portable functions that may require a certain compiler or library that limited the number of potential helpers, not telling us what compiler is in use, that is indeed a very good thing.

**M_amaR** · 10-23-2003

hey WaltP, the suggestion u made is nice, but can't it only be used if u read it off the file??

But i m not doing that, this program is what a user enters by
gets(msg); the thing i was to point is that when u press [ENTER] to go to the second line the the cursor starts from the same place.
And was wondering if i could control the postion

(maybe by a combination of a for loop and gotoxy(); function)

maybe i didn't explain in a clear way ....

this is u help u know what i mean.....

current output

expected output

**Morgan** · 10-23-2003

I've done something similar to this before, but using curses on Unix, so I can't help specifically with the syntax. However, what I suggest is to get the user input one character at a time, instead of one line at a time (getch instead of gets?), and then when they input a newline character, swap it for a space in your buffer string, and use gotoxy to get the cursor in the right place (you know how far in, and you could just use a int variable to control how far down...). You'd also need something to check for two newline characters in a row, which would indicate the need to end the subroutine...

**WaltP** · 10-23-2003

Originally posted by M_amaR
hey WaltP, the suggestion u made is nice, but can't it only be used if u read it off the file??

But i m not doing that, this program is what a user enters by
gets(msg); the thing i was to point is that when u press [ENTER] to go to the second line the the cursor starts from the same place.
And was wondering if i could control the postion

(maybe by a combination of a for loop and gotoxy(); function)

maybe i didn't explain in a clear way ....

this is u help u know what i mean.....

current output

expected output

No, it doesn't require you reading from a file. You are doing screen manipulation, you just have to position the cursor where you need it. These questions should help you come up with the answer (I hope).

Question 1: You want the 2nd line someone types to start at the same column as the input started for the first line?
In other words:

Code:

    Message: user input line 1
             user inputs line 2, starts where this line starts

This is what I interpret your problem is. I believe you're answer is "yes". If I'm mistaken, stop reading now and restate the problem.

Question 2: What is it that makes the starting point not the left edge of the screen? Isn't it the word "Message"?
Again I will assume the answer is yes.

Question 3: What can you possibly do to move the cursor from the left edge of the screen to the position you desire? This you can figure out easily by thinking about it. I can think of 2 very easy answers -- pick one or come up with your own.

Hope that helps... Awaiting your next post

Oh, and by the way, gets() is a dangerous function to use. Convert each to fgets() for safety. This will not change your logic in any way, just helps the program not explode when you demo it for the instructor.

**M_amaR** · 10-23-2003

hey i start to get u're point and yes u r right bout what i want,

my friend told me bout gets() being not safe, but i still use it coz i m not that experienced in C.

i'll try fgets()....

but still dun know bout the cursor postioning apart for gotoxy()
maybe this code is beyond my understand at this moment??

but thx anyways !!

**WaltP** · 10-23-2003

Originally posted by M_amaR

but still dun know bout the cursor postioning apart for gotoxy()
maybe this code is beyond my understand at this moment??

but thx anyways !!

I don't think it's beyond you. You got this far without help, you just haven't gone the last little bit.

What happens when you execute this code

Code:

gotoxy(3,9);  
cprintf("Message:");

Where is the cursor after the gotoxy()? Where is the cursor after cprintf()?

Now, what happens when you output, say, a space? Where is the cursor before and after you execute a cprint(" ");

NOW think about the cprint() above....

-----------------------------

Are you trying to input all the message lines using one gets()? If so, think about doing one line at a time and I'll bet the light will come on....

**M_amaR** · 10-24-2003

opps... i noticed that the code i posted first was a bit wrong ...

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#define MAXLINES 25

main()
{
clrscr();
char name[15];
char subject[15];
char msg[100];

textcolor(7);gotoxy(3,5);
cprintf("Name:");
gets(name);
textcolor(7);gotoxy(3,7);
cprintf("Subject:");
gets(subject);


int get_lines(char *lines[]);

 char *lines[MAXLINES];

     int number_of_lines;

     /* Read in the lines from the keyboard. */

     number_of_lines = get_lines(lines);

     if ( number_of_lines < 0 )
     {
	 puts(" Memory allocation error");
	 exit(-1);
    }

     return(0);
 }

 int get_lines(char *lines[])
 {
     int n = 0;
     char buffer[80];  /* Temporary storage for each line. */

     gotoxy(3,9);cprintf("Message:");

     while ((n < MAXLINES) && (gets(buffer) != 0) &&
	    (buffer[0] != '\0'))
     {
	 if ((lines[n] = (char *)malloc(strlen(buffer)+1)) == NULL)
	     return -1;
	 strcpy( lines[n++], buffer );
     }
     return n;


}

this part was not intented for the code

Code:

 
textcolor(7);gotoxy(3,9);
cprintf("Message:");
gets(msg);

Are you trying to input all the message lines using one gets()? If so, think about doing one line at a time and I'll bet the light will come on....

hm... one line at a time ?? seems like a way out..
let me see if i get this clear....

i use one gets() per line, but when the user double enters the message is done !!

hm.... seem easy !! but m i on the right track ??
thanks for the explaination WaltP....

i'll work on it and display what i come out with in a bit...

**M_amaR** · 10-25-2003

wait ...

for more than one gets()

won't i need to declare more the one variable ?

if so, is that effective..

**WaltP** · 10-25-2003

Originally posted by M_amaR
wait ...

for more than one gets()

won't i need to declare more the one variable ?

if so, is that effective..

Not necessarily. If you are done with the buffer from the first fgets(), you can use the same buffer for the next.

(it's in blue to remind you to consider switching from the dangerous and evil gets() to the safe and nice fgets())

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