Thread: seg fault when printing string

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
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    29

    seg fault when printing string

    hi,

    i get a seg fault when i try to print the currentSearch ...and suggestions?

    thanks

    Code:
    	char *currentSearch = NULL;
    
    	setSearchTag("title", currentSearch);
    	printf("Currently looking for:%s", currentSearch);
    	
    	
    	
    
    void setSearchTag(char *search, char *currentSearch) {
    
    	char *startTag = "<";
    	char *endTag = ">";
    	
    	if(currentSearch == NULL || (strlen(search) + strlen(startTag) + strlen(endTag)) > strlen(currentSearch)) {
    		
    		currentSearch = malloc(sizeof(char) * (strlen(search) + strlen(startTag) + strlen(endTag)));
    		
    		if (!currentSearch){
    			fprintf(stderr, "Unable to reallocate %d bytes of memory for current search\n", strlen(search) + strlen(startTag) + strlen(endTag));
    			exit(1);
    		}
    	}
    
    	strcpy(currentSearch, startTag);
    	strcat(currentSearch,search);
    	strcat(currentSearch,endTag);
    				
    }

  2. #2
    SleepWalker tjohnsson's Avatar
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    currentSearch memory needs to be allocated before you leave it to setSearchTag function.
    other way to fix problem is return currentSearch pointer from setSearchTag function
    like:
    char *currentSearch;
    currentSearch = setSearchTa("title");
    and print it out....
    Last edited by tjohnsson; 04-23-2004 at 03:27 AM.

  3. #3
    Registered User
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    cool ..thanks

  4. #4
    Registered User
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    2
    the function 'setSearchTag' doesnt update currentSearch.
    change the fn return type to (char *) & return the updated currentSearch pointer address.
    & the memory allocation also needs change :
    currentSearch = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * (strlen(search) + strlen(startTag) + strlen(endTag)));
    hope it 'll do.

  5. #5
    Registered User
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    also 1 more thing....why is it now...when i call setSeachTag() again....it gives me a bus error
    on the malloc line?
    Code:
    	currentSearch = setSearchTag("title", currentSearch);
    	currentSearch = setSearchTag("/title", currentSearch);	
    
    char* setSearchTag(char *search, char *currentSearch) {
    
    	char *startTag = "<";
    	char *endTag = ">";
    	
    	if(currentSearch == NULL || (strlen(search) + strlen(startTag) + strlen(endTag)) > strlen(currentSearch)) {
    		
    		currentSearch = malloc(sizeof(char) * (strlen(search) + strlen(startTag) + strlen(endTag)));
    		
    		if (!currentSearch){
    			fprintf(stderr, "Unable to reallocate %d bytes of memory for current search\n", strlen(search) + strlen(startTag) + strlen(endTag));
    			exit(1);
    		}
    	}
    
    	strcpy(currentSearch, startTag);
    	strcat(currentSearch,search);
    	strcat(currentSearch,endTag);
    
    	return currentSearch;
    				
    }

  6. #6
    SleepWalker tjohnsson's Avatar
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    70
    Code:
    char *
    set_stag ( char *s )
    {
        char *b;
    
        if ( !s || !( b = ( char * ) malloc ( sizeof ( char ) * ( strlen ( s ) + 3 ) ) ) ){
             return null;
        }
        sprintf ( b, "<%s>", s );
    
        return  b;
    }
    if you haven't already figure out what was problem....

  7. #7
    Registered User Codeplug's Avatar
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    4,981
    >> & the memory allocation also needs change :
    Read this: Casting malloc().
    It does need to change however, you're not adding space for a NULL terminator.

    The bus error on the malloc() line means you most likely have some bad code elsewhere (or maybe from a previous call to that function).

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