Thread: Need help alphabetizing a Struct

I copied this function directly from my programing book, but it still does not work. The Line temp = tbp->entry[j]; gives me an error when compiling "cannot make assignment of this type"
here is all the relevent code (I think ) If anyone can tell me what I am doing wrong i would appreciate it.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <ctype.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

#define TEL_BOOK_SIZE 50
#define MAX_STRING_SIZE 81
struct tel_book_element
{char *name;
char *telNum;
};
typedef struct tel_book_element TelBookElement;
struct tel_book
{TelBookElement entry[TEL_BOOK_SIZE];
int n;
};
typedef struct tel_book TelBook;

...

void sort(TelBook *tbp)
{
int j,k, small;
TelBook temp;
for (j=0;j<tbp->n-1;j++)
{small = j;
for (k = j + 1; k < tbp->n;k++)
if (strcmp(tbp->entry[k].name, tbp->entry[small].name) < 0)
small = k;
temp = tbp->entry[j];
tbp->entry[j] = tbp->entry[small];
tbp->entry[small] = temp;
}
}

Well, it's not incompatible types. The problem is that 'temp' is already statically defined and allocated on your function's local stackframe. What you are doing is

allocated struct = allocated struct

You can't do that. both structs reside at different locations in RAM. The compiler can't say 4 = 5, or 0x00A73458 = 0x00F7394D. Understand? 4 will always be 4, and 5 will always be 5. The hex address will always be 0x00A73458-- it can never be 0x00F7394D.

To do what you're trying to do, you need to use pointers. One pointer can change it's contents to equal that of another pointer

The existing code will never work:

...
temp = tbp->entry[j];
tbp->entry[j] = tbp->entry[small];
tbp->entry[small] = temp;
...

All three lines are trying to copy entire structs-- C doesn't do that. You have to do that.

Somehow, I think you have missed an asterisk (*) in the book here or there. If not, I would suggest changing the code to using pointers, rather than full structs.

----

Also, learn to format your typedef struct's a little cleaner-- you're doing it like pascal'er. which is _prior_ to the v1.0 C K&R standard.

Try this instead--

struct tel_book_element
{
char *name;
char *telNum;
}TelBookElement;

typedef struct tel_book
{
TelBookElement entry[TEL_BOOK_SIZE];
int n;
}TelBook;

enjoy.

Ooops, forgot a typedef--

typedef struct tel_book_element
{
char *name;
char *telNum;
}TelBookElement;

Seems OK with a small change

Code:

void sort(TelBook *tbp) { 
    int j,k, small; 
//    TelBook temp; 
    TelBookElement temp;
    for(j=0;j<tbp->n-1;j++) {
        small = j; 
        for(k = j + 1; k < tbp->n;k++) 
            if(strcmp( tbp->entry[k].name, tbp->entry[small].name ) < 0) 
                small = k; 
            temp = tbp->entry[j]; 
            tbp->entry[j] = tbp->entry[small]; 
            tbp->entry[small] = temp; 
    } 
}

But check on that inner loop - your element swaps are NOT guarded by the strcmp