Thread: Suggest another way or how can my code be improved

the program i've written counts the number of words in a string entered from the keyboard (it works).

if someone could, please tell me if there is a better way to do it or how i can improve my code.

Code:

/*  header: # of words
    notes: this program counts the number of words in a string.
            - a word is a sequence of consecutive letters
*/

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

int nwords(int, char []);
int ctest(char, int);

int main() {
    char line[100];
    // get string
    printf("Enter a string: ");
    fgets(line, sizeof(line), stdin);
    
    // get number of words
    printf("number of words is %d", nwords(strlen(line)-1, line));
    
    while (getchar() != '\n') ;
    
    return 0;
}    

/* name: words counter
   parameters: length = length of string, line[] = string array
   return: the number of words in string
   note: character excludes tab, space, return, and null
*/
int nwords(int length, char line[]) {
    int x = 0;          // position of character in string- starts from 0
    int fchar;          // position of first character
    int lchar;          // position of last character
    int letters = 0;    // number of letters in sequence from fchar to lchar
    int words = 0;      // number of words counter
    
    /* in line if position of last consecutive character minus position of first character 
    plus 1 equals the number of letters in sequence the sequence of characters is a word. 
    example        : what happens                                               : word  
    hello          : fchar = 0; lchar = 4; letters = 5; lchar-fchar+1=letters     yes
     yes           : fchar = 1; lchar = 3; letters = 3; lchar-fchar+1=letters     yes
    hello yes      : fchar = 0; lchar = 4; letters = 5; lchar-fchar+1=letters     yes
                     fchar = 6; lchar = 8; letters = 3; lchar-fchar+1=letters     yes */
    
    for ( x; x < length; ++x) {
        if ( ctest(line[x], 3) ) {                // if it isn't a tab, space, return key and NULL
            fchar = x;                            // sets position of "first character"
            if ( ctest(line[x], 1) ) ++letters;   // if it is a letter, letter increments
            for ( x+1; x < length; ++x) {         // checks string after the "first character" 
                if ( ctest(line[x+1], 2) ) {      // if it is a tab, space, return key or NULL, sets position of "last character" and break out of loop   
                    lchar = x;  
                }    
                else if ( ctest(line[x+1], 1) ) { // if it is a letter, letter increments and goes to top
                    ++letters;
                    continue;
                }    
                else continue;
                break;                  
            }    
        }
        if (lchar-fchar + 1 == letters) ++words;  // if it is a word, word increments
        letters = 0;                              // reset letter to zero - important
    }
    return (words);
}        

/* name: character test
   parameters: character = a character, consider = a number (1-3)
   return: zero or 1
*/
int ctest(char character, int consider) {
    switch (consider) {
        case 1:        // if it is a character
            if ((character >= 'a' && character <='z') || (character >= 'A' && character <='Z')) return 1;
            break;
        case 2:        // if it is a tab, space, return key or NULL
            if (character == '\t' || character == ' ' || character == '\n' || character == '\0') return 1;
            break;
        case 3:        // if it isn't a tab, space, return key and NULL
            if (character != '\t' && character != ' ' && character != '\n' && character != '\0') return 1;
            break;
    }
    return 0;
}