Linked List Reference Pointer problems

[Alander]

Hi All

I am loading a linked list from file pushing to the list from a reference pointer

However when i load the file for 2nd time (for debugging purpose to see if it rejects duplicates) one of my data got corrupted

The first time i load the file it loads perfectly fine

The 2nd time i load the employee code became -842150451, and the entire validation failed can anyone guide me on how to solve this problem?

int loadEntryForText(char *str , struct EmployeeData ** emp)
{
	int n, exist, code;
	int count = 0;
	char field[30];
	
	struct EmployeeData* currentEmp = *emp;
	

	struct EmployeeData* newEmp = NULL;
	struct Pay* newData = NULL;
	struct Date* dob = NULL;

	newEmp = malloc(sizeof(struct EmployeeData));
	newData = malloc(sizeof(struct Pay));
	dob = malloc(sizeof(struct Date));

	//Start string parsing
	while (sscanf(str, "%29[^|]%n", field, &n) == 1 ){
		//printf("field = \"%s\"\n", field);

		switch (count){
			case 0:
				code = atoi(field);
				
				for (currentEmp=*emp; currentEmp!=NULL; currentEmp=currentEmp->nextElement){ 
					if (code == currentEmp->code){ //Check if employee code exists
						printf("\n\tThe employee code: %d you have entered already exist, \n\tand thus this entry will not be added.\n\n\t", code);
						exist = TRUE;
						pause();			
					}
					else{
						exist = FALSE;
						newEmp->code = code;
					}	
				}
				//printf("%d\n", newEmp->code);
				break;
			case 1:
				newEmp->name = (char*)malloc((strlen(field)+1)*sizeof(char));
				strcpy(newEmp->name, field);
				//printf("%s\n", newEmp->name);
				break;

			case 2:
				newEmp->age = atoi(field);
				//printf("%d\n", newEmp->age);
				break;
			
			case 3:
				dob->day = atoi(field);
				//printf("%d\n", dob->day);
				break;
			
			case 4:
				dob->month = atoi(field);
				//printf("%d\n", dob->month);
				break;

			case 5:
				dob->year = atoi(field);
				//printf("%d\n", dob->year);
				break;
			
			case 6:
				newEmp->jobCat = field[0];
				//printf("%c\n", newEmp->jobCat);
				break;

			case 7:
				newEmp->basicPay = atof(field);
				//printf("%lf\n", newEmp->basicPay);
				break;
			
			case 8:
				newEmp->hours = atoi(field);
				//printf("%d\n", newEmp->hours);
				break;

			case 9:
				newData->otHours = atoi(field);
				//printf("%d\n", newData->otHours);
				break;

			case 10:
				newData->otPay = atof(field);
				//printf("%lf\n", newData->otPay);
				break;

			case 11:
				newData->weeklyPay = atof(field);
				//printf("%lf\n", newData->weeklyPay);
				break;
				
		}
		count++;
		str += n; /* advance the pointer by the number of characters read */
		if ( *str != '|' )
		{
			newEmp->dataElement = newData;
			newEmp->dob = dob;
			newEmp->nextElement = *emp;
			*emp = newEmp;
			
			break; // didn't find an expected delimiter
		}
		++str; /* skip the delimiter */
	}

	return 1;
}

[Salem]

-842150451 == 0xCDCDCDCD
With that in mind, read this.
http://www.codeguru.com/Cpp/W-P/win3...cle.php/c9535/

[Alander]

Hi, i understand that there is a memory leak in my application but i cannot find out where is the leak... can anyone help me??

[ZuK]

You're not giving enough information to tell you exactly where your mistake is but fact is:

for (currentEmp=*emp; currentEmp!=NULL; currentEmp=currentEmp->nextElement){

Here you check for currentEmp!=NULL that means that you expect an element where nextElement is set to NULL.
I can't see anywhere that you set nextElement to NULL.
On the other hand

			newEmp->nextElement = *emp;

Makes me think that this is supposed to be a circular linked list.
Kurt

[Alander]

This are my structures

struct EmployeeData
{	
	int		code;		/* Employee Code */
	char *	name;		/* Employee Name */
	int		age;		/* Employee Age	 */ 
	double	basicPay;	/* Basic pay of Employee */
	char	jobCat;		/* Job Category in char of Employee */
	int		hours;		/* Hour works by Employee */

	struct	Date *			dob;			/* Date of birth data element */
	struct	Pay *			dataElement;	/* Employee Pay data element */
	struct	EmployeeData *	nextElement;	/* Linked List, next element */
};

/*
Structure for Pay data
*/
struct Pay{

	int		otHours;	/* Overtime hours */
	double	weeklyPay;	/* Weekly pay */
	double	otPay;		/* Overtime pay */
};

/*
Structure for Date
*/
struct Date{
	int  month;	/* Month of year */
	int  day;	/* Day of month */
	int  year;	/* year */
};

This is what my lecturer taught me to do.. to push using a reference pointer

	//PUSH
	newEmp->nextElement = *user;
	*user = newEmp;

I have another problem that is whenever i try to delete an element

void removeElement(int n, struct EmployeeData* list)
{
	struct EmployeeData *previous = list;
	
	while(previous != NULL)
	{
		if(previous->code == n)
		{
			free(previous);
			printf("\n\n\tEmployee %d successfully deleted\n\t", n);
			break;
			return;
		}
		else
		{
			previous = previous->nextElement;
		}
	}

	if(previous == NULL )
	{
		printf("\n\tThe employee code you have entered does not exist.\n\n\t");

	}
}

After i delete the element when i display a counter

int listLength(struct EmployeeData* head) {

	struct EmployeeData* current = head;
	int count = 0;

	while (current != NULL) {
		count += 1;
		current = current->nextElement; //Error Reading an element, I have already freed the pointer but i get a error reading exception here
	}

	return count;
}

[matsp]

When you remove the element, you will need to also modify the pointers for the next and/or prev pointer so that the deleted item is properly removed from the list. Fortunately (?) Microsofts runtime library fills in deleted objects with "garbage" so you detect it immediately you try to access the element, rather than later on.

--
Mats

[Elysia]

Yes, they do. Only in debug, however. So I'd definetly call it a "fortunately"

[Alander]

Hi, how do u deal with those.. i tried alot of things but it just give me the same exception

[matsp]

Well, when you delete an element on a linked list, you need to "jump" the next of the element pointing to the deleted item, to the next one after the deleted one. This usually means tracking the element BEFORE the one you've found in some way or another.

--
Mats

[Elysia]

typedef struct EmployeeData EmployeeData;
void DeleteElement(EmployeeData ** pHead, EmployeeData* pToDelete)
{
	EmployeeData* pCurrent;
	if (pToDelete == *pHead)
	{
		/* If we're deleting the first node in the list, aka the head */
		*pHead = (**pHead).nextElement;
		free(*pHead);
		return;
	}
	/* Find previous node */
	for (pCurrent = *pHead; pCurrent->nextElement != pToDelete && pCurrent->nextElement != NULL; pCurrent = pCurrent->nextElement);
	/* Set next node to the node after the node we delete. Also make sure we don't try to walk to a node that does not exist.
	Check if there's a next node beyond the current */
	pCurrent->nextElement = pCurrent->nextElement != NULL ? pCurrent->nextElement->nextElement : NULL;
	free(pToDelete);
}

A typical example on how to free a node in a (single) linked list, to add to matsp's explanation.
Code is only pseudo.

[matsp]

And of course, there is a special case when the first element is being deleted. I've seen someone use some double-pointer magic to point to "head" and then follow the next pointers.

--
Mats

[Alander]

Hi, i could delete now but not the 1st element as pointed out by u guys can anyone tell me guide me??

void removeElement(int n, struct EmployeeData ** list)
{
	struct EmployeeData *previous = *list;
	struct EmployeeData *current = previous->nextElement;
	
	while(previous != NULL)
	{
		if (previous->code == n)
		{
			
			free(previous); //I am confused, the 1st element wouldnt delete for previous 
			printf("\n\n\tEmployee %d successfully deleted\n\t", n);
			break;	
		}

		else if(current->code == n)
		{
			previous->nextElement = current->nextElement;
			free(current);
			printf("\n\n\tEmployee %d successfully deleted\n\t", n);
			break;		
		}
		else
		{
			previous = current;
			current = current->nextElement;
		}
	}

	if(current == NULL )
	{
		printf("\n\tThe employee code you have entered does not exist.\n\n\t");

	}
}

[Elysia]

I'm confused by that code. What is list pointing to? And what is n? Are you trying to delete a node whose valu (or data) is == n? If yes, then that's now how a delete node function works. The delete funciton will only delete the node and fix the list. The caller should find the node you want to delete. Make another function of that if you wish.
To delete the first node is a list, simply update the head - or the pointer that points to the first node.

I updated the pseudo code; have a look again. Maybe you'll learn something.

[Alander]

Hi, i tried alot of things based on ur pseudo and its not working.. can you point me to a tutorial or something with some sample codes? its getting frustating

[matsp]

There are tutorials on linked lists on this site, www.cprogramming.com/tutorial


--
Mats