Thread: char array to string?

You need two indexes. You need i for buffer and j for rbuffer.

Todd

Of course it prints rubbish.
OK, so when allocating memory, the memory is filled with rubbish from the start.
Now, so you assign character at position i, but only if it's not within a < and >.
So position 0, 1, 2, 3, etc still contains its rubbish because you never assign anything to that position in the array.
There also several flaws in the code.

Code:

			while(buffer[i] != '>')
			{
				i++;
				if(buffer[i] == '>')
				{
					i++;
					break;
				}
			}

Completely unnecessary since the loop will break if buffer[i] is > anyway. And it's better to use a for loop in this case, too.

Code:

	char *ptr;
	char buf[] = "<fdfdfdfdffdfdfdf>ignore all previous words <> <tttdfeerrf> done.";
	ptr = buf;
	htmlparser(ptr);

Why do you believe you have to define an extra variable and assign it a value to pass it to a function? You can do it directly:

Code:

	char buf[] = "<fdfdfdfdffdfdfdf>ignore all previous words <> <tttdfeerrf> done.";
	htmlparser(buf);

Try to understand why you're getting and why. Use a debugger if you can and watch the rbuffer variable and it should be clear to you.

Originally Posted by mushy

I know, but like i said i was just trying to get used to using pointers, because i dont understand them fully.

A pointer is the same as an array. You are assigning values at some points in the array and in some points you do not, so it keeps the rubbish values.

also there is an if function inside the loop because i need it to add an extra value to i after if finds it otherwise it will print the '>' if i move the i++ outside of the while loop it dosent work properly.

You still don't need to break and you can use a for loop and everything will be done automatically for you.

I don't see a second index.

Here's what to do. On paper, write out a simple case using a string of "<mushy>".

Figure out what the value is i is after the inner WHILE that looks for the closing tag. Then, figure where in rbuffer you are assigning the first value.

Todd

Another diagnostic technique you can use is to print out the value of your buffer, rbuffer and i at each loop iteration. You'll see exactly when the problem starts.

You're seeing garbage at the end of rbuffer because you're not terminating the string properly. You do need the i++ there to index past the closing tag.

Look at this version to see the diagnostics as I had envisioned them:

Code:

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

int htmlparser(char buffer[])
{
	int i;
	int j = 0;
	int m = 0;
	
	int len = strlen(buffer);
	char rbuffer[len+1];
	for(i = 0;  i < len+1; i++) rbuffer[i] = 'X' ; 
	rbuffer[len] = 0 ; 

	for(i = 0;  i < len; i++)
	{
		if(buffer[i] == '<')
		{
			while(buffer[i] != '>')
			{
				i++;	
			}
			//if i add a i++ here i get 3 jibberish characters at end of string
			i++ ; 
		}
		
	 	rbuffer[j] = buffer[i];
		printf("i=&#37;d, j=%d\n", i,j);
		printf("buffer  = %s\n",&buffer[i]);
		printf("rbuffer = %s\n",rbuffer);// prints correctly
		j++;
	}
	i++;
	
	printf("\n\n%s", rbuffer); // prints the number 2
	return 0 ;
}

int main()
{
	//char *ptr;
	char buf[] = "<fdfdfdfdffdfdfdf>ignore all previous words <> <tttdfeerrf>done.";
	//ptr = buf;
	 htmlparser(buf);
	return 0;
}

Glad you're getting it!

Todd