Thread: Convert string to char or use 2d array of char?

I'm making a pacman video game and I would like to display the game board using the printw command from the ncurses library (Linux). I am not able to do this as the printw function only accepts a const char input and my map is a string type.

I've been trying to make the map a 2d array type char array but have been unsuccessful. I've also tried to convert string type to char but no luck.

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string>
#include "pacman.h"
#include <ncurses.h>

using namespace std;

string map[31] = {
    "┌────────────┐┌────────────┐",
    "│⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅││⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅│",
    "│⋅┌──┐⋅┌───┐⋅││⋅┌───┐⋅┌──┐⋅│",
    "│∙│  │⋅│   │⋅││⋅│   │⋅│  │∙│",
    "│⋅└──┘⋅└───┘⋅└┘⋅└───┘⋅└──┘⋅│",
    "│⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅│",
    "│⋅┌──┐⋅┌┐⋅┌──────┐⋅┌┐⋅┌──┐⋅│",
    "│⋅└──┘⋅││ └──┐┌──┘⋅││⋅└──┘⋅│",
    "│⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅││⋅⋅⋅⋅││⋅⋅⋅⋅││⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅│",
    "└────┐⋅│└──┐ ││ ┌──┘│⋅┌────┘",
    "     │⋅│┌──┘ └┘ └──┐│⋅│     ",
    "     │⋅││          ││⋅│     ",
    "     │⋅││ ┌──────┐ ││⋅│     ",
    "─────┘⋅└┘ │      │ └┘⋅└─────",
    "      ⋅   │      │   ⋅      ",
    "─────┐⋅┌┐ │      │ ┌┐⋅┌─────",
    "     │⋅││ └──────┘ ││⋅│     ",
    "     │⋅││          ││⋅│     ",
    "     │⋅││ ┌──────┐ ││⋅│     ",
    "┌────┘⋅└┘ └──┐┌──┘ └┘⋅└────┐",
    "│⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅││⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅│",
    "│⋅┌──┐⋅┌───┐⋅││⋅┌───┐⋅┌──┐⋅│",
    "│⋅└─┐│⋅└───┘⋅└┘⋅└───┘⋅│┌─┘⋅│",
    "│∙⋅⋅││⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅││⋅⋅∙│",
    "└─┐⋅││⋅┌┐⋅┌──────┐⋅┌┐⋅││⋅┌─┘",
    "┌─┘⋅└┘⋅││⋅└──┐┌──┘⋅││⋅└┘⋅└─┐",
    "│⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅││⋅⋅⋅⋅││⋅⋅⋅⋅││⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅│",
    "│⋅┌────┘└──┐⋅││⋅┌──┘└────┐⋅│",
    "│⋅└────────┘⋅└┘⋅└────────┘⋅│",
    "│⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅│",
    "└──────────────────────────┘"
};

int main()
{

    // ncurses libary functions
    initscr();

    // Draw Map
    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < (sizeof(map) / sizeof(map[0])); i++)
    {
        mvprintw(i, 25, map[i]); // unable to do this because map is not a const char
    }

    refresh();
    getch();
    endwin();
    
    return 0;
}

If anyone has any suggestions could they please post the code so I get get a better idea as I am new to C++.

Originally Posted by kmdv

You may leave the array's length if its elements are being initialised in the way you did it. So you can write: string map[] = ...
You can still access string as a c-string - string::c_str - C++ Reference.
You should use std::vector instead of raw array, this will enable you to make variable-sized levels and simplify memory management.
And remember to use std::wstring for wide-characters.

Thank you for the quick response.

I haven't learned much about templates or explored the vector area yet... So far I have:

Code:

int main()
{
    char * cstr;
    cstr = new char [100];

    // ncurses libary functions
    initscr();

    // Draw Map
    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < (sizeof(map) / sizeof(map[0])); i++)
    {
        strcpy (cstr, map[i].c_str());
        mvprintw(i, 25, cstr);
    }

    refresh();
    getch();
    endwin();
    
    return 0;
}

This code compiles fine but spits out garbage when ran, likely because I have not made the proper adjustments to display the wide characters.

Originally Posted by Elysia

This causes a memory leak.
You should give a beginner's book a try before you properly begin to use C++.
I'd recommend you at least read through Accelerated C++ to get a feeling on what the various algorithms and containers, as well as language features, there are in C++.

I understand I haven't deleted the pointer so it'll leak... I've read about half of the book 'C++ Primer Plus' and have not yet seem this topic covered. I find that I benefit from programming instead of just reading. That's why I'm making this small game. It's to the point where I think I'll have read about 3 books and still not have the proper knowledge to display a wide character using ncurses.

It's frustrating.

Originally Posted by Elysia

It's because you've (unfortunately) been reading the wrong books.
It always pays to have a basic understanding of the language before attempting a big project (your so-called game is probably going to get big, fast).
Accelerated C++ is the only beginner's book one would need to begin working with C++ in my opinion, so that's why I recommended it.

I would suggest to avoid ncurses since it's basically a C library, but I am hesitant to suggest so since I don't know much about Linux (seems to be very C oriented).

In any case, the fact that you don't have a basic understanding of a vector makes me hesitant to recommend you to continue. You should probably be aware of the basic containers and algorithms first, so give Accelerated C++ a try. You'll be ready afterwards, I think. You can even practice applying your knowledge from the book into your program.

Thanks Elysia for telling me this. It's something I need to hear. I just took a look at the beginning parts of this book and it looks like something I can digest. I'm going to try to make programs that are more suited to my experience level.

I'll come back to this post when I am more ready.