need help with string output

**stimpyzu** · 04-22-2002

Hello everyone!

I am having this little problem with my code. I am trying to print the longest word in a paragraph. Within my IF statement, the words print ok (words are printed until the biggest word is found) but when the program ends, the word printed is the last word of the paragraph. I've tried with a character array and with pointers. I think a pointer may be needed here, although I don't know much about them. I've tried other ways as well but I just can't figure it out.

Any comment would be appreciated.

As well can anyone tell me how to format my code properly on this board? When I copy and paste it looks fine but when I preview it, everything is right justified.

void words(int &word_count, float &ave_len) // Counting the words
{
char word[30];
char *temp1;
int len=0, temp=0;
float total_len=0;
ave_len=0;
infile.open ("parag2.txt", ios::in);

while (!infile.eof())
{
infile >> word;
len=strlen(word);

if (len>temp) // checking for longest word
{
temp=len;
cout << word;
temp1=word;
cout << temp1; // THIS PRINTS THE WORDS OK

}

total_len=len+total_len; // total for all words
word_count++;

} // END WHILE

cout << temp;
cout << temp1; // THIS GIVES ME THE LAST WORD IN THE PARAGRAPH

ave_len=float(total_len/word_count); // Average lenght of the words that will be passed
// to other function for printing
infile.close();

} // END WORDS

**lostminds** · 04-22-2002

use [ code ] and [ /code ] without the spaces
to keep formating in your code sections

**ygfperson** · 04-22-2002

i'll format if for you because at least you made the effort:

Code:

void words(int &word_count, float &ave_len) // Counting the words 
{ 
  char word[30]; 
  char *temp1; 
  int len=0, temp=0; 
  float total_len=0;  
  ave_len=0; 
  infile.open ("parag2.txt", ios::in); 

  while (!infile.eof()) 
  { 
    infile >> word; 
    len=strlen(word); 

    if (len>temp) // checking for longest word 
    { 
      temp=len; 
      cout << word; 
      temp1=word; 
      cout << temp1; // THIS PRINTS THE WORDS OK 

    } 

    total_len=len+total_len; // total for all words 
    word_count++; 

  } // END WHILE 

  cout << temp; 
  cout << temp1; // THIS GIVES ME THE LAST WORD IN THE  PARAGRAPH 


  ave_len=float(total_len/word_count); // Average lenght of the words that will be passed 
                    // to other function for printing 
  infile.close(); 

  } // END WORDS

**blight2c** · 04-22-2002

i think i understand what your saying. try this and tell me what happens (but make sure it's in the while loop, not out like you did):

Code:

if (len>temp) // checking for longest word 
    { 
      temp=len; 
      cout << word; 
      temp1=word; 
      cout << temp1; // THIS PRINTS THE WORDS OK 

    } 
else
     cout<<temp;

**matheo917** · 04-22-2002

you are not doing anything wrong here i guess you just got too nested within your own code....

First of all you are checking the length of a "word" that is being read in....if it is bigger than the "int" value of Temp, if so then Temp receives this value,
Next you assign this and every single one of the words that you iterate, to Temp1, until you hit eof()... simple said, every time you read in a word it will be assigned to Temp1, thus when you get to the end of the file Temp1 will be automatically the last word in a file...

I presume you want to also print to the screen at the end the word that is the longest ... correct???

if so, then simply on the top, where all the declrations are, declare another pointer...

Code:

       char* Temp2;

and where your comparing if statement is just put this....

Code:

if (len>temp) // checking for longest word 
    { 
      temp=len; 
      Temp2 = word;
      cout << word; 
      temp1=word; 
      cout << temp1; // THIS PRINTS THE WORDS OK 

    }

and at the end if you just print Temp2 then it should give you the longest word......

hope I cleared it up for you a bit...?

Regards,
matheo917

**stimpyzu** · 04-23-2002

Code:

void words(int &word_count, float &ave_len, char* &longest)  	 // Counting the words
{
char word[30];
	int len=0, temp=0;
	float total_len=0;
	ave_len=0;
	infile.open ("parag2.txt", ios::in);



	while (!infile.eof())
	{
		infile >> word;
		len=strlen(word);
		
			while (len>temp)		// checking for longest word
			{
				temp=len;
				strcpy(longest,word);
				
			}

		total_len=len+total_len;	// total for all words
		word_count++;

	} // END WHILE
	

		ave_len=float(total_len/word_count);	// Average lenght of the words that will be passed
										// to other function for printing
	infile.close();

} // END WORDS

**stimpyzu** · 04-23-2002

Dang, I posted it without wanting to

Thanks for the replies guys! It is much appreciated! I will try both suggestions just to make me practice.

After many tries and failures, I used a strcpy and 2 while loops, plus a char* and it worked!

If anyone can give comments on how I coded, please do so. I am here to learn and all comments are appreciated!

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