Thread: Passing char* to function ruins data?

  1. #1
    Kiss the monkey. CodeMonkey's Avatar
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    Passing char* to function ruins data?

    Here's a project I just took off of the "waiting to die" pile. It is a super-simple money-managing program that reads data line-by-line from a txt file. Everything is Shibby except for when the name of the current account is read in. It is read just fine, however, when I pass it to the label(char*) function, it dies. I cannot display the char* in the label function without an error. Here's the name-reading portion of the code and the account label function.
    Code:
    case NAME:
    			{
    				Reader.getline(buffer, 55);
    				if(Reader.eof())
    				{
    					active = false;
    					break;
    				}
    				cout << "DEBUG: Buffer at case <name> <ReadInAccounts()>:" << buffer << endl;//works
    				CurrentAccount.label(buffer);//Error at this call
    								SaveAccount(CurrentAccount);
    				read_state = MONEY;
    			}break;
    Code:
    int ACCNT::label(char *InputName)
    {
    	if(isnamed)
    		name = InputName;
    	else
    	{
    		name = InputName;
    		isnamed = true;
    	}
    	//cout << "DEBUG: name passed into <label()>" << InputName << endl;//DEBUG... causes a crash
    	//cout << "DEBUG: account name at <label()>: " << name << endl;//DEBUG... causes a crash
    return 0;
    }
    I'll note also, that if later in the program (after all of the data is read in) I try to access the name of the account, it is simply a blank string.
    "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything"
    -Mark Twain

  2. #2
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    got whitespace?

  3. #3
    Kiss the monkey. CodeMonkey's Avatar
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    Pardon?
    "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything"
    -Mark Twain

  4. #4
    &TH of undefined behavior Fordy's Avatar
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    What is "name"...is it another char* ?

    If so, what do you think "name = InputName;" might be doing?

  5. #5
    C++ Developer XSquared's Avatar
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    What's buffer declared as?
    Naturally I didn't feel inspired enough to read all the links for you, since I already slaved away for long hours under a blistering sun pressing the search button after typing four whole words! - Quzah

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  6. #6
    Kiss the monkey. CodeMonkey's Avatar
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    char* buffer = new char[100];

    and name is also a char*. The funny thing is, the argument in label() cannot be displayed without an error, but buffer can.
    "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything"
    -Mark Twain

  7. #7
    &TH of undefined behavior Fordy's Avatar
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    You cant use = to copy a char*....use strcpy() or better std::string - the latter way will get rid of the new/delete & resource management too

  8. #8
    Kiss the monkey. CodeMonkey's Avatar
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    Thank you, I'll do that- but my question is in that this causes an error:
    Code:
    cout << "DEBUG: name passed into <label()>" << InputName << endl;
    "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything"
    -Mark Twain

  9. #9
    &TH of undefined behavior Fordy's Avatar
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    Originally posted by CodeMonkey
    Thank you, I'll do that- but my question is in that this causes an error:
    Code:
    cout << "DEBUG: name passed into <label()>" << InputName << endl;
    On executing "name = InputName" you are getting 2 pointers to the same string stored on the heap. So immediately after, you can pass both pointers to cout and get a valid string. But later I'm guessing you are calling "delete [] buffer" - this tells the heap manager that the memory for the string is no longer needed and can be use for whatever. So later if you pass name to cout, you are passing a pointer to deallocated memory - which is undefined and could very likely crash your system

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