Thread: Adding an integer to the end of a string

I am working on a function that should construct a long string full of regular characters and numbers separated by white space. My problem is with adding an integer to the string as a character. I've tried to use strcat because it is the only way I know how, but to no avail. Searching hasn't turned up much, and what I have found hasn't made sense to me. Here's a sample of what I am trying:

Code:

strcat(*list, finder->title);
strcat(*list, " ");
strcat(*list, (char)finder->value[1]);

'*list' is a pointer to the string, '*finder' is a pointer to a structure containing 'char title[8]' and 'int value[2]', both filled with a usable string or integers. It works without the third strcat, so I know that's where the problem is.

How can I add an integer (converted into a char) onto the end of a string?

Thanks for presenting two different methods to do this. I got stringstreams working in a test program, but sprintf causes some wierd characters instead of letters to be entered in the string and it changes the console font permanently so I have to restart it.

Code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
        int value = 7;
        char title[8] = "balance";
        char list[256];

        strcat(list, title);
        strcat(list, " ");
        sprintf(&list[strlen(list)], "%d", value);

        cout << list << endl;
}

This program outputs "ŒÏ@•@õÿ¿" and then "balance", but in a font that looks like ncurses borders and such, and it changes the command prompt after the program is done. What am I doing wrong?

If someone could point me to where I can read a basic explanation of printf and stringstreams that would be helpful. I like to understand the functions I use when I'm using them.

You never initialized list, so when you tried to add title to it (using strcat) it didn't know where the end of the list string was. It had garbage (uninitialized) data and looked for the null terminator. You can start list off with the value of "balance", then add to that. Or you can initialize list as an empty string.

Originally Posted by Daved

Or you can initialize list as an empty string.

I'm still quite new at c++ and I'm already trying to do pretty complicated things. I forgot how to initialize arrays and strings. Is it

Code:

"char list[256] = "";"?

also

Originally Posted by Dave_Sinkula

sprintf(list, "%s %d", title, value);

The formatting sprintf is capable of makes it ideal for use here. The lines of code needed will be 1 instead of 3 or 4.

Yes, your initialization of list to empty is fine, although it isn't necessary with Dave_Sinkula's solution. The strcat requires it because strcat uses the initial value of list, whereas sprintf doesn't, it just overwrites whatever was there.

>> The lines of code needed will be 1 instead of 3 or 4.
While sprintf is a good solution if you are using C style strings, the number of lines of code should be way down on your list of reasons for choosing a particular method, and then only as an indicator of clear code.

BTW, if you are new to C++ you should really be using the C++ string class. There are plenty of tutorials and references on it available.

I've been working on the knowledge I gained from the tutorials, so that'd be why I haven't been using the c++ string class. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Unfortunately many tutorials and books (and college classes) simply aren't up to date enough to teach modern C++. The string class is part of the language standard and has been only since 1998, so while you should prefer to use it over C style strings, you will have to make extra effort to find the right materials that teach it.