Thread: confused with a char array problem

  1. #1
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    confused with a char array problem

    Here's the problem
    Write a function that will return a pointer to a character, specified by the user of the function, within a character array. The array and the desired character are to be the only two inputs to the function.

    I am confused with the purpose of the problem. Does it ask for the pointer address or the character? Does there exist more than one data structures?

  2. #2
    Registered User major_small's Avatar
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    it wants a pointer to the address that the character can be found at...
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  3. #3
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    The "purpose" of the problem is to understand functions and pointers.

    The "purpose" of the function would be to check a string for a character. Let's say you let a user input a string and you want to see if it has a space in it. How could you use your function to tell you that?
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  4. #4
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    it should be a simple function, however I am confused.
    Anybody gives a sample function for the problem?

  5. #5
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    Subtle...
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  6. #6
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    the prototype should look like this

    Code:
    char * findchar( char str[],  char what );
    Kurt

  7. #7
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    Is this the right solution?

    Code:
    #include <stdio.h>
    #include <stdlib.h>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <iomanip>
    
    char * loot_for_char( char str[],  char a )
    {
        int val = 0;
        char *pt;
        while ((str[val] != a)&&(str[val] != '\0')) val++;
        if (str[val] != '\0') pt = &str[val];
        else  pt = NULL;
        return pt;
    
    }
    
    int main()
    {
          char str1[100];
          char ch1;
          int pos = 0;
    
          cout<<"Give me the string: "<<endl;
          cin>>str1;
          cout<<"Give me the character: "<<endl;
          cin>>ch1;
          cout<<"the pointer is to: "<< *(findchar (str1,ch1))<<endl; 
          system("PAUSE");
          return 0;
    }

  8. #8
    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    Code:
       if (str[val] != '\0') pt = &str[val];
    There is no need for &, and the while loop can probably be optimized to
    Code:
    for (int val(0); (str[val] != a)&&(str[val] != '\0'); ++val)

  9. #9
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    A bunch of problems there. First off, you never declare the use of the std namespace. You shouldn't read a string in with the >> operator. You should use cin.getline(). Secondly, if you had even attempted to compile this, you would have known you're calling your function with the wrong identifier. What the hell is "findchar", you called it "loot_for_char". You also, as I said before, shouldn't use system(), use cin.get() to pause.

    Lastly, you can really cut down that function a whole lot by eliminating that temp pointer all together. Consider that your str[val] already points to null if it doesn't point to the correct character.
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by citizen
    Code:
       if (str[val] != '\0') pt = &str[val];
    There is no need for &,
    Yes there is to make it a char *
    Kurt
    EDIT: and no there isn't if you do it this way
    Code:
       if (str[val] != '\0') pt = str+val;
    Last edited by ZuK; 05-01-2006 at 03:55 AM.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by SlyMaelstrom
    A bunch of problems there. First off, you never declare the use of the std namespace. You shouldn't read a string in with the >> operator. You should use cin.getline(). Secondly, if you had even attempted to compile this, you would have known you're calling your function with the wrong identifier. What the hell is "findchar", you called it "loot_for_char". You also, as I said before, shouldn't use system(), use cin.get() to pause.

    Lastly, you can really cut down that function a whole lot by eliminating that temp pointer all together. Consider that your str[val] already points to null if it doesn't point to the correct character.
    Thanks for the comment,but what's difference if using cin.getline()? and replacing system() by cin.get()?
    here's a recursive version, any suggestion for this one?

    Code:
    char * look_for_char (char str[],  char ch1, int val )
    {
        char *ptr;
        if ((str[val] != ch1)&&(str[val] != '\0')) {val++; return look_for_char (str, ch1,val); }
        else return &str[val];
    }

  12. #12
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    operator>> stops at whitespace. Which means if I put in the string "Hello World", I'll end up getting "Hello" in the variable and " World" will still be in the input buffer.
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    system() calls -- you guessed it, the system. If I rigged your box to call "virus_0081.bat" upon every "pause" command invocation, well...

    And what if I built your code on a microwave oven processor which happens to *not* have the "pause" system call?

    Code:
    #include <stdio.h>
    
    void J(char*a){int f,i=0,c='1';for(;a[i]!='0';++i)if(i==81){
    puts(a);return;}for(;c<='9';++c){for(f=0;f<9;++f)if(a[i-i%27+i%9
    /3*3+f/3*9+f%3]==c||a[i%9+f*9]==c||a[i-i%9+f]==c)goto e;a[i]=c;J(a);a[i]
    ='0';e:;}}int main(int c,char**v){int t=0;if(c>1){for(;v[1][
    t];++t);if(t==81){J(v[1]);return 0;}}puts("sudoku [0-9]{81}");return 1;}

  14. #14
    Registered User major_small's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jafet
    And what if I built your code on a microwave oven processor which happens to *not* have the "pause" system call?
    or linux. or mac.
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by major_small
    or linux. or mac.
    Somehow I'm already used to that
    Code:
    bash: pause: command not found
    when trying to run sample code from messageboards. Still makes me angry...
    Kurt

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