Help with getline()

Code:

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cout << "Enter employee name, followed by return.: ";
        getline(cin, name);
        cout << "Enter employee social security number, followed by return.: ";

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When I run a program with the above, it makes me press Enter twice after entering the name. What is wrong with me and my program?

Thank you,
Sean Michael Simonsen

Woot! Krak knows how to fix this. Here's how cin.getline() works:

Code:

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cin.getline(string name, max char, terminating char);

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It would really work like this:

Code:

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char string[256];
cin.getline(string,256,'\n');

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You see, it takes 3 parameters. The third one is the terminating character. Since '\n'(new line) is the terminating character, when you press Enter, the string terminates.

>> cin.getline(string name, max char, terminating char);

>> cin.getline(string,256,'\n');

So if 256 is the maximum amount to write, and the user enters 256 chars, would the 256th char be cropped off and replaced with '/n'?

You're not using MSVC++ 6 are you? If you are, it's a bug. You can find a fix for it here:
http://cmpsc.acs.edcc.edu/pbladek/getline_fix.htm

Quote:

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Originally posted by Panopticon
>> cin.getline(string name, max char, terminating char);

>> cin.getline(string,256,'\n');

So if 256 is the maximum amount to write, and the user enters 256 chars, would the 256th char be cropped off and replaced with '/n'?

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No, they wouldn't. The string terminates if 257+ characters are entered, or if you press '\n'(New line(Enter))

Quote:

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257+

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It would make sense if that were 256+ instead. I understand now, thanks.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Panopticon
It would make sense if that were 256+ instead. I understand now, thanks.

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Why would it make more sense? You have to count 0 also since that would be the first character.

Exactly, if you count 0, and the array was declared as having 256 elements, (being [255] as its last element) it still won't make a difference to how much the array can store...

What are you saying anyway?

EDIT: Nevermind, I am going to stay out of it now since I have already confused myself.

getline reads in at most n-1 characters as it always writes a terminating '\0'. Thus in this case if the user were to enter 257 characters then two characters (plus the newline) would be left in the buffer. You can use cin.gcount() to get the actual number of characters read by the last block read.

getline(cin,str) reads characters into a std::string str until '\n' (by default) or eof expanding the string as needed.

Eibro's solution appears to be the correct one.