reading a string from keyboard

Hi,
I have a little problem. I'm trying to read a character string from the keyboard. So I have put:

Code:

---


#include <iostream>
#include <string.h>
using namespace std;

void main(int argc, char **argv)
{
        glutInit(&argc, argv);
        glutInitDisplayMode(GLUT_DOUBLE | GLUT_RGBA);

        string name;
      getline(nameOfCourse, 50);
}

---

but when I compile it says: error C3861: 'getline': identifier not found

can anyone explain why this is and do i have any alternatives please.
Thank you :O)

Which getline are you trying to use? If you're trying to use a member function, then it needs to be written as a member function of whatever it's a member of (presumably stdin.getline).

Thank you for your message.
I just wrote your suggestion stdin.getline instead of getline but got this message:
error C2228: left of '.getline' must have class/struct/union

then I tried
using std::cin;
char *name = "";
printf("Please enter the name:\n");
cin.getline

and then when compiling, it printed the sentence "Please enter ..." but when I tried to input something the program crashed

Couple of problems.

1)It should be int main not void main
2)You should be including <string> not <string.h>

Also look at: http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/string/getline.html

Thank you.
I just did that, changed <string.h> to <string> and also changed void main to int main.
Now it lets me input a name but when I press return it craches :O)

Post the latest code.

sorry it has some glut and openGL stuff too :O)

Code:

---

#include <windows.h> 
#include <gl\glut.h>
#include <gl\gl.h>

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

#include <windows.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <math.h>
#include <time.h>
#include <float.h>
#include <assert.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>


using std::cin;
using namespace std;  //// needs #include <iostream> 



class GradeBook
{
 public:

        void displayMessage(string courseName)
        {
                printf("Welcome to the grade book\n", courseName);
        }
};

void RenderScene(void)
{
        // Clear the window with current clearing color
        glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);

        glutSwapBuffers();
}

void SetupRC(void)
{
        glClearColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
}

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
        glutInit(&argc, argv);
        glutInitDisplayMode(GLUT_DOUBLE | GLUT_RGBA);

        GradeBook myGradeBook;

        char *nameOfCourse = "";  // = "hello class";

        printf("Please enter the name:\n");

        cin.getline(nameOfCourse, 50);

        myGradeBook.displayMessage( nameOfCourse );

       
        Sleep(20);  //needs #include <windows.h>

        glutCreateWindow("Simple");
        glutDisplayFunc(RenderScene);
        SetupRC();
        glutMainLoop();

}

---

Code:

---

        char *nameOfCourse = "";  // = "hello class";

        printf("Please enter the name:\n");

        cin.getline(nameOfCourse, 50);

---

Here lies the problem.

You are trying to read in to a char * that hasn't been fully allocated.

Preferably you would want to use an std::string and use that getline function I sent you

Code:

---

std::string nameOfCourse;
getline(cin, nameOfCourse);

---

Thank you very very much. I added std::string but it crashed again however I allocated char array and it worked.
If I may ask you another question: Why is the memory read only with char *nameOfCourse = "";? and why didn't it work with std::string, I thought just putting using namespace std meant that all of the std were loaded.

Thanks again

Sorry the std:: stuff is a habit of mine.

As far as the char * being readonly, when you assign a char * with a string literal that makes the memory there read only.

The string shouldn't be crashing. There may be a problem somewhere else in the code if you are getting a crash.

Thanks ever so much for your time :O)

Anytime!