Loop count

Long time no C.
Well, this is a simple program just to translate ASCII codes to simple text.
The program ran without errors, well good enough. But I'm amazed to see how many times the loop in it ran.

Here's the code:

Code:

---

#include<stdio.h>

int main()
{
    FILE* fptr;
    int n=0;
    char msg[100];
    int spaces=0; //whitespace
    int norm=0; //any other characters
    fptr= fopen("decipher.txt","r");
    fscanf(fptr,"%d",&msg[0]);
    printf("\nThis is what has been said:\n");
    while(msg[n]!=EOF)
    {
    n++;
    if(fscanf(fptr,"%d",&msg[n])==0)
      spaces++;
    else
      norm++;
    }
    printf("%d\n%d\n%d\n",n,spaces,norm);
    puts(msg);
return 0;
}

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I used fscanf assuming that it wouldn't read whitespace characters as the message would be in form of:

Quote:

---

75 105 108 108 32 109 101 32 116 101 110 100 101 114 108 121 32 109 121 32 108 111 118 101 46 4

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Even modified the file but it would return the same value for n.

Quote:

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114 97 110 100

---

The spaces and norms wouldn't add up equal to n.

And as usual please do point out any sort of stupidity :p

> translate ASCII codes to simple text
What? There isn't any difference:

Code:

---

printf("%c, ", '&');
printf("%d, ", '&');
printf("0x%x ", '&');

---

Output = &, 38, 0x26

A friend would update her status that way and I can't translate ASCII plainly with my mind lol
So this is where the program came from. Nothing serious, just for kicks.
I posted this here because I can't figure out why the loop would run so many times.

Well, you could always try something like this then

Code:

---

#include <ctype.h>

unsigned char val;
while (scanf(" %d", &val))
    if (isprint(val))
        printf("%c ", val);

---

(and get rid of the file, just paste in)

So, when you paste "56 57 68 35 67", it prints "8 9 D # C".

The %d format in fscanf will fill an int's worth of memory at the given location.
How about:

Code:

---

fscanf(fptr,"%d", num);  // n is an int
msg[n] = num;

---

And this doesn't make sense

Code:

---

if(fscanf(fptr,"%d",&msg[n])==0)
    spaces++;
else
    norm++;

---

fscanf returns the number of items it reads.
And reading with %d will skip spaces first.
It will probably never return 0 in your case, just 1 when it reads a number and EOF (probably -1) when it reaches the end of the file.

memcpy, that's a nice idea and its new for me, will certainly try it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oogabooga

The %d format in fscanf will fill an int's worth of memory at the given location.
How about:

Code:

---

fscanf(fptr,"%d", num);  // n is an int
msg[n] = num;

---

---

I used that but for some reason the program worked weirdly. It just crashed.

Quote:

---

And this doesn't make sense

Code:

---

if(fscanf(fptr,"%d",&msg[n])==0)
    spaces++;
else
    norm++;

---

fscanf returns the number of items it reads.
And reading with %d will skip spaces first.
It will probably never return 0 in your case, just 1 when it reads a number and EOF (probably -1) when it reaches the end of the file.

---

I used that just for counting the loop.

I made it echo what it was reading along with the n count and the pointer, it showed something amazing, it seems that it never met the EOF even after it read everything.

Code:

---

while(msg[n]!=EOF)
    {
    n++;
    if(fscanf(fptr,"%d",&msg[n])==0)
      spaces++;
    else
        norm++;
    printf("\n%u %d %d\n",fptr,n,msg[n]);

    }

---

However, the loop could be forced to be end by adding -1 at the end which I did to test. It showed 25 counts, the exact number of characters (1 counted less obviously). I'm confused how and why it would read things from the file that never existed. Also what causes fscanf to move reading from one point of the file to another because I saw that fptr never changed.

Still confused and sad about the loop not being exact.
Also if I use the same code in the program this manner, when it decodes the program crashes. I'm clueless. Help please.

Code:

---

#include<stdio.h>

///GLOBALS
FILE *fptr;
char path[80];
char msg[100];
char choice;
int n=0;
/////////////

void thedoor()
{
    printf("Incorrect choice.");
}

void encode()
{

      printf("Write something:\n");
      gets(msg);
      printf("Encoded without failure!\n");
      while(msg[n]!='\0')
            {
              printf("%d ",msg[n]);
              n++;
            }
      printf("\nWrite this to file?:");
      choice=getchar();
      getchar();
      if(choice=='Y'||choice=='y')
        {
            printf("Enter filename (full path maybe):");
            gets(path);
            n=0;
            fptr = fopen(path,"w");
            if(fptr==NULL)
            {
                printf("Error creating the file.");
            }
            while(msg[n]!='\0')
            {
              fprintf(fptr,"%d ",msg[n]);
              n++;
            }
            fprintf(fptr,"%c",'\0');
        fclose(fptr);
        }
      else
        printf("See ya...");

}

void decode()
{
      printf("\nEnter a file name to decipher(path if required):");
      gets(path);

      fptr= fopen(path,"r");
      if(fptr==NULL)
      {
          printf("Error opening the file.");
      }
      else
      {
          fscanf(fptr,"%d",&msg[0]);
          printf("\nThis is what has been said:\n");
          while(msg[n]!=EOF)
          {
            fscanf(fptr,"%d",&msg[n]);
            n++;
          }
          puts(msg);
      }
}

int main()
{

  printf("Encode or Decode?(E\\D):");
      choice=getchar();
      getchar();

      if(choice=='E'||choice=='e')
      encode();
      else if(choice=='D'||choice=='d')
      decode();
      else
      thedoor();
      return 0;
}

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Quote:

---

Originally Posted by slash.hack

However, the loop could be forced to be end by adding -1 at the end which I did to test. It showed 25 counts, the exact number of characters (1 counted less obviously). I'm confused how and why it would read things from the file that never existed.

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Because there's no way to store EOF in a char your loop condition never exits the while loop, so you're reading beyond the end of a file. Find a different way to handle that issue.

Quote:

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Also what causes fscanf to move reading from one point of the file to another because I saw that fptr never changed.

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What's pointed to by ftpr will, but the details of how that works are implementation defined so you'll have to trust the compiler. Maybe look into ftell() if you want to make sure that it's correctly moving through the file. But fix the major problem first.