Having trouble writing code for project

I'm trying to figure out how to add a random digit and random number to a string I created. I know how to get both, and can get both, but when it comes to attaching it, I'm screwed. I've tried strcat and strncat and neither are working for me. What am I doing wrong?????

Code:

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                ran1 = (rand()%q) + s;
                cout << endl << ran1 << " %%%%%%";
                cout << endl << num[ran1] << " ^^^^^";
                ran2 = (rand()%q1) + s;
                cout << endl << ran2 << " $#$#$#$";
                cout << endl << alpha[ran2] << " +_+_+_+_+";

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I believe your question is just "How do you insert an integer into a string?"

Code:

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#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <sstream>
#include <stdio.h>  // for sprintf
using namespace std;

int main() {
    int n = 12345;

    // The C++ way.
    stringstream ss;
    ss << "%%%%%% " << n << " %%%%%%";
    cout << ss.str() << '\n';

    // The C way.
    char str[100];   
    sprintf(str, "%%%%%% %d %%%%%%", n);
    cout << str << '\n';
}

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by oogabooga

I believe your question is just "How do you insert an integer into a string?"

Code:

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#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <sstream>
#include <stdio.h>  // for sprintf
using namespace std;

int main() {
    int n = 12345;

    // The C++ way.
    stringstream ss;
    ss << "%%%%%% " << n << " %%%%%%";
    cout << ss.str() << '\n';

    // The C way.
    char str[100];   
    sprintf(str, "%%%%%% %d %%%%%%", n);
    cout << str << '\n';
}

---

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You should really be using snprintf... Sure, I doubt any integer type on any compiler may ever have enough bits to overflow the array (64-bit integers ought to be enough for everyone!), and I wouldn't find it a bad thing if you would use this in your codebase, but when teaching a newbie you should definitely recommend the "safe" version until he understands exactly what it does.

So, to the OP:
Use the C++ way he recommended. Do not use the C way, not yet at least. And if you ever would like to, google for "snprintf", and replace his sprintf function with that function.

Note: snprintf() is a good idea, but it's new in C99, so your C++ compiler is not guaranteed to have it. (Although most major ones will, because they also try to support C99!) In C++, it's definitely a better idea to use stringstreams.