where is the problem

Code:

---

#include<iostream>
#include<conio>
#include<stdlib>


#define MAX 30

        struct node{
                    int age;        // 4 bytes
                    char name[MAX]; // 30 bytes
                    node *next;    // 4 bytes (all pointers are the same size an ints)
              };                  // this is a 32bit prog so 4 bytes    4 + 4 + 30 = 38bytes.

int main()
{
    int amount;

        cout<<"How many people to be stored >";
    cin>>amount;  // If I input 1 here...

    if(amount==0)
            abort();

    else
      {
                cout<<sizeof(node); // Why does this say 40.

      }

  getch();

  return 0;

}

---

// also how do I access the command line using turbo c++ 3.0 on win 95 platform

// Thank you for your guidence

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <conio.h>
#include <cstdlib>
using namespace std;
...

---

But it looks like thats an ancient compiler so you might have to use the old headers, argh:

Code:

---

#include <iostream.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

---

>>cout<<sizeof(node); // Why does this say 40.

Because your compiler aligns the struct members on 1-word boundaries. Try moving the char declaration to after node *next and see what happens.

Normally pointers are aligned on a dword boundary. 30+4 = 34, which is not divisable by 4, so two is added to make it divisable. 36+4 = 40. In this case, by making "name" a 32 byte array, it'll still (well, should) give the output of 40, as the pointer will then be aligned.

Also, never assume ints are the same size as pointers - they are on your compiler, but a different compiler may decide to use 2 bytes as an int.