Program gets stuck in infinite loop

Can anyone figure out why this program gets stuck in certain instances? ...Whenever you enter a destination with more than one word for the city name (eg "San Antonio") it goes into an infinite loop of the menu function... I've been wracking my brain, but I can't figure it out!

Thanks,

-Sean

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

void initalize(string passengers[][6][4]);
void menu(string passengers[][6][4]);
void enterpass(string passengers[][6][4]);
void dispsingle(string passengers[][6][4]);
void dispall(string passengers[][6][4]);

void initalize(string passengers[][6][4])
{
    int a,b;
    for(a=0;a<10;a++)
    {
        for(b=0;b<6;b++)
        {
            passengers[a][b][0] = "\0";
        }
    }
}

void menu(string passengers[][6][4])
{
    int choice=0;
    while (choice == 0)
    {
        cout << "Menu" << endl << "1) Enter passenger" << endl << "2) Display single passenger info" << endl << "3) Display all passengers" << endl << "4) Exit program" << endl;
        cout << "Selection: ";
        cin >> choice;
        switch (choice)
        {
        case 1:
            {
                enterpass(passengers);
                choice = 0;
                break;
            }
        case 2:
            {
                dispsingle(passengers);
                choice = 0;
                break;
            }
        case 3:
            {
                dispall(passengers);
                choice = 0;
                break;
            }
        case 4:
            {
                cout << "Thank you for using Lab 5!" << endl;
                break;
            }
        }
    }
}

void enterpass(string passengers[][6][4])
{
    int row=0, column=0;
    while (row != -1 && column != -1)
    {
        cout << endl << "Which passenger? (Format: row column) Use 0 0 to stop ";
        cin >> row >> column;
        row -= 1;
        column -=1;
        if (row > 9 || row < -1)
        {
            cout << "Invalid row" << endl;
        }
        else if (column > 5 || column < -1)
        {
            cout << "Invalid column" << endl;
        }
        else if (row > -1)
        {   
            cout << endl << "First name: ";
            cin >> passengers[row][column][0];
            cout << "Last name: ";
            cin >> passengers[row][column][1];
            cout << "Social Security Number: ";
            cin >> passengers[row][column][2];
            cout << "Destination city: ";
            getline(cin, passengers[row][column][3], '\n');
        }
    }
}

void dispsingle(string passengers[][6][4])
{
    int row=-1, column=-1;
    cout << endl << "Enter row and column: ";
    cin >> row >> column;
    row -=1;
    column -= 1;
    if (row < 0 || column < 0 || row > 9 || column > 5)
    {
        cout << "Invalid Passenger!";
        return;
    }
    else
    {
        cout << endl << "Displaying information for row " << row+1 << ", column " << column+1 << ":" << endl;
        cout << "First name:\t\t\t" << passengers[row][column][0] << endl;
        cout << "Last name:\t\t\t" << passengers[row][column][1] << endl;
        cout << "Social Security Number:\t\t" << passengers[row][column][2] << endl;
        cout << "Destination:\t\t\t" << passengers[row][column][3] << "\n\n";
    }
}

void dispall(string passengers[][6][4])
{
    int a, b;
    for (a=0;a<10;a++)
    {
        if (passengers[a][0][0] != "\0" || passengers[a][1][0] != "\0" || passengers[a][2][0] != "\0" || passengers[a][3][0] != "\0" || passengers[a][4][0] != "\0" || passengers[a][5][0] != "\0")
        {
            cout << "Row " << a+1 << ":\t";
        }
        for (b=0;b<6;b++)
        {
            if (passengers[a][b][0] != "\0")
            {
                cout << passengers[a][b][0] << " " << passengers[a][b][1] << "  ";
            }
            if (b == 5)
            {
                cout << endl;
            }
        }
    }
}

int main()
{
    string passengers[10][6][4];
    initalize(passengers);
    menu(passengers);
return 0;
}

---

It might be easier to use char arrays with this (that would require alot of adjustments). As for the problem, I don't know.

Code:

---

  #include <iostream>


using namespace std;

void initalize(char passengers[][6][4][40]);
void menu(char passengers[][6][4][40]);
void enterpass(char passengers[][6][4][40]);
void dispsingle(char passengers[][6][4][40]);
void dispall(char passengers[][6][4][40]);

void initalize(char passengers[][6][4][40])
{
    int a,R;
    for(a=0;a<10;a++)
    {
        for(R=0;R<6;R++)
        {
            passengers[a][R][0][0] = '\0';
        }
    }
}

void menu(char passengers[][6][4][40])
{
    int choice=0;
    while (choice == 0)
    {
        cout << "Menu" << endl << "1) Enter passenger" << endl << "2) Display single passenger info" << endl << "3) Display all passengers" << endl << "4) Exit program" << endl;
        cout << "Selection: ";
        cin >> choice;
        switch (choice)
        {
        case 1:
            {
                enterpass(passengers);
                choice = 0;
                break;
            }
        case 2:
            {
                dispsingle(passengers);
                choice = 0;
                break;
            }
        case 3:
            {
                dispall(passengers);
                choice = 0;
                break;
            }
        case 4:
            {
                cout << "Thank you for using LaR 5!" << endl;
                break;
            }
        }
    }
}

void enterpass(char passengers[][6][4][40])
{
    int row=0, column=0;
    while (row != -1 && column != -1)
    {
        cout << endl << "Which passenger? (Format: row column) Use 0 0 to stop ";
        cin >> row;
        cin >> column;
        cin.get();
        row -= 1;
        column -=1;
        if (row > 9 || row < -1)
        {
            cout << "Invalid row" << endl;
        }
        else if (column > 5 || column < -1)
        {
            cout << "Invalid column" << endl;
        }
        else if (row > -1)
        {   
            cout << endl << "First name: ";
            cin.getline(passengers[row][column][0], 40);
            cout << "Last name: ";
            cin.getline(passengers[row][column][1], 40);
            cout << "Social Security NumRer: ";
            cin.getline(passengers[row][column][2], 40);
            cout << "Destination city: ";
            cin.getline(passengers[row][column][3], 40);
        }
    }
}

void dispsingle(char passengers[][6][4][40])
{
    int row=-1, column=-1;
    cout << endl << "Enter row and column: ";
    cin >> row >> column;
    row -=1;
    column -= 1;
    if (row < 0 || column < 0 || row > 9 || column > 5)
    {
        cout << "Invalid Passenger!";
        return;
    }
    else
    {
        cout << endl << "Displaying information for row " << row+1 << ", column " << column+1 << ":" << endl;
        cout << "First name:\t\t\t" << passengers[row][column][0] << endl;
        cout << "Last name:\t\t\t" << passengers[row][column][1] << endl;
        cout << "Social Security NumRer:\t\t" << passengers[row][column][2] << endl;
        cout << "Destination:\t\t\t" << passengers[row][column][3] << "\n\n";
    }
}

void dispall(char passengers[][6][4][40])
{
    int a, R;
    for (a=0;a<10;a++)
    {
        if (passengers[a][0][0] != '\0' || passengers[a][1][0] != '\0' || passengers[a][2][0] != '\0' || passengers[a][3][0] != '\0' || passengers[a][4][0] != '\0' || passengers[a][5][0] != '\0')
        {
            cout << "Row " << a+1 << ":\t";
        }
        for (R=0;R<6;R++)
        {
            if (passengers[a][R][0] != '\0')
            {
                cout << passengers[a][R][0] << " " << passengers[a][R][1] << "  ";
            }
            if (R == 5)
            {
                cout << endl;
            }
        }
    }
}

int main()
{
    char passengers[10][6][4][40];
    initalize(passengers);
    menu(passengers);
return 0;
}

---

Everything works and is char oriented now. The 'b' variables in the code are causing the bold problem, lol, changed all b's to R's. You should worship char arrays. They are the best thing in the language.

As someone who used to program exclusively in C, I know char arrays ;) but I wanted to try a C++/STL approach-- besides, when you can append, modify, and basically do whatever you want with strings without worrying about length--- w00t!! I hate having to write bounds checking, dynamic memory allocation, etc, all the time just to do simple things.

Thanks for the code-- I appreciate ya taking a look at it!

Still, does anyone know why the original code caused a problem? (Really, I'm just curious now, and I can't seem to find rhyme or reason for it)

-Sean

I had no clue what was causing the problem, but I seriously can solve any problem with char arrays (sounds pretty crazy, huh?). I only use the string class if it is a must (if I don't want to waste memory).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xanth

Still, does anyone know why the original code caused a problem? (Really, I'm just curious now, and I can't seem to find rhyme or reason for it)

-Sean

---

Yes the problem is mixing cin and getline. cin leaves a new line in the stream and since this is a delimiter for getline you can see the results. google for "mixing cin and getline" or something similar can explain more. You just need to add cin.ignore(); this will ignore one character from the stream.

Code:

---

          cout << "Social Security Number: ";
            cin >> passengers[row][column][2];
            cout << "Destination city: ";
            cin.ignore();
            getline(cin, passengers[row][column][3], '\n');
        }

---

Wait, do you mean to say that cin is leaving a newline in the space? (eg "Bob Bobo" would be "Bob'\n'Bobo" instead of "Bob'\0'Bobo")

As I understand the getline function, with three parameters it should only input data until the third parameter (the newline character in this case) occurs. Is something wrong there?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xanth

Wait, do you mean to say that cin is leaving a newline in the space? (eg "Bob Bobo" would be "Bob'\n'Bobo" instead of "Bob'\0'Bobo")

---

No, in the input stream, cin reads up to the '\n' and leaves that in the stream. So now what is in the input stream for getline to find is the '\n'.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xanth

As I understand the getline function, with three parameters it should only input data until the third parameter (the new line character in this case) occurs.

---

Yes this is correct. Also the '\n' is the default if none is specified.
If you wanted to you could change the delimiter to something else that would work to.

Code:

---

getline(cin, passengers[row][column][3], '#');

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xanth

Is something wrong there?

---

No

Also a search of the board might explain more as this a common question.

Ah, I see the light and once again am humbled (read: feel like an idiot!) ;) One last question, since I can't seem to find the answer to it anywhere: is there anyway to prevent the need to hit return twice (once after entering the data, and then once more)?

I changed the line cin.getline(passengers[row][column][3], 40) to just getline(cin, passengers[row][column[3])... I figured using cin.putback('\n') would eliminate the need for hitting enter twice, but this just threw the program into the infinite loop again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xanth

As I understand the getline function, with three parameters it should only input data until the third parameter (the newline character in this case) occurs. Is something wrong there?

---

yes and no. don't forget the getline function was overloaded by the string class. getline function from cin looks like this:

Code:

---

cin.getline(destination,length,delim)

---

where it will stop reading after it reads length-1 bytes or reaches the deliminating character, whichever comes first.

the getline function from the string class, however, looks like this:

Code:

---

getline(cin,string,delim)

---

as far as I know, this stops only on the delimiter or if the istream (in this case cin) throws a flag...

Aha! Found the getline issue! Darn MS VS 6.0 and it's bug! :P

Thanks for the help/clarification, guys. You rule!

-Sean