Reading a file into an array for fast access later

I am fairly new to C and would like to read a file into an array so that I can access the data quickly. I think that I should be using pointers (or an array of pointers) to make effecient code. I get the basic premise of pointers (variables that hold the address of another variable in memory) but have obviously missed something when it comes to working with char (string), pointers and or arrays.

To make this easy for myself I have created a text file to input as shown below:

One
Two
...
...
....
Ten

I am using fgets to get the line and then trying to save the information in the buffer to an address in an array of pointers.

I have included the code for you to ridicule but would appreciate someone letting me know what I am missing.

Thanks in advance

Code:

---

vuser_init()



{


        long file;//used for file
        char *filename="c:\\arraytest.txt";//text file containing 10 lines of text (ONE - TEN)
        int counter=0;//loop counter
        char inputline[100];//line in text file
        char *aop[10];//array of pointers (10)

        file=fopen(filename,"r");//assuming its there for this test
       
        while(!feof(file)){//while not end of file
                fget(inputline,100,file);//get text line
                aop[counter]=inputline;//assign the value in inputline to the array - I think it starts to go wrong at this point!
                counter++;                               
        }
       
        /*
       
        I think that the problem is that the pointer holds the address to inputline and not the value.
        So my output from each element in the array is always the contents of the last line retrieved by the fget.
        If I try to use *aop[counter]=inputline I get an illegal types error.

        */


        return 0;
}

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You're right. inputline is a constant value throughout the program (the address of the first element of the array). So you're just setting each pointer in the aop array to the same value.

I would suggest changing your loop to:

Code:

---

        while(!feof(file)){//while not end of file
                fget(inputline,100,file);//get text line
                                aop[counter] = malloc(strlen(inputline) + 1);
                strcpy(aop[counter], inputline);//assign the value
                counter++;                               
        }

---

Don't forget to free the memory when you're done!

> while(!feof(file))
Shame on you itsme86, I would have figured you would have read the FAQ on this one by now.

while ( fget(inputline,100,file) != NULL )

Or a bit better
while ( fget(inputline,sizeof inputline,file) != NULL )

Sorry, I was just concentrating on the OP's question. I got distracted by work (at work no less, the nerve!) or I would have pointed out the feof() as well ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by matsharp

I

Code:

---

        long file;//used for file
                    .
                    .
                    .
        file=fopen(filename,"r");//assuming its there for this test
       
}

---

---

Perhaps it is a minor nit, but the type of the fopen return value is not long, but FILE *.

All,

Thanks for your help. Although the strcpy didn't work, it did help me understand where I was going wrong. As the code is inside the Mercury LoadRunner product I used the lr_eval_string command to assign the contents of the string to the pointer array.

I also managed to get my head around array of pointers. Thanks again.

You do know you actually have to have some space allocated to copy into, right? You can't just strcpy into any old pointer and expect it to work right.


Quzah.

Quote:

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> while(!feof(file))
Shame on you itsme86, I would have figured you would have read the FAQ on this one by now.

while ( fget(inputline,100,file) != NULL )

Or a bit better
while ( fget(inputline,sizeof inputline,file) != NULL )

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I'd have thought you would have noticed that the OP typed fget, not fgets . . . :D

Sometimes when you're being pedantic, you leave something for the other Old Timers to catch, so they have something to do. It's a professional courtesy. ;)


Quzah.

....so how do I make the space available for the strcpy to work? The lr_eval_string command appears to be working fine but if there is a something that I have still misunderstood then I need to get my head around it. Go on help the newbie...

Go on, help yourself: Visit malloc and free at your local man page (work safe!)


Quzah.