Cant display a linked list properly with char - c++

Question

Recordlabel.cpp
void recordLabel::addArtist(char* artistName)
{
Node* temp = new Node;
temp->artistName = artistName;
temp->next = head;
head = temp;
}
void recordLabel::displayArtists()
{
Node* tmp = head;
tmp = tmp->next;
while (tmp != NULL)
{
cout << tmp->artistName << " ";
tmp = tmp->next;
}
}
Main.cpp
int main()
{
recordLabel recordLabel;
char* artistName = new char[25];
char repeatLoop = 'y';
while (repeatLoop == 'y' || repeatLoop == 'Y')
{
cout << "Please Enter an Artist Name: ";
cin.getline(artistName,25);
recordLabel.addArtist(artistName);
cout << "Do you want to add a Name? (y/n): ";
cin >> repeatLoop;
cin.ignore();
}
recordLabel.displayArtists();
//delete[] artistName;
system("pause");
return 0;
}
So I'm trying to display my linked list but when I enter input like "john" "kyle" "david" the output from the display function justs ends up being david david david. Can someone help me with this? Also, I realize using string would solve most of my problems but I'm trying to just use Chars.
Thanks

Answer 1

Modify the method addArtist in this way:
void recordLabel::addArtist(char* artistName)
{
Node* temp = new Node;
temp->artistName = strdup(artistName);
temp->next = head;
head = temp;
}
You need to include also string.h
#include <cstring>
Do not forget to clean the memory with the destructor

Answer 2

All nodes of the list contain in their data members artistName the address of the allocated memory stored in the pointer artistName declared in main.
char* artistName = new char[25];
//...
recordLabel.addArtist(artistName);
and
void recordLabel::addArtist(char* artistName)
{
Node* temp = new Node;
temp->artistName = artistName;
//...
That is all the data members store the address of the same allocated memory.
As a result all the data members will point to the last string stored in this dynamically allocated memory.
You need to crate a copy of the stored string in the current moment.
For example
#include <cstring>
//...
void recordLabel::addArtist( const char *artistName )
{
Node* temp = new Node;
temp->artistName = new char[strlen( artistName ) + 1];
strcpy( temp->artistName, artistName );
temp->next = head;
head = temp;
}
When you should free all the allocated memory for strings and nodes in the destructor of the list.
Also it is unclear why the output of the list starts from the second node
void recordLabel::displayArtists()
{
Node* tmp = head;
tmp = tmp->next;
while (tmp != NULL)
//...
If initially the pointer head is equal to nullptr then the function can invoke undefined behavior when will be called for an empty list.
You could make your life easier if the data member artistName had the type std::string instead of char *.
For example if the class Node is defined something like
struct Node
{
std::string artistName;
Node *next;
}
then the member function addArtist could look very simply.
#include <string>
//...
void recordLabel::addArtist( const char *artistName )
{
head = new Node { artistName, head };
}