I'm writing a function which returns a string. But something weird happened. The output of the result string was printed as an unexpected thing from the console.
It becomes Chinese or something else or EMPTY STRING depending on the machine (TESTED). But this only happens when the input string is super long. It works normally for strings with a smaller size.
Is there a better way to append char to a string? It's because I suspect the problem was caused by the way how I added chars to the end of a string.
From Console
From Debugger
main.cpp
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <algorithm>
using namespace std;
bool checkPalindrome(string s)
{
return (s == std::string(s.rbegin(), s.rend()));
}
string longestPalindrome(string s)
{
if (s.size() > 1000 || s.empty())
return "";
string result = "";
string sub = "";
char* ptr = &sub[0];
for (int i = 0; i < s.length(); ++i) {
sub += s[i];
while (true) {
string temp = ptr;
if (checkPalindrome(temp)) {
ptr = &sub[0];
if (temp.length() > result.length()) {
result = temp;
break;
}
break;
}
else {
ptr++;
}
if (ptr == &sub[sub.length()-1]) {
ptr = &sub[0];
break;
}
}
}
std::cout << "end of function" << std::endl;
return result;
}
int main()
{
string output = longestPalindrome("babaddtattarrattatddetartrateedredividerb");
std::cout << output << std::endl;
return 0;
}
The expression char* ptr = &sub[0]; gives you a pointer to a char. However, when you perform sub += s[i]; you may require the string's internal storage to grow to accommodate the new character. If you keep adding to it, eventually it will happen. This will invalidate ptr and render it unusable until it's reassigned.
When such a reallocation does happen a larger buffer is allocated, the previous value is moved from the shorter buffer to the larger buffer then the shorter buffer is destroyed to be replaced by the larger one. But ptr still points to where the previous shorter buffer's data used to be. It's now pointing to an element of a destroyed object. When you then do string temp = ptr; you risk initializing a string from an invalidated pointer which is undefined behavior.
One relatively simple solution woult be to stick with indices instead of pointers. Indices by their nature don't get invalidated as long as they are within the bounds of the string's size. Another possible solution might be to use reserve to pre-allocate a large enough capacity that it never has to reallocate.
Related
I'm trying to implement a void function that takes a c string as its only parameter and reverses it and prints it. Below is my attempt at a solution however I'm not sure how to go about this problem.
void printBackwards(char forward[]) {
int i = 0;
char backwards[];
while (forward[i] != '\0') {
backwards[i] = forward[-i - 1];
i++;
}
cout << backwards;
}
Under such a condition, I guess you are expected to use recursion.
void printBackwards(char forward[]) {
if (!forward[0])
return;
printBackwards(forward + 1);
cout << forward[0];
}
Not being able to use strlen, we'll calculate it ourselves using a simple for loop. Then dynamically allocate a suitable buffer (add one character for the null terminating char, and I "cheated" by using calloc to zero the memory so I don't have to remember to set the null terminator. Then anoher simple loop to copy the original into the result in reverse.
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
char *rev(char *s) {
size_t i;
char *s2 = s; // A pointer to the beginning as our first loop modifies s
for (i = 0; *s; s++, i++);
char *result = calloc(0, i + 1);
if (!result) return NULL; // In case calloc didn't allocate the requested memory.
for (size_t j = 0; j < i; j++)
result[j] = s2[i - j - 1];
return result;
}
Assuming you want to reverse the string rather than just printing it in reverse order, you first need to find the last character location (actually the position of the null terminator). Pseudo-code below (since this is an educational assignment):
define null_addr(pointer):
while character at pointer is not null terminator:
increment pointer
return pointer
Then you can use that inside a loop where you swap the two characters and move the pointers toward the center of the string. As soon as the pointers become equal or pass each other the string is reversed:
define reverse(left_pointer):
set right_pointer to null_addr(left_pointer)
while right_pointer > left_pointer plus one:
decrement right_pointer
swap character at left_pointer with character at right_pointer
increment left_pointer
Alternatively (and this appears to be the case since your attempt doesn't actually reverse the original string), if you need to print the string in reverse order without modifying it, you still find the last character. Then you run backwards through the string printing each character until you reach the first. That can be done with something like:
define print_reverse(pointer):
set right_pointer to null_addr(pointer)
while right_pointer > pointer:
decrement right_pointer
print character at right_pointer
That's probably better than creating a new string to hold the reverse of the original, and then printing that reverse.
One thing you should keep in mind. This very much appears to be a C-centric question, not a C++ one (it's using C strings rather than C++ strings, and uses C header files). If that's the case, you should probably avoid things like cout.
By using abstractions, like , your code will be much better at communication WHAT it is doing instead of HOW it is doing it.
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <ranges>
int main()
{
std::string hello{ "!dlrow olleH" };
for (const char c : hello | std::views::reverse)
{
std::cout << c;
}
return 0;
}
Use a template
#include <iostream>
template<int N, int I=2>
void printBackwards(char (&forward)[N]) {
std::cout << forward[N-I];
if constexpr (I<N) printBackwards<N, I+1>(forward);
}
int main() {
char test[] = "elephant";
printBackwards(test);
}
While there seems to be several working answers, I thought I'd throw my hat in the stack (pun intended) since none of them take advantage of a FILO data structure (except #273K's answer, which uses a stack implicitly instead of explicitly).
What I would do is simply push everything onto a stack and then print the stack:
#include <stack>
#include <iostream>
void printBackwards(char forward[]) {
// Create a stack to hold our reversed string
std::stack<char> stk;
// Iterate through the string until we hit the null terminator
int i = 0;
while (forward[i] != '\0'){
stk.push(forward[i]);
++i;
}
// Iterate through the stack and print each character as we pop() it
while (stk.size() > 0){
std::cout << stk.top();
stk.pop();
}
// Don't forget the newline (assuming output lines should be separated)
std::cout << '\n';
}
int main(int argc, char* argv[]){
char s[] = "This is a string";
printBackwards(s);
return 0;
}
Hi guys as promised I have come back to add my own answer. This is my own way using array subscripts and using what I currently know.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
void printBackwards(char[]);
int main()
{
char word[] = "apples";
printBackwards(word);
return 0;
}
void printBackwards(char word[]) {
char* temp = word;
int count = 0;
while (*temp++ != '\0') {
count++;
}
for (int i = count - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
cout << word[i];
}
}
You can make a fixed-size buffer and create new ones if needed. Fill it reverse by moving the string offset back with every inserted character. Chars exceeding the buffer are returned to be processed later, so you can make a list of such buffers:
template<int SIZE>
struct ReversedCStr
{
static_assert(SIZE > 10); // just some minimal size treshold
// constexpr
ReversedCStr(char const* c_str, char const** tail = nullptr) noexcept
{
for(buffer[offset] = '\0'; *c_str != '\0';)
{
buffer[--offset] = *c_str++;
if(offset == 0) break;
}
if(tail) *tail = c_str;
}
//constexpr
char const* c_str() const noexcept { return buffer.data()+offset;};
private:
size_t offset = SIZE -1;
std::array<char,SIZE> buffer;
};
The tag is 'C++' so I assume you use C++ not C. The following code is C++11 so it should fit in every modern project. I posted the working example on godbolt.org.
It doesn't allocate memory, and is completely exception-free. The maximum memory wasted is {buffer_size + sizeof(char*)*number_of_chunks}, and can be easily turned into a list of reversed chunks like this:
char const* tail;
std::vector<ReversedCStr<11>> vec;
for(vec.emplace_back(str,&tail); *tail != '\0';)
vec.emplace_back(tail,&tail);
I was working on a system that split a sentence to a 2D pointer.
I don't wanna use any kind of library or another ways like string, because I want to practice pointers and learn them.
char** sscanf(char* hstring)
{
int count = 0;
char* current = hstring;
while (*current)
{
if (*current == ' ')
{
count++;
}
while (*current == ' ')
{
current++;
}
if (*current)
break;
current++;
}
char** result = new char*[count];
current = hstring;
char* nstr = new char;
int c = 0, i = 0;
while (*current)
{
if (!*current) break;
cout << "t1";
if (*current == ' ')
{
*(++result) = nstr;
nstr = nullptr;
nstr = new char;
}
cout << "t2";
while (*current != '/0' && *current == ' ')
{
current++;
}
cout << "t3";
while (*current != '/0' && *current != ' ')
{
if (!*current) break;
*(++nstr) = *current;
current++;
}
cout << "t4";
*nstr = '/0';
cout << "t5";
}
return result;
}
But it's very strange, sometimes redirects me to
static size_t __CLRCALL_OR_CDECL length(_In_z_ const _Elem * const _First) _NOEXCEPT // strengthened
{ // find length of null-terminated string
return (_CSTD strlen(_First));
}
with error: Acces Violation, other times, choose a random line and call it Acces Breakout(sorry if I spelled wrong)
What I want from you is not to repair my code simply, I want some explanations, because I want to learn this stuff.
First, some advice
I understand that you are making this function as an exercise, but being C++ I'd like to warn you that things like new char*[count] are bad practices and that's why std::vector or std::array were created.
You seem confused about how dynamic allocation works. The statement char* nstr = new char; will create just one byte (char) in heap memory, and nothing is guaranteed to be adjacent to it. This means that ++nstr is a "invalid" operation, I mean, it's making the nstr point to the next byte after the allocated one, which can be some random invalid location.
There is a whole lot of other dangerous operations in your code, like calling new several times (which reserves memory) and not calling delete on them when you no longer use the reserved memory (aka. memory leaks). Having said that, I strongly encourage you to study this subject, for example starting with the ISO C++ FAQ on memory management.
Also, before digging into pointers and dynamic allocation, you should be more confortable with statements and flow control. I say this because I see some clear misunderstandings, like:
while (*current) {
if (!*current) break;
...
}
The check inside the if statement will certainly be false, because the while check is executed just before it and guarantees that the opposite condition is true. This means that this if is never evaluated to true and it's completely useless.
Another remark is: don't name your functions the same as standard libraries ones. sscanf is already taken, choose another (and more meaningful) one. This will save you some headaches in the future; be used to name your own functions properly.
A guided solution
I'm in a good mood, so I'll go through some steps here. Anyway, if someone is looking for an optimized and ready to go solution, see Split a String in C++.
0. Define the steps
Reading your code, I could guess some of your desired steps:
char** split_string(char* sentence)
{
// Count the number of words in the sentence
// Allocate memory for the answer (a 2D buffer)
// Write each word in the output
}
Instead of trying to get them right all at once, why don't you try one by one? (Notice the function's and parameter's names, clearer in my opinion).
1. Count the words
You could start with a simple main(), testing your solution. Here is mine (sorry, I couldn't just adapt yours). For those who are optimization-addicted, this is not an optimized solution, but a simple snippet for the OP.
// I'll be using this header and namespace on the next snippets too.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
char sentence[] = " This is my sentence ";
int n_words = 0;
char *p = sentence;
bool was_space = true; // see logic below
// Reading the whole sentence
while (*p) {
// Check if it's a space and advance pointer
bool is_space = (*p++ == ' ');
if (was_space && !is_space)
n_words++; // count as word a 'rising edge'
was_space = is_space;
}
cout << n_words;
}
Test it, make sure you understand why it works. Now, you can move to the next step.
2. Allocate the buffer
Well, you want to allocate one buffer for each word, so we need to know the size of each one of them (I'll not discuss whether or not this is a good approach to the split sentence problem..). This was not calculated on the previous step, so we might do it now.
int main()
{
char sentence[] = " This is my sentence ";
///// Count the number of words in the sentence
int n_words = 0;
char *p = sentence;
bool was_space = true; // see logic below
// Reading the whole sentence
while (*p) {
// Check if it's a space and advance pointer
bool is_space = (*p++ == ' ');
if (was_space && !is_space)
n_words++; // count as word a 'rising edge'
was_space = is_space;
}
///// Allocate memory for the answer (a 2D buffer)
// This is more like C than C++, but you asked for it
char **words = new char*[n_words];
char *ini = sentence; // the initial char of each word
for (int i = 0; i < n_words; ++i) {
while (*ini == ' ') ini++; // search next non-space char
char *end = ini + 1; // pointer to the end of the word
while (*end && *end != ' ') end++; // search for \0 or space
int word_size = end - ini; // find out the word size by address offset
ini = end; // next for-loop iteration starts
// at the next word
words[i] = new char[word_size]; // a whole buffer for one word
cout << i << ": " << word_size << endl; // debugging
}
// Deleting it all, one buffer at a time
for (int i = 0; i < n_words; ++i) {
delete[] words[i]; // delete[] is the syntax to delete an array
}
}
Notice that I'm deleting the allocated buffers inside the main(). When you move this logic to your function, this deallocation will be performed by the caller of the function, since it will probably use the buffers before deleting them.
3. Assigning each word to its buffer
I think you got the idea. Assign the words and move the logic to the separated function. Update your question with a Minimal, Complete, and Verifiable example if you still have troubles.
I know this is a Q&A forum, but I think this is already a healthy answer to the OP and to others that may pass here. Let me know if I should answer differently.
Here is a simple program where I am trying to pass a structure to a function by reference and a string. The function is supposed to detect the length of the string and assign it a member of the structure. Here is the program:
#include <iostream>
#include <string.h>
struct stringy // structure definition
{
char *str;
int ct;
};
void set(stringy &beany, const char *testing); // function definition
int main()
{
stringy beany;
char testing[] = "Reality isn't what it used to be.";
set(beany, testing); // function call
return 0;
}
void set(stringy &beany, const char *testing) // function prototype
{
int i=0;
while (*(testing+i) != '\0') // this loop counts the number of characters
{
i++;
std::cout << i << "\n";
}
beany.str = new char[i]; // dynamic storage allocation
std::cout << strlen(beany.str); // printing the length of the string
}
For some reason the output of the last line in the function set() is 47 while the value of "i" is 33. The last 15 bytes are filled with garbage value. I want that the length of beany.str should be equal to the length of *testing.
You allocate memory for beany.str but you don't initialize that memory. The contents of the allocated memory, without any initialization, is indeterminate (and in practice will be seemingly random).
Also don't forget that old C-style strings needs to be terminated by the special '\0' character (or functions like strlen will not work).
Both of these problems, using uninitialized memory and forgetting the terminator, will lead to undefined behavior.
beany.str = new char[i]; // dynamic storage allocation
std::cout << strlen(beany.str); // printing the length of the string
strlen looks for the terminating null character '\0'. There is no guaranteed one in beany.str, because you assign it the result of new char[i], which does not zero-initialize the elements. It allocates space for i characters that are not initialized to zero.
Even if they were, strlen would return 0, because it would immediately find '\0' at the first position. If you don't somehow remember i yourself, the size information will be lost.
Look at the output of the following program:
#include <iostream>
int main()
{
char *str = new char[100];
for (int i = 0; i < 100; ++i)
{
std::cout << str[i] << "\n";
}
}
The behaviour is undefined. What you will probably see are some seemingly random characters.
If you want zero-initialization, use new char[i]().
But still, strlen will be 0:
#include <iostream>
#include <string.h>
int main()
{
char *str = new char[100]();
for (int i = 0; i < 100; ++i)
{
std::cout << str[i] << "\n";
}
std::cout << strlen(str) << "\n";
}
You should just get rid of array-new and array-delete. Use std::string.
I am coding this in C++. My current issue at hand is that I have to trim the whitespace from the beginning of the character array. I am not allowed to use any string functions. My idea is to count the number of whitespaces at the beginning, allocate memory based on how much less memory I would need in a character array if I didn't have those whitespaces, do so, and then copy over the new string and deallocate the original string.
My issue is that I can't seem to deallocate that string without Visual Studio hitting a break point for me. I can get it working with the code I have below, (not deallocating the roginal strig at all) d=but wouldn't that cause a memory leak?
Thanks for your help in advance.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
class SmartString{
private:
char* str;
public:
SmartString ( )
{
str = NULL;
}
SmartString (char *str){
int length = 0;
int copy_index = 0;
while(str[length] != '\0')
{
length++;
}
length++;
char * copy;
copy = (char*)malloc(sizeof(char) * length);
copy = new char[length];
while(copy_index < length)
{
copy[copy_index] = str[copy_index];
cout << str[copy_index];
copy_index++;
}
this -> str = copy;
}
~ SmartString()
{
if(str != NULL)
{
delete str;
free(str);
}
}
void ShowString()
{
cout << "[" << str << "]";
}
int Size()
{
if(str == NULL)
return 0;
else
{
int i = 0;
while(str[i] != '\0')
{
i++;
}
i++;
return i;
}
}
**void Trim()
{
int counter = 0;
while (str[counter] == ' ' && counter < Size())
{
counter++;
}
int new_length = Size() - (counter + 1);
char * temp;
temp = (char*) malloc(sizeof(char) * new_length);
temp = new char[new_length];
int counter_2 = 0;
while(counter_2 < Size())
{
temp[counter_2] = str[counter_2 + counter];
counter_2++;
}
str = temp;
}**
};
int main()
{
char *str;
str = " Hello";
SmartString * s = new SmartString(str);
str = "Change";
(*s).Trim();
(*s).ShowString();
system("Pause");
}
You have not used 'delete' in your main function to deallocate your 's' pointer variable, So that the destructor method of your 'SmartString' class never called. In your second constrcutor method, you I've allocated the 'copy' variable twice where it's not need And also you have some mistake in your 'Trim' method.
In your destructor method, You should remove the free(str); statement cause the delete str; statement will deallocate the 'str'. So there is no need to deallocate twice.
malloc - Allocates the requested memory and returns a pointer to it.
new X; - Do the same thing but also calls constructor method if X is a class or struct after allocating.
new X[] - Allocates dynamic array with the requested memory and returns a pointer to it.
free - Deallocates the memory previously allocated.
delete - Do the same thing but also calls destructor method if X is a class or struct after deallocating.
delete[] - Deallocates the memory previously allocated dynamic array.
new and delete is the standard memory allocation and deallocation implement of C++ language where malloc and free is the standard memory allocation and deallocation function of C language.
Here I've rewritten your 'Trim' method:
void Trim()
{
int counter = 0;
while (str[counter] == ' ' && counter < Size())
{
counter++;
}
int new_length = Size() - (counter + 1);
char * temp;
// There is no need to allocate twice
//temp = (char*) malloc(sizeof(char) * new_length);
temp = new char[new_length+1];
int counter_2 = 0;
while(counter_2 < //Size() ( Here is your big mistake. You should not use 'Size()' here )
new_length
)
{
temp[counter_2] = str[counter_2 + counter];
counter_2++;
}
temp[counter_2] = 0;
str = temp;
}
And for deallocating, you have to use the 'delete' like this:
int main()
{
char *str;
str = " Hello";
SmartString * s = new SmartString(str);
str = "Change";
(*s).Trim();
(*s).ShowString();
// use delete to deallocate a pointer
delete s;
system("pause");
}
I see three reasonable approaches to this.
One would be to modify the existing string in-place. Find the position of the first non-space character, then copy from there to the end of the string to positions starting from the first element of the string. This can't be applied to a string literal (or you'll get undefined behavior).
The second would be to allocate a new buffer and copy the data you want to keep into that buffer. In this case, you probably do not want to try to modify the original (and, especially, you don't want to try to free its data).
The third would be to (basically) re-implement a class about like std::string, that always allocates a buffer in a specific way, so it "knows" how to manipulate that buffer safely. In this case, you could/would have a constructor to create an object from a string literal, so by the time your function was invoked, it would only (even attempt to) manipulate such objects and could never accidentally try to manipulate/modify something like a string literal.
So I'm making a function that is similar to SubStr. This is an assignment so I cannot use the actual function to do this. So far I have created a function to take a string and then get the desired substring. My problem is returning the substring. In the function when I do Substring[b] = AString[b]; the substring is empty, but if I cout from inside the function I get the desired substring. So what is wrong with my code?
Here is a working demo: http://ideone.com/4f5IpA
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
void subsec(char AString[], char Substring[], int start, int length);
int main() {
char someString[] = "abcdefg";
char someSubString[] = "";
subsec(someString, someSubString, 1, 3);
cout << someSubString << endl;
return 0;
}
void subsec(char AString[], char Substring[], int start, int length) {
for (int b = start; b <= length; b++) {
Substring[b] = AString[b];
}
}
Maybe this does what you're looking for? It's hard to say as your initial implementation used the length parameter as more of an end position.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
void subsec(char AString[], char Substring[], int start, int length)
{
const int end = start + length;
int pos = 0;
for(int b = start; b < end; ++b)
{
Substring[pos++] = AString[b];
}
Substring[pos] = 0;
}
int main()
{
char someString[50] = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz";
char someSubString[50];
subsec(someString, someSubString, 13, 10);
cout << someSubString << endl;
return 0;
}
There are several problems with the code:
1) The char arraysomeSubString has size 1 which cannot hold the substring.
2) The subsec is not correctly implemented, you should copy to the Substring from index 0.
Also remember to add \0 at the end of the substring.
void subsec(char AString[], char *Substring, int start, int length) {
int ii = 0;
for (int jj = start; jj <= length; jj++, ii++) {
Substring[ii] = AString[jj];
}
Substring[ii] = '\0';
}
You need to allocate more than 1 byte for someSubString i.e.
char someSubString[] = "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";
or just
char someSubString[100];
if you know the max size you'll ever need.
Either would allocate enough space for the string you're copying to it. Then, you're not doing anything about the terminating 0 either. At the end of a C-style string there needs to be a terminating null to signify end of string. Otherwise cout will print something like;
abcdefgxxxxxxx
if you initialized with x's as I indicated.
There are a few problems with your code as it stands. Firstly, as your compiler is no doubt warning you, in C++ a string literal has type const char[], not just char[].
Secondly, you need to have enough space to store your substring. A good way to do this is for your function to allocate the space it needs, and then pass back a pointer to this memory. This is the way things are typically done in C code. The only thing is that you have to remember to delete the allocated array when you're done with it. (There are other, better ways to do this in C++, with things like smart pointers and wrapper objects, but those come later :-) ).
Thirdly, you'll have a problem if you request a length which is actually longer than the passed-in string -- you'll run off the end and start copying random memory (or just crash), which is definitely not what you want. C strings are terminated with a "nul byte" -- so you need to check whether you've come across this.
Speaking of the nul, you need to make sure that your substring ends with one.
Lastly, it's not really a problem but there's no need for the start parameter, you can just pass a pointer to the middle of the array if you want to.
char* substring(const char* str, int length)
{
// Allocate memory for substring;
char* subs = new char[length+1];
// Copy characters from given string
int i = 0;
while (i < length && str[i] != '\0') {
subs[i] = str[i];
i++;
}
// Append the nul byte
subs[i] = '\0';
return subs;
}
int main()
{
const char someString[] = "foobarbaz"; // Note -- must be const in C++
char* subs = substring(someString + 3, 3);
assert(strcmp(subs, "bar") == 0);
delete subs;
}