C++ Strings Matching Returning False - c++

Question

I'm working on my C++ assignment. I'm having an issue with string comparison.
I'm comparing two apparently identical strings using == operating but the condition returns false. The debugger also shows that both strings (stored in different variables) are identical. I must be missing something.
Here is my code:
void classCounter() {
ifstream fread;
string linetxt;
char *records[50];
char myLine[100];
char delims[] = "|";
int btotal=0,etotal=0,total=0;
fread.open("F:\\myfile.txt");
while(!fread.eof()) {
getline(fread,linetxt,'\n');
int i = 0;
strcpy(myLine, linetxt.c_str());
records[i] = strtok( myLine, delims );
while( records[i] != NULL )
{
cout << records[i] << "|";
char *bu = "Business";
if(records[i] == bu) {
btotal++;
}
if(records[i] == "Economy") {
etotal++;
}
//printf("%d '%s'\n", i, records[i]);
records[++i] = strtok( NULL, delims );
break;
}
total++;
}
cout << "Total number of booked Business seats: " << btotal << endl;
cout << "Total number of booked Economy seats: " << etotal << endl;
cout << "Total number of booked seats: " << total << endl << endl;
}
Here is what debugger shows:
Both if conditions are returning false.
Please suggest what could be the issue.

Answer 1

You are comparing two pointers, and they will never be the same. Either heed the advice to use std::string (what I recommend too) or you use strcmp to compare strings.

Answer 2

if(records[i] == bu) {
and
if(records[i] == "Economy") {
compare two char*, not strings.
You can compare them as strings by using std::string or using the function strcmp.
Option 1: Use std::string
std::string records[50];
With that change,
if(records[i] == bu) {
and
if(records[i] == "Economy") {
should work.
Option 2: Use strcmp
if( strcmp(records[i], bu) == 0) {
and
if( strcmp(records[i], "Economy") == 0) {

Answer 3

Your debugger is telling you what you need to know.. You're using char* instead of String so your char* are pointers. Your program is comparing two pointers and 0x00c93bc0 != 0x002af824.
Use strcmp in the future to avoid this problem

Answer 4

So I'm going to assume your input file looks something like:
Business|Economy|Economy|Economy|Business
Economy|Economy|Economy|Business|Economy
...and so on. Correct? And you're trying to count up how many of each kind of ticket was sold?
If so, I'd write the code quite a bit differently. I'd probably do something like this:
std::map<std::string, int> tickets;
std::string name;
std::ifstream in("f:/myfile.txt");
int total = 0;
while (std::getline(in, name, '|')) {
++tickets[name];
++total;
}
for (auto t : tickets)
std::cout << "Total number of booked " << t.first << " seats is: " << t.second "\n";
std::cout << "Total number of booked tickets: " << total << "\n";