C++, structure database program issues - c++

Question

I apologize if this is in the wrong place. I didn't really see an area where to post specific code problems.
I'm tasked by my professor to create a program that allows a user to insert, edit and print out a database of clients. I'm having a problem with one of my functions, it doesn't seem to be comparing something well. The function is the EditClient function on line 85, the logic problem I'm having is on line 93. I included a few tests in the code that makes me certain it is line 93, for example in the else statement on line 99 I have it printing out the same arguments being used in the comparison. Which works! I'm clueless as to why it's not understanding the comparison.
#include <iostream>
#include <iomanip>
using namespace std;
struct ClientInfo{ // the structure template for the client info
char name[40]; //client name
char state[40]; //client state
char city[40];
int PhoneNumber;
long double AccountBalance; //accounts balance
char PaymentDate; //payment date
};
ClientInfo ClientList[10]; //intializes an array with the data type clientinfo
void MainMenu();
void NewClient(ClientInfo List[]); // prototypes
void ViewClient(ClientInfo List[]);
void EditClient(ClientInfo List[]);
int main(){
MainMenu();
system("pause");
}
void MainMenu(){ //this function is the main menu function
char choice = 4;
bool loop = true;
while (loop){
cout << "Welcome to the client database, enter 1 to view the clients, 2 to edit a client , and 3 to enter an entire new client. 0 to quit" << endl; //main menu prompt
cin >> choice;
if (choice == '1'){
ViewClient(ClientList);
}
else if (choice == '2'){
EditClient(ClientList);
}
else if (choice == '3'){
NewClient(ClientList);
}
else if (choice == '0'){
cout << "thank you for using the client database, closing out now" << endl;
loop = false;
}
else{
cout << "invalid number" << endl;
}
}
}
void NewClient(ClientInfo List[]){//function that goes through cins to insert client data
int desiredTimes = 0; // the number of clients the person wish to enter
cout << "how many clients are you entering ?, your list current has "<<endl;
cin >> desiredTimes;
cout << "entering new client function..." << endl;
for (int cnt = 0; cnt < desiredTimes; cnt++){ // runs the program exactly the amount of times the person wished.
cout << "please enter client name" << endl;
cin.ignore();
cin.getline(List[cnt].name, 40);
cout << "please enter client state" << endl; // the getline is used here because there may be spacings within these first 3 catagories
cin.getline(List[cnt].state, 40);
cout << "please enter client city" << endl;
cin.getline(List[cnt].city, 40);
cout << "please enter client Phone Number" << endl;
cin.ignore(); // this is used to prevent the getline from causing issues with the cin
cin >> List[cnt].PhoneNumber;
cout << "please enter client Account Balance" << endl;
cin >> List[cnt].AccountBalance;
cout << "please enter client Payment Date" << endl;
cin >> List[cnt].PaymentDate;
}
}
void EditClient(ClientInfo List[]){ // function to search for a name requested and display the info
char name[40];
cout << "what is the name of the client you wish to view (be specific)?";
cin >> name;
bool loop = true; // boolean for the loop
int cnt = 0; // position in the array
while (loop){
if (cnt < 11){
if (name == List[cnt].name){ //if true, prints out the client's info
cout << "true";
/*NewClient(List[cnt]);*/
loop = false; // ends the loop
}
else{
cout << name << " " << List[cnt].name << endl;
cnt++;
}
}
else{
cout << "your client isn't in the database M8" << endl;
loop = false;
}
}
}
void ViewClient(ClientInfo List[]){//this function goes through the client list and displays a particular client
cout << "the following is a huge overrun of all the data inside this list, prepare your self." << endl;
for (int cnt = 0; cnt <= 10; cnt++){//goes through until the counter is greater than the size of the list in the parameter
cout << endl;
cout << List[cnt].name;
cout << List[cnt].state;
cout << List[cnt].city;
cout << List[cnt].PhoneNumber;
cout << List[cnt].AccountBalance;
cout << List[cnt].PaymentDate;
}
}
this is the specific line, where i'm having a comparision error.
if (name == List[cnt].name){ //if true, prints out the client's info

Answer 1

if (name == List[cnt].name) is doing a pointer comparison, not a string comparison. This will only be true if name and List[cnt].name point to the same memory location, which they never will. You should probably be using std::string instead of char[], but if you need to use char[] for some reason, you'll need to use the strcmp() function to compare them.

Answer 2

instead of the if statement you are using, trying using this statement,
if (strcmp(name,List[cnt].name)==0){
It should work properly :)