Function to find a string within a larger string - c++

Question

Here are the full codes that I am using to implement this program. Everything seems to compile and run, but once it runs my find method, the program seems to stop and does not execute the last line stating the matching substring within the main.cpp file. Any help is definitely appreciated!
.h file:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
class MyString
{
public:
MyString();
MyString(const char *message);
MyString(const MyString &source);
~MyString();
const void Print() const;
const int Length() const;
MyString& operator()(const int index, const char b);
char& operator()(const int i);
MyString& operator=(const MyString& rhs);
bool operator==(const MyString& other) const;
bool operator!=(const MyString& other) const;
const MyString operator+(const MyString& rhs) const;
MyString& operator+=(const MyString& rhs);
friend ostream& operator<<(ostream& output, const MyString& rhs);
const int Find(const MyString& other);
MyString Substring(int start, int length);
private:
char *String;
int Size;
};
istream& operator>>(istream& input, MyString& rhs);
.cpp file:
#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib>
#include "MyString.h"
using namespace std;
//default constructor that sets the initial string to the value "Hello World"
MyString::MyString()
{
char temp[] = "Hello World";
int counter(0);
while(temp[counter] != '\0')
{
counter++;
}
Size = counter;
String = new char [Size];
for(int i=0; i < Size; i++)
String[i] = temp[i];
}
//alternate constructor that allows for setting of the inital value of the string
MyString::MyString(const char *message)
{
int counter(0);
while(message[counter] != '\0')
{
counter++;
}
Size = counter;
String = new char [Size];
for(int i=0; i < Size; i++)
String[i] = message[i];
}
//copy constructor
MyString::MyString(const MyString &source)
{
int counter(0);
while(source.String[counter] != '\0')
{
counter++;
}
Size = counter;
String = new char[Size];
for(int i = 0; i < Size; i++)
String[i] = source.String[i];
}
//Deconstructor
MyString::~MyString()
{
delete [] String;
}
//Length() method that reports the length of the string
const int MyString::Length() const
{
int counter(0);
while(String[counter] != '\0')
{
counter ++;
}
return (counter);
}
/*Parenthesis operator should be overloaded to replace the Set and Get functions of your previous assignment. Note that both instances should issue exit(1) upon violation of the string array bounaries.
*/
MyString& MyString::operator()(const int index, const char b)
{
if(String[index] == '\0')
{
exit(1);
}
else
{
String[index] = b;
}
}
char& MyString::operator()(const int i)
{
if(String[i] == '\0')
{
exit(1);
}
else
{
return String[i];
}
}
/*Assignment operator (=) which will copy the source string into the destination string. Note that size of the destination needs to be adjusted to be the same as the source.
*/
MyString& MyString::operator=(const MyString& rhs)
{
if(this != &rhs)
{
delete [] String;
String = new char[rhs.Size];
Size = rhs.Size;
for(int i = 0; i < rhs.Size+1 ; i++)
{
String[i] = rhs.String[i];
}
}
return *this;
}
/*Logical comparison operator (==) that returns true iff the two strings are identical in size and contents.
*/
bool MyString::operator==(const MyString& other)const
{
if(other.Size == this->Size)
{
for(int i = 0; i < this->Size+1; i++)
{
if(&other == this)
return true;
}
}
else
return false;
}
//Negated logical comparison operator (!=) that returns boolean negation of 2
bool MyString::operator!=(const MyString& other) const
{
return !(*this == other);
}
//Addition operator (+) that concatenates two strings
const MyString MyString::operator+(const MyString& rhs) const
{
char* tmp = new char[Size + rhs.Size +1];
for(int i = 0; i < Size; i++)
{
tmp[i] = String[i];
}
for(int i = 0; i < rhs.Size+1; i++)
{
tmp[i+Size] = rhs.String[i];
}
MyString result;
delete [] result.String;
result.String = tmp;
result.Size = Size+rhs.Size;
return result;
}
/*Addition/Assigment operator (+=) used in the following fashion: String1 += String2 to operate as String1 = String1 + String2
*/
MyString& MyString::operator+=(const MyString& rhs)
{
char* tmp = new char[Size + rhs.Size + 1];
for(int i = 0; i < Size; i++)
{
tmp[i] = String[i];
} for(int i = 0; i < rhs.Size+1; i++)
{
tmp[i+Size] = rhs.String[i];
}
delete [] String;
String = tmp;
Size += rhs.Size;
return *this;
}
istream& operator>>(istream& input, MyString& rhs)
{
char* t;
int size(256);
t = new char[size];
input.getline(t,size);
rhs = MyString(t);
delete [] t;
return input;
}
ostream& operator<<(ostream& output, const MyString& rhs)
{
if(rhs.String != '\0')
{
output << rhs.String;
}
else
{
output<<"No String to output\n";
}
return output;
}
const int MyString::Find(const MyString& other)
{
int nfound = -1;
if(other.Size > Size)
{
return nfound;
}
int i = 0, j = 0;
for(i = 0; i < Size; i++)
{
for(j = 0; j < other.Size; j++)
{
if( ((i+j) >= Size) || (String[i+j] != other.String[j]) )
{
break;
}
}
if(j == other.Size)
{
return i;
}
}
return nfound;
}
/*MyString::Substring(start, length). This method returns a substring of the original string that contains the same characters as the original string starting at location start and is as long as length.
*/
MyString MyString::Substring(int start, int length)
{
char* sub;
sub = new char[length+1];
while(start != '\0')
{
for(int i = start; i < length+1; i++)
{
sub[i] = String[i];
}
}
return MyString(sub);
}
//Print() method that prints the string
const void MyString::Print() const
{
for(int i=0; i < Size; i++)
{
cout<<String[i];
}
cout<<endl;
}
main.cpp file:
#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include "MyString.h"
using namespace std;
/*
*
*/
int main (int argc, char **argv)
{
MyString String1; // String1 must be defined within the scope
const MyString ConstString("Target string"); //Test of alternate constructor
MyString SearchString; //Test of default constructor that should set "Hello World". W/o ()
MyString TargetString (String1); //Test of copy constructor
cout << "Please enter two strings. ";
cout << "Each string needs to be shorter than 256 characters or terminated by /\n." << endl;
cout << "The first string will be searched to see whether it contains exactly the second string. " << endl;
cin >> SearchString >> TargetString; // Test of cascaded string-extraction operator
if(SearchString.Find(TargetString) == -1) {
cout << TargetString << " is not in " << SearchString << endl;
}
else {
cout << TargetString << " is in " << SearchString << endl;
cout << "Details of the hit: " << endl;
cout << "Starting poisition of the hit: " << SearchString.Find(TargetString) << endl;
cout << "The matching substring is: " << SearchString.Substring(SearchString.Find(TargetString), TargetString.Length());
}
return 0;
}

Answer 1

It appears the inner loop's invariant is that j is between 0 and end-2 inclusive. Hence j will NEVER equal end (the "matching" condition).

Answer 2

Looks like you have a problem with your found logic.
Your for loop is defined as for(int j = 0; j < end -1; j++)
but then you test for if(j == end)
j can never be equal to end in this for loop. Consider what you're actually trying to test for in your if statement.

Answer 3

I think you need to declare i and j outside the loops.
I think you meant j < end and not j < end - 1
I think you need to if((i+j>=end1) || String[i+j] != other.String[j]) and not just if(String[i+j] != other.String[j])
and if(j == end) needs to be outside the inner loop.
Here is a similar implementation.
#include <string>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
class MyString
{
private:
string String;
unsigned int Size;
public:
MyString() {
this->String = "";
this->Size = 0;
}
MyString(string initial_value) {
this->String = initial_value;
this->Size = initial_value.length();
}
const int Find(const MyString& other);
};
const int MyString::Find(const MyString& other)
{
if (other.Size > Size)
return -1; // if the substring is greater then us, there's no way we can have it as a substring
int i = 0, j = 0;
for (i = 0; i < Size; i++)
{
for (j = 0; j < other.Size; j++)
if ( ((i + j) >= Size) || (String[i + j] != other.String[j]) ) // if they don't match, offset exceeded Size, break
break ;
if (j == other.Size) // We went through the entire substring, didn't hit break so j == Other.size
return i; // return index
}
return -1; // if we never return anything means, we didn't find it, so return -1
}
int main()
{
string temp1, temp2;
getline(std::cin, temp1, '\n');
getline(std::cin, temp2, '\n');
MyString main_string(temp1), sub_string(temp2);
cout << main_string.Find(sub_string) << endl;
return 0;
}
MyString MyString::Substring(int start, int length)
{
char* sub = new char[length + 2]; // 2 byte buffer to be safe
int i = 0;
for (i = 0; i < length; i++)
sub[i] = String[start + i];
sub[i] = '\0'; // always null terminated to be safe!
return MyString(sub);
}
if theres any bugs or issues, I apologize, haven't tested it.

Answer 4

Along with what everyone else said, in your Substring method you have the following bit of code:
while(start != '\0')
{
for(int i = start; i < length+1; i++)
{
sub[i] = String[i];
}
}
Take a moment to go over the logic of the while loop and ask yourself "what am I trying to achieve here, and what does this code actually do?"