C++ console not showing menu - c++

If the user selects 1 or 2, function doesn't run. Any suggestions?
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
void getTitle();
void getIsbn();
int main()
{
int choice = 0; // Stores user's menu choice
do
{
// Display menu
cout << " Main Menu\n\n\n";
// Display menu items
cout << " 1. Choose 1 to enter Title.\n";
cout << " 2. Choose 2 to enter ISBN.\n";
cout << " 3. Choose 3 to exit.\n";
// Display prompt and get user's choice
cout << " Enter your choice: ";
cin >> choice;
// Validate user's entry
while (choice < 1 || choice > 3)
{
cout << "\n Please enter a number in the range 1 - 3. ";
cin >> choice;
}
switch (choice)
{
case 1:
getTitle();
break;
case 2:
getIsbn();
break;
}
} while (choice != 3);
return 0;
}
void getTitle()
{
string title;
cout << "\nEnter a title: ";
getline(cin, title);
cout << "\nTitle is " << title << "\n\n\n";
}
void getIsbn()
{
string isbn;
cout << "\nEnter an ISBN: ";
getline(cin, isbn);
cout << "\nISBN is " << isbn << "\n\n\n";
}

The functions should certainly get called. What will happen, though, is that the newline generated when you press "Enter" to type the number will get returned by the getline(), and the function will return without really prompting you. You need to clear that newline. You can use ignore() to do this: add cin.ignore(); immediately after reading in choice to ignore the one character.

Related

Switch Case with While Loop in C++ Menu

I've been building a menu driven console in C++, and I'm currently using switch-case as my options, but now I'm stuck in switch case.
Here's the scenario:
SCENARIO
Explanation:
After inputting invalid option in the main menu, it gives an error which prompts the user to re-input their desired option, now my problem is when the user inputs the correct option for the 2nd attempt, it loops back to the main menu instead of redirecting it to the next menu.
My Goal: To go to the 2nd menu directly from the default without redisplaying the main menu.
My Partial Code:
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <stdlib.h>
using namespace std;
int choice;
int booknumber;
int booktitle;
int author;
int datepublished;
int e = 0;
void menu();
void inputbook();
void searchbook();
void borrowbook();
void exit();
//CLASS
class Books
{
public:
int booknumber;
string booktitle;
string author;
string datepublished;
Books(const int booknumber, const string booktitle, const string author, const string datepublished) : booknumber(booknumber), booktitle(booktitle), author(author), datepublished(datepublished) {}
};
//MAIN
int main()
{
while (true)
{
cout << endl;
if (e == 1)
{
break;
}
menu ();
}
return 0;
}
//MENU
void menu()
{
cout << "Welcome to DLC Library System\n";
cout << "Final Project in Advance Programming\n\n";
cout << "PROGRAMMER\n";
cout << "ME\n\n";
cout << "====================================\n";
cout << "[1] -------- Input Book ------------\n";
cout << "[2] -------- Search Book -----------\n";
cout << "[3] -------- Borrow Book -----------\n";
cout << "[4] -------- Exit Program ----------\n";
cout << "====================================\n";
cout << "Input your choice (Number Only): ";
cin >> choice;
switch (choice)
{
case 1:
inputbook ();
break;
case 2:
searchbook ();
break;
case 3:
borrowbook ();
break;
case 4:
exit();
break;
default:
while (choice < 1 || choice > 4)
{
cout << "Wrong Option\n";
cout << "Input your choice (Number Only): ";
cin >> choice;
if (choice < 1 || choice > 4)
{
continue;
}
}
}
}
// INPUT BOOK
void inputbook ()
{
int booknumber;
string booktitle;
string author;
string datepublished;
cout << "INPUT NEW BOOK\n\n";
cout << "Book Number: \n";
cin >> booknumber;
cout << "Book Title: \n";
cin >> booktitle;
cout << "Author: \n";
cin >> author;
cout << "Date Publish: \n";
cin >> datepublished;
Books(booknumber,booktitle, author, datepublished);
cout << "====================================\n";
cout << "[1] -------- Try Again? ------------\n";
cout << "[2] -------- Return to Menu --------\n";
cout << "[3] -------- Exit Program ----------\n";
cout << "====================================\n";
cout << "Input your choice (Number Only): ";
cin >> choice;
switch (choice)
{
case 1:
inputbook ();
break;
case 2:
menu ();
break;
case 3:
exit();
default:
cout << "Wrong Option";
}
}
It's a good idea to avoid repeating code. Here, you have a default case that is essentially an input loop, whereas you could have done that input loop at the start. So the way you wrote it, you still need a loop around the whole thing, plus more logic which makes the code harder to read and more bug-prone.
Why not simply:
cout << "====================================\n";
cout << "[1] -------- Input Book ------------\n";
cout << "[2] -------- Search Book -----------\n";
cout << "[3] -------- Borrow Book -----------\n";
cout << "[4] -------- Exit Program ----------\n";
cout << "====================================\n";
int choice;
bool validInput = false;
while (!validInput)
{
cout << "Input your choice (Number Only): ";
if (!(cin >> choice)) {
std::cerr << "Aborted\n";
return;
}
validInput = (choice >= 1 && choice <= 4);
if (!validInput) {
std::cout << "Invalid input\n";
}
}
switch(choice)
{
// ...
}
Now it's up to you to make your input routine more robust if you choose. Notice I've already bailed out of the function if the input fails. That could be from a stream error, but it could also be if the user enters a non-integer value.
You may instead wish to read your input as a string using std::getline and then convert that to an integer with std::stoi or parse the value from a std::istringstream.
Instead
continue;
try calling
inputbook();
so it won't go back.
That's a problem you are facing because you called switch-case again which is "continue". That's why it goes back to the menu when the user inputs the acceptable range of int you just set.
Just modify the code as below, and handle the valid input verification before entering the switch, in this way you can simply mitigate the issue you had!
cin >> choice;
while (choice < 1 || choice > 4)
{
cout << "Wrong Option\n";
cout << "Input your choice (Number Only): ";
cin >> choice;
if (choice < 1 || choice > 4)
{
continue;
}
}
switch (choice)
{
case 1:
inputbook ();
break;
case 2:
searchbook ();
break;
case 3:
borrowbook ();
break;
default:
exit();
break;
}

C++ Switch Statment Exception Handling

I am trying to code exception handling in my switch statement for a memnu in case user inputs something other than an int. Tried many different methods and still get continuous loop when user inputs a character.
I have tried using std exception but even with the include my compiler still sees error during build.
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <fstream>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <cctype>
using namespace std;
class Exam
{
public:
int loadExam()
{
//ifstream infile;
//string examName = exam;
ifstream infile("exam.txt");
streambuf *cinbuf = cin.rdbuf(); //save old buf
cin.rdbuf(infile.rdbuf()); //redirect std::cin to infile.txt!
string line, theQuestion, questiontype, theAnswer;
int questionvalue;
//get the number of questions from the first line in the file
getline(cin,line);
numquestions = atoi(line.c_str());
for(int count = 0; count < numquestions; count++){
getline(cin,line);
//get the next line with the question type and the value of the question
int npos = line.size();
int prev_pos = 0;
int pos = 0;
while(line[pos]!=' ')
pos++;
questiontype = line.substr(prev_pos, pos-prev_pos);
prev_pos = ++pos;
questionvalue = atoi(line.substr(prev_pos, npos-prev_pos).c_str()); // Last word
//process a true/false question
if (questiontype == "TF")
{
myQuestions[count] = new QuestionTF;
getline(cin,theQuestion);
myQuestions[count]->setQuestion(theQuestion,questionvalue);
}
//process a multiple choice question
if (questiontype == "MC")
{
myQuestions[count] = new QuestionMC;
getline(cin,theQuestion);
myQuestions[count]->setQuestion(theQuestion,questionvalue);
}
}
cin.rdbuf(cinbuf); //restore cin to standard input
return numquestions;
}
void displayExamQuestions(int numquestions)
{
string qtype;
//print out the questions that have been processed
for(int count = 0; count<numquestions;count++)
{
qtype = myQuestions[count]->getQuestionType();
cout << qtype << " " << myQuestions[count]->getValue() << "\n";
myQuestions[count]->printOptions();
cout << "\n";
}
}
private:
Question *myQuestions[10];
int numquestions;
};
int main() {
Exam myExam;
int numquestions;
int choice;
while((choice = displayMenu())!=3)
switch(choice)
{
case 1:
numquestions = myExam.loadExam();
break;
case 2:
myExam.displayExamQuestions(numquestions);
break;
default:
cout << "Invalid choice. Try again.\n\n";
}
getchar();
return 0;
}
int displayMenu()
{
int choice;
cout << "\t===================== Exam Menu =====================" << endl;
cout << "\t1. Load Exam "<<endl;
cout << "\t2. Display Exam "<<endl;
cout << "\t3. Quit"<<endl;
cout << "\t=====================================================" << "\n" << endl;
cout << "Please enter your selection: ";
cin >> choice;
cout << "\n" << endl;
return choice;
}
Require output to read "Invalid selection, Please try again" when a user inputs a character or string of alpha characters.
In this case, validation should be handled by the displayMenu function for two reasons.
The displayMenu function says that it will return an integer so it should be responsible for ensuring the user inputs a number, not a char or string.
The displayMenu lists the options so it knows how many options are available, meaning it should also check that the integer is between 1 and 3.
Infinite loop with cin when typing string while a number is expected
int displayMenu() //This function should be responsible for validating that an
// int was inputed
{
int choice;
while (true)
{
cout << "\t===================== Exam Menu =====================" << endl;
cout << "\t1. Load Exam " << endl;
cout << "\t2. Display Exam " << endl;
cout << "\t3. Quit" << endl;
cout << "\t=====================================================" << "\n" << endl;
cout << "Please enter your selection: ";
cin >> choice;
cout << "\n" << endl;
if (cin.fail())
{
cin.clear();
cin.ignore(numeric_limits<streamsize>::max(), '\n'); //This clears out the stream if they entered a string
//Try using cin.ignore() and inputing a string to see what happens.
}
else if (choice >= 1 && choice <= 3)
{
break;
}
}
return choice;
}
You could decouple this second part by having a displayMenu function that simply prints the menu and a second function called getInput that doesn't care what integer is inputed. It would then be up to the calling function to make sure the value is between 1 and 3.
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <fstream>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <cctype>
using namespace std;
void displayMenu();
int getInput();
int main() {
int numquestions;
int choice = 0;
while (choice != 3)
{
displayMenu();
while ((choice = getInput()) < 1 || choice > 3)
{
std::cout << "Please pick a value between 1 and 3\n";
displayMenu();
}
switch (choice)
{
case 1:
cout << "Case 1\n";
break;
case 2:
cout << "Case 2\n";
break;
default:
cout << "Invalid choice. Try again.\n\n";
}
}
getchar();
return 0;
}
//Only responsible for getting an int
int getInput()
{
int choice;
while (true)
{
cin >> choice;
cout << "\n" << endl;
if (cin.fail())
{
cin.clear();
cin.ignore(numeric_limits<streamsize>::max(), '\n');
std::cout << "Please enter a valid number\n";
}
else
{
break;
}
}
return choice;
}
//This function only displays a menu
void displayMenu()
{
cout << "\t===================== Exam Menu =====================" << endl;
cout << "\t1. Load Exam " << endl;
cout << "\t2. Display Exam " << endl;
cout << "\t3. Quit" << endl;
cout << "\t=====================================================" << "\n" << endl;
cout << "Please enter your selection: ";
}

c++ getline function does not let me input

So i have a palindrome program and here are the codes:
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <cctype>
using namespace std;
void palindrome();
void compareTwoInt();
bool validation(const string&);
int main()
{
int selection;
cout << "\t\t\t MENU\n";
cout << "\t\t\t ----\n";
cout << "\t\t\t1. Palindrome";
cout << "\n\t\t\t2. Compare Two Integers";
cout << "\n\t\t\t3. End program\n";
cout << "\n\t\t\tEnter your choice : ";
cin >> selection;
while (selection < 0 || selection > 4)
{
cout << "\t\t\nInvalid entry. Please enter an appropriate entry.";
cout << "\n\n \t\t\tEnter your choice: ";
cin >> selection;
}
if (selection == 1)
{
cout << "Enter a word, phrase, sentence: \n";
string input;
getline(cin, input);
string input2;
for (unsigned int i = 0; i < input.length(); i++)
{
if (isalnum(input[i]))
{
input2 += toupper(input[i]);
}
}
cout << input2 << endl;
if (validation(input2))
{
cout << "The phrase is a palindrome!" << endl;
cout << "Press <Enter> key back to menu" << endl;
}
else
{
cout << "The phrase is not a palindrome!" << endl;
cout << "Press <Enter> key back to menu" << endl;
}
fflush(stdin);
cin.get();
system("cls");
return main();
}
else if (selection == 2)
{
compareTwoInt();
fflush(stdin);
system("cls");
return main();
}
else if (selection == 3)
{
cout << "\t\t Good Bye. Press <Enter> key to End the program.\n";
}
fflush(stdin);
cin.get();
return 0;
}
void compareTwoInt()
{
int first, second;
cout << "\n\nEnter your positive integer : ";
cin >> first;
cout << "\nEnter your positive integer : ";
cin >> second;
fflush(stdin);
cin.get();
}
bool validation(const string& input)
{
return input == string(input.rbegin(), input.rend());
}
for some reason when i choose 1 for the palindrome, it doesn't let me write the words, (in another words, it doesn't let me input)
the console just says:
Enter a word, phrase, sentence:
The phrase is palindrome!
Press key back to menu
Anybody have an idea how to fix this?
Thanks in advance!
When you choose 1 for the palindrome, you hit enter. Thus your input consists of the number 1 followed by a newline. Your cin >> selection; reads the number 1 and then your getline(cin, input); reads the newline, which it interprets as an empty line. You have written no code to do anything sensible with the newline character input after the number, so nothing sensible happens.
Try typing 1foof<enter> instead. Your code will read that as a 1 followed by a line containing foof.

array based database not working correctly

I have to write a program for an array based database that will allow the user to enter new data, update existing data, delete entries and view a list of the entries. The requirements are a structure called DATE, a structure called CustData that holds the user data, an array of type CustData with a size of 10 and requires an individual function for entering, updating, deleting and displaying the customer data. It also needs to use a while loop to initialize each index in the array with everything initialized to 0. I have a rough program written but the more I work on it the more I feel like I am doing it completely wrong. So far I have it working to the point that it lets me add multiple entries without overwriting previous ones, but I can't seem to be able to limit the number of entries I can input. I also have the displaying of entries correct. Any help that could be offered is greatly appreciated, below is my program so far, with some of the data input sections commented out to make testing it easier. My apologies for leaving this out, this is in C++, written with visual studio 2013.
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <iomanip>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct Date
{
int month,
day,
year;
};
struct cust
{
int ID;
string name;
string address;
string city;
string state;
string zip;
string phone;
double balance;
Date lastpayment;
};
const int SIZE = 10;
int menuchoice;
int num = 0;
int i;
void showmenu();
void funcentercustdata(cust[], int);
void funcupdatecustdata();
void funcdeletecustdata();
void funcdisplaycustdata(cust[], int);
cust custdb[SIZE];
int main()
{
cout << "Welcome to Michael's Marvelous Database Contrabulator!\n";
cout << setw(10) << "Customer Database\n\n\n";
showmenu();
int index;
for (index = 0; index < SIZE; index++)
{
custdb[index].ID = 0;
custdb[index].name = "";
custdb[index].address = "";
custdb[index].city = "";
custdb[index].state = "";
custdb[index].zip = "";
custdb[index].phone = "";
custdb[index].balance = 0.00;
custdb[index].lastpayment.month = 0;
custdb[index].lastpayment.day = 0;
custdb[index].lastpayment.year = 0;
}
return 0;
}
void showmenu()
{
cout << "\n\n1) Enter new customer data.\n";
cout << "2) Update customer data.\n";
cout << "3) Delete customer data.\n";
cout << "4) Display Customer data.\n";
cout << "5) Quit the program.\n\n";
cout << "Please enter your choice: ";
cin >> menuchoice;
do
{
switch (menuchoice)
{
case 1:
funcentercustdata(custdb, SIZE);
showmenu();
break;
case 2:
funcupdatecustdata();
showmenu();
break;
case 3:
funcdeletecustdata();
showmenu();
break;
case 4:
funcdisplaycustdata(custdb, SIZE);
showmenu();
break;
case 5:
cout << "Thank you and have a nice day!\n";
break;
default:
cout << "Please enter a correct choice\n";
cin >> menuchoice;
break;
}
} while (menuchoice != 5);
}
void funcentercustdata(cust custinfo[], int size)
{
if (custinfo[i].ID != 0)
{
i++;
cout << "\n\nEnter ID: ";
cin >> custinfo[i].ID;
cout << "Enter name: ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin >> custinfo[i].name;
/* cout << "Enter address: ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin>>custinfo[i].address;
cout << "Enter city: ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin>>custinfo[i].city;
cout << "Enter state: ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin>>custinfo[i].state;
cout << "Enter zip: ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin>>custinfo[i].zip;
cout << "Enter phone number (###-###-####): ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin>>custinfo[i].phone;
cout << "Enter balance: ";
cin >> custinfo[i].balance;
cout << "Enter last payment (mo day year, e.g. 11 17 2014): ";
cin >> custinfo[i].lastpayment.month >> custinfo[i].lastpayment.day
>> custinfo[i].lastpayment.year;
cin.ignore(1);
// }*/
cout << "Customers successfully added.\n";
}
else if (custinfo[i].ID != 0 && custinfo[i].ID >= 4)
{
cout << "No further inputs allowed\n";
}
else
{
cout << "\n\nEnter ID: ";
cin >> custinfo[i].ID;
cout << "Enter name: ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin >> custinfo[i].name;
/* cout << "Enter address: ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin>>custinfo[i].address;
cout << "Enter city: ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin>>custinfo[i].city;
cout << "Enter state: ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin>>custinfo[i].state;
cout << "Enter zip: ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin>>custinfo[i].zip;
cout << "Enter phone number (###-###-####): ";
cin.ignore(0);
cin>>custinfo[i].phone;
cout << "Enter balance: ";
cin >> custinfo[i].balance;
cout << "Enter last payment (mo day year, e.g. 11 17 2014): ";
cin >> custinfo[i].lastpayment.month >> custinfo[i].lastpayment.day
>> custinfo[i].lastpayment.year;
cin.ignore(1);
// }*/
cout << "Customers successfully added.\n";
}
}
void funcupdatecustdata()
{
cout << "insert function 2\n\n";
}
void funcdeletecustdata()
{
cout << "insert function 3\n\n";
}
void funcdisplaycustdata(cust custinfo[], int size)
{
for (int i = 0; i < size; i++)
{
if (custinfo[i].ID == 0)
cout << " ";
else if (custinfo[i].ID != 0)
{
cout << "\n\nClient ID: " << custinfo[i].ID << endl;
cout << "Client name: " << custinfo[i].name << endl;
/* cout << "Client address: " << custinfo[i].name << endl;
cout << "Client city: " << custinfo[i].name << endl;
cout << "Client state: " << custinfo[i].name << endl;
cout << "Client zip: " << custinfo[i].name << endl;
cout << "Client phone: " << custinfo[i].name << endl;*/
cout << "Client balance: " << custinfo[i].balance << endl;
cout << "Client last deposit: " << custinfo[i].lastpayment.month << "/" <<
custinfo[i].lastpayment.day << "/" << custinfo[i].lastpayment.year << endl;
}
}
}
You've asked multiple questions concerning the issues in your program. So I will look at the first question:
I can't seem to be able to limit the number of entries I can input
First, your code has some fundamental flaws. One flaw is the repeated calling of showmenu() while you're in the showmenu() function. This is a recursive call, and is totally unnecessary. Imagine if your program or similar program that was structured this way had to be running 24 hours a day, and there were thousands of entries added. You will evenutally blow out the stack with all the recursive calls. So this has to be fixed.
Second, showmenu(), at least to me, should do what it says, and that is "show the menu". It should not be processing input. Do the processing of input in a separate function.
Here is a more modularized version of the program:
#include <iostream>
void processChoice(int theChoice);
void showmenu();
void addCustomer();
void deleteCustomer();
int getMenuChoice();
int customerCount = 0;
int main()
{
cout << "Welcome to Michael's Marvelous Database Contrabulator!\n";
cout << setw(10) << "Customer Database\n\n\n";
int choice = 0;
do
{
showmenu();
choice = getMenuChoice();
if (choice != 5)
processChoice(choice);
} while (choice != 5);
}
void showmenu()
{
cout << "\n\n1) Enter new customer data.\n";
cout << "2) Update customer data.\n";
cout << "3) Delete customer data.\n";
cout << "4) Display Customer data.\n";
cout << "5) Quit the program.\n\n";
}
int getMenuChoice()
{
int theChoice;
cout << "Please enter your choice: ";
cin >> theChoice;
return theChoice;
}
void processChoice(int theChoice)
{
switch (theChoice)
{
case 1:
addCustomer();
break;
//...
case 3:
deleteCustomer();
break;
}
}
void addCustomer()
{
if ( customerCount < 10 )
{
// add customer
// put your code here to add the customer
//...
// increment the count
++customerCount;
}
}
void deleteCustomer()
{
if ( customerCount > 0 )
{
// delete customer
--customerCount;
}
}
This is the basic outline of keeping track of the number of customers. Code organization and modularity is the key. The count of the current number of entries is either incremented or decremented wihin the addCustomer and deleteCustomer functions. Also note the test that is done in add/deleteCustomer().
In the main() function, note the do-while loop and the way it is set up. The showMenu function shows itself, the getMenuChoice function gets the choice and returns the number that was chosen.
If the choice is not 5, process the request. If it is 5, then the while part of the do-while kicks you out of the processing, otherwise you start back at the top (showMenu, getMenuChoice, etc). This avoids the recursive calls that your original code was doing.

Code to get user input not executing/skipping in C++

In the below code, I'm running into an error when I try to get the user to input their name. My program just skips it over and goes right over to making the function calls without allowing the user to enter their name. Despite the error, my program is compiling. I'm not sure what's going wrong as I wrote that part based off other examples I found on here. Any suggestions?
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <time.h>
using namespace std;
char showMenu();
void getLottoPicks(int[]);
void genWinNums(int[]);
bool noDuplicates(int[]);
const int SIZE = 7;
int main()
{
int userTicket[SIZE] = {0};
int winningNums[SIZE] = {0};
char choice;
string name;
srand(time(NULL));
do
{
choice = showMenu();
if (choice == '1')
{
cout << "Please enter your name: " << endl;
getline(cin, name);
getLottoPicks(userTicket);
genWinNums(winningNums);
for (int i = 0; i < SIZE; i++)
cout << winningNums[i];
}
} while (choice != 'Q' && choice != 'q');
system("PAUSE");
return 0;
}
Added the code for showMenu:
char showMenu()
{
char choice;
cout << "LITTLETON CITY LOTTO MODEL:" << endl;
cout << "---------------------------" << endl;
cout << "1) Play Lotto" << endl;
cout << "Q) Quit Program" << endl;
cout << "Please make a selection: " << endl;
cin >> choice;
return choice;
}
And getLottoPicks (this part is very wrong and I'm still working on it):
void getLottoPicks(int numbers[])
{
cout << "Please enter your 7 lotto number picks between 1 and 40: " << endl;
for (int i = 0; i < SIZE; i++)
{
cout << "Selection #" << i + 1 << endl;
cin >> numbers[i];
if (numbers[i] < 1 || numbers[i] > 40)
{
cout << "Please choose a number between 1 and 40: " << endl;
cin >> numbers[i];
}
if (noDuplicates(numbers) == false)
{
do
{
cout << "You already picked this number. Please enter a different number: " << endl;
cin >> numbers[i];
noDuplicates(numbers);
} while (noDuplicates(numbers) == false);
}
}
}
After doing cin >> choice; inside char showMenu(), if a user inputs 1[ENTER], the char consumes 1 character from cin, and the newline stays inside the stream. Then, when the program gets to getline(cin, name);, it notices that there's still something inside cin, and reads it. It's a newline character, so getline gets it and returns. That's why the program is behaving the way it is.
In order to fix it - add cin.ignore(); inside char showMenu(), right after you read the input. cin.ignore() ignores the next character - in our case, the newline char.
And a word of advice - try not to mix getline with operator >>. They work in a slightly different way, and can get you into trouble! Or, at least remember to always ignore() after you get anything from std::cin. It may save you a lot of work.
This fixes the code:
char showMenu()
{
char choice;
cout << "LITTLETON CITY LOTTO MODEL:" << endl;
cout << "---------------------------" << endl;
cout << "1) Play Lotto" << endl;
cout << "Q) Quit Program" << endl;
cout << "Please make a selection: " << endl;
cin >> choice;
cin.ignore();
return choice;
}
from looking at code showMenu function has problem. and it's not returning asccii equivalent of '1' that is: 31 integer. try printing value returned by showmenu. you will get that
UPDATE:
It is because cin in delimited by ' '(whitespace) and getline by '\n' character, so when enter name and press enter cin in showmenu will consume whole string except '\n' from istream and that is read by getline. to see this when it ask for choice enter string like 1 myname (1 whitespace myname)and press ENTER will display name. now cin will read 1 in choice and myname in name by getline.