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Week 4a Character Array

This document discusses character arrays in C language. A character array, also called a string, is a sequence of characters terminated by a null character. It can be initialized by assigning a whole string, individual characters, or using an input command. A character array can be output as a whole string or by individual characters, with the null character used to terminate a loop. Character arrays can be passed to functions without needing to specify the size since the null character indicates the end.

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Alico, Christian Barry R.
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54 views4 pages

Week 4a Character Array

This document discusses character arrays in C language. A character array, also called a string, is a sequence of characters terminated by a null character. It can be initialized by assigning a whole string, individual characters, or using an input command. A character array can be output as a whole string or by individual characters, with the null character used to terminate a loop. Character arrays can be passed to functions without needing to specify the size since the null character indicates the end.

Uploaded by

Alico, Christian Barry R.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHARACTER ARRAY

An array of characters is often referred to as string. A string is a sequence of characters treated as a single
entity and is terminated by a null character ('\0'). The null character (‘\0’) is automatically added by the
compiler at the end of the string. A string is actually a one-dimensional array of characters in C language.

Syntax for declaration:

char arrayName[arraySize];

For example,

Initializing an Array of Characters

There are three ways to initialize an array:

1. Initialize with the whole string

For example,

Individual characters of the string “hello” will be assigned to the memory locations. The compiler
automatically adds the ‘\0’ at the end.

To illustrate:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

h e l L o \0

2. Initialize with the individual characters

When initializing the array with the individual characters, always add the null character (‘\0’) at the end.

For example,

3. Initialize using an input command

An array of characters can be initialized using an input command, like gets().

For example,

When using an input command, the string is input as a whole, thus ‘\0’ is automatically added by the
compiler at the end.
Note that the null character is not included in counting the number of characters in a string. The null
character terminates the string or just indicates that it is already the end of the string.

Output a Character Array

A character array can be output as a whole just like the example below:

Or as individual characters just like any other type of array. However, for a character array, the null
character is used to terminate the loop instead of the size or count (i.e. the variable used to keep track
the current number of elements.)

For example,

Passing a Character Array to a Function

Since the null character is used to terminate an array of characters, the size parameter, usually used in
passing arrays to functions becomes unnecessary.

Here is an example,
Practice Exercise (Ungraded)

Define the function palindrome() that returns 1 if the parameter is a palindrome, and 0 if otherwise. A
palindrome is a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backward as forward.
int palindrome(char str1[]);

Exercise (Graded)

Create a program to input names of two persons (preferably of different genders) and output their
resulting relationship based on the FLAMES method:

F – Friends
L – Lovers
A – Adversaries
M – Married
E – Enemies
S – Sweethearts

The FLAMES Method:

1. Compare the two input names and count the letters in the first input name that matches in the
second name and vice versa.

2. Determine the corresponding letter of the resulting number in the word FLAMES.

3. Add the resulting number from both names and follow step 2.
Filename: flames.c

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