C Programming:
string functions
String Input Function: gets()
The gets() function is useful for interactive programs.
It reads characters from the keyboard until it reaches a newline character
(\n).
Example
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
int main(void)
{
char caName[100];
printf("Write a sentence. \n");
gets(caName);
printf("The sentence you wrote is:'%s'\n", caName);
}//main
© Prof Suvendi Rimer, UJ
String Output Function: puts()
The puts() function requires an argument as a pointer to a string.
The puts() function stops accepting characters to output when it encounters
the null character. When puts() finally finds the closing null character, it
replaces it with a newline character.
Each string displayed by puts() function is placed on a new line.
#include <stdio.h>
#define STRDEF "I am a #defined string"
int main(void)
{
static char str1[] = "An array was initialised to
me.";
puts("I'm an argument to puts()");
puts(STRDEF);
puts(str1);
}//main
© Prof Suvendi Rimer, UJ
Character Functions: getchar() and putchar()
The getchar() function takes no arguments and it returns the next character
from the input.
After typing in a character you have to use carriage return to return the
character to the function call.
The putchar() function prints its argument.
These functions deal with characters: they are faster and more compact than
the more general scanf() and printf() functions.
#include <stdio.h>
int main (void)
{
char ch;
printf("Type in a character followed by carriage return\n");
ch = getchar(); //gets the first character you type in the keyboard
putchar(ch); //types the character on the screen
}//main
© Prof Suvendi Rimer, UJ
Other Common C String Functions
size_t strlen(const char *str)
size_t represents unsigned short
It returns length of the string without including end character (terminating char
‘\0’).
size_t sizeof(const char *str)
size_t represents unsigned short
It returns the total allocated size assigned to the array.
int strcmp(const char *str1, const char *str2)
It compares two strings and returns an integer value. If both the strings are
the same (equal) then this function return 0 otherwise if str1 < str2 OR str1 is
a substring of str2 then it returns a negative value. If str1 > str2 then it returns
a positive value.
© Prof Suvendi Rimer, UJ
Other Common C String Functions
char * strcat(char *str1, char *str2)
It concatenates two strings and returns the concatenated string.
char * strcpy( char *str1, char *str2)
It copies the string str2 into string str1, including the end character (terminator
char ‘\0’).
char * strlwr( char *str) : converts a string to lowercase
char * strupr( char *str) : converts a string to uppercase
char * strrev( char *str) : reverses a string
char * strchr( char *str) : finds first occurrence of given character in string
char * strstrr( char *str) : finds first occurrence of given string in another string
© Prof Suvendi Rimer, UJ
Example: strlen()
#include <stdio.h>
#define NAME "John Doe"
int main (void)
{
int len;
len = strlen(NAME);
printf("The length of string %s is %d\n", NAME, len);
}//main
© Prof Suvendi Rimer, UJ
Example:
#include <stdio.h>
#define SIZE 100
#define ADDON "'s smell like morning dew"
#define ROSE "rose"
int main (void)
{
char cBuff[SIZE];
char cTmp[SIZE];
printf("What is your favourite flower?\n");
gets(cBuff);
strcpy(cTmp, cBuff);
strcat(cBuff, ADDON);
puts(cBuff);
if (strcmp(ROSE, cTmp) != 0)
{
printf("%s are not as nice as roses.\n", cTmp);
}
© Prof Suvendi Rimer, UJ
}//main
