Introduction to Programming in C++

Seventh Edition

Chapter 13: Strings

 Objectives

• Utilize string memory locations in a program

• Get string input using the getline function
• Ignore characters using the ignore function
• Determine the number of characters in a string
• Access the characters in a string
• Search a string

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• //getline - ok
• //ignore - ok
• //length - ok
• //find -ok
• //substr - ok
• //erase -ok
• //replace - ok
• //insert -ok
• //assign
• // + means concatenation
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 Objectives (cont’d.)

• Remove characters from a string

• Replace characters in a string
• Insert characters within a string
• Duplicate characters within a string
• Concatenate strings

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 The string Data Type

• The string data type is not a fundamental data type

in C++
• Added to C++ through use of string class
• To use the string class, a program must contain the
#include <string> directive
• You can use the string class to create string
variables or string named constants
• Memory locations of type string are initialized with
string literal constants—0 or more characters enclosed
in double quotation marks (“”)

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 The string Data Type (cont’d.)

Figure 13-1 How to declare and initialize string variables and named constants

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 The Creative Sales Program

• Program gets a salesperson’s name and sales amount

from keyboard
• Calculates salesperson’s bonus and displays salesperson’s
name and bonus amount
• Extraction operator can be used to get string input from
keyboard
• Stops reading characters when it encounters a white-
space character (blank, tab, or newline character)

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 The Creative Sales Program (cont’d.)

Figure 13-2 Problem specification and IPO chart for the Creative Sales program

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 The Creative Sales Program (cont’d.)

Figure 13-3 How to use the extraction operator (>>) to get string input

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 The getline Function

• The getline function obtains string data from the

keyboard and stores it in a string variable
• Syntax is:
getline(cin, stringVariableName
[, delimiterCharacter]);
• Three actual arguments (first two required):
– cin argument refers to computer keyboard
– stringVariableName argument is name of a string variable
in which to store input
– Optional delimiterCharacter indicates character that
immediately follows last character of string
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 The getline Function (cont’d.)

• Function will continue to read characters entered at

keyboard until it encounters a delimiter character
• Default delimiter character is newline character
• When the function encounters a delimiter character, it
discards the character—process called consuming the
character
• Newline character is designated by ‘\n’
• Backslash is called an escape character
• Backslash and character following it are called an
escape sequence

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 The getline Function (cont’d.)

Figure 13-4 How to use the getline function

to get string input from the keyboard

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 The getline Function (cont’d.)

Figure 13-4 How to use the getline function

to get string input from the keyboard (cont.)

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 The getline Function (cont’d.)

Figure 13-5 Creative Sales program

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 The getline Function (cont’d.)

Figure 13-6 Sample run of the Creative Sales program

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The getline Function (cont’d.)

16
 The getline Function (cont’d.)

Figure 13-8 Result of running the

modified Creative Sales program

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 The ignore Function

• The ignore function instructs the computer to read

and ignore characters stored in the cin object by
consuming (discarding) them
• Syntax is:
– cin.ignore([numberOfCharacters][, delimiterCharacter]);
• Has two actual arguments, both optional:
– numberOfCharacters argument is maximum number of
characters function should consume (default is 1)
– delimiterCharacter argument stops ignore function
from reading and discarding any more characters when
consumed

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 The ignore Function (cont’d.)

Figure 13-9 How to use the ignore function

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 The ignore Function (cont’d.)

Figure 13-10 Partial modified Creative Sales program

showing the ignore function

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 The ignore Function (cont’d.)

Figure 13-11 Sample run of the modified

Creative Sales program with the ignore function

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 The ZIP Code Program

• Program reads in a string from the user and verifies that

it contains exactly five characters
• If string contains exactly five characters, program
displays “Valid length”
• Otherwise, displays “Invalid length”

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 The ZIP Code Program (cont’d.)

Figure 13-12 Problem specification and

IPO chart for the ZIP Code program
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 The ZIP Code Program (cont’d.)

Figure 13-12 Problem specification and

IPO chart for the ZIP Code program (cont’d.)
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 Determining the Number of
Characters in a string Variable

• You use string class’s length function to determine

the number of characters in a string variable
• Syntax is:
– string.length()
• Returns number of characters contained in string

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 Determining the Number of Characters
Contained in a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-13 How to use the length function

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 Determining the Number of Characters
Contained in a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-13 How to use the length function (cont’d.)

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 Determining the Number of Characters
Contained in a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-14 The ZIP code program

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 Determining the Number of Characters
Contained in a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-15 Sample run of the ZIP code program

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Accessing the Characters Contained in
a string Variable
• The substr function allows you to access any
number of characters contained in a string variable
by returning the specified characters
• Syntax is:
– string.substr(subscript[, count])
• Has two arguments (first is required):
– subscript argument represents subscript of first character
you want to access in string
– count argument is number of characters to return after
character specified by subscript

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 Accessing the Characters Contained in
a string Variable (cont’d.)
• If you omit count argument, function returns all
characters from subscript position through end of
string
• A string is equivalent to a one-dimensional array of
characters
• Each character has a unique subscript that indicates
character’s position in the string

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 Accessing the Characters Contained in
a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-17 How to use the substr function

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 Accessing the Characters Contained in
a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-17 How to use the substr function (cont’d.)

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 Accessing the Characters Contained in
a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-18 IPO chart information and

C++ instructions for the modified ZIP code problem

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 Accessing the Characters Contained in
a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-18 IPO chart information and C++

instructions for the modified ZIP code problem (cont’d.)

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 Accessing the Characters Contained in
a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-18 IPO chart information and C++instructions for the

modified ZIP code problem (cont’d.)

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 Accessing the Characters Contained in
a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-19 Modified ZIP code program

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 Accessing the Characters Contained in
a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-19 Modified ZIP code program (cont’d.)

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 Accessing the Characters Contained in
a string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-20 Sample run of the modified ZIP code program

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 The Rearranged Name Program

• Program allows user to enter a person’s first and last

names, separated by a space
• Displays the person’s last name followed by a comma, a
space, and the person’s first name
• Searches the input string for the space that separates
the first and last names

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 The Rearranged Name Program
(cont’d.)

Figure 13-21 Problem specification and

IPO chart for the rearranged name program

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 Searching the Contents of a string
Variable
• You use the find function to search contents of a
string variable to determine whether it contains a
specific sequence of characters
• Syntax is:
– string.find(searchString, subscript)
– searchString argument is a string for which you are
searching within string
– subscript argument specifies starting position for the
search

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 Searching the Contents of a string
Variable (cont’d.)
• find function performs a case-sensitive search
(uppercase and lowercase letters are not equivalent)
– When searchString is contained within string, function
returns an integer that indicates beginning position of
searchString within string
– Function returns -1 when searchString is not contained
within string

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 Searching the Contents of a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-22 How to use the find function

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 Searching the Contents of a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-22 How to use the find function (cont’d.)

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 Searching the Contents of a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-23 Rearranged name program

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 Searching the Contents of a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-24 Sample run of rearranged name program

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 The Annual Income Program

• Program allows the user to enter a company’s annual

income
• Removes any commas and spaces from user’s entry
before displaying annual income

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 The Annual Income Program (cont’d.)

Figure 13-25 Problem specification and

IPO chart for the annual income program

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 The Annual Income Program (cont’d.)

Figure 13-25 IPO chart for the annual income program (cont’d.)
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 Removing Characters from a string
Variable
• You can use the erase function to remove one or
more characters from a string variable
• Syntax is:
– string.erase(subscript[, count]);
– subscript is position of first character you want to remove
– Optional count argument is an integer that specifies
number of characters you want removed
– If you omit count, function removes all characters from
subscript through end of string

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 Removing Characters from a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-26 How to use the erase function

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 Removing Characters from a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-27 Annual income program

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 Removing Characters from a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-28 Sample run of the annual income program

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 Replacing Characters in a string
Variable
• The replace function replaces one sequence of
characters in a string variable with another
• Syntax is:
– string.replace(subscript, count,
replacementString);
– subscript argument specifies where to begin replacing
characters in string
– count argument indicates number of characters to
replace
– replacementString argument contains replacement
characters

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 Replacing Characters in a string
Variable

Figure 13-29 How to use the replace function

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 Replacing Characters in a string
Variable

Figure 13-29 How to use the replace function (cont’d.)

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 Replacing Characters in a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-30 Partial annual income program showing the replace function

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 The Social Security Number Program

• Program allows user to enter a Social Security number

without hyphens
• If user’s entry contains nine characters, program inserts
hyphens in appropriate places and displays number on
screen
• If user does not enter nine characters, program displays
an appropriate message

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 The Social Security Number Program
(cont’d.)

Figure 13-32 Problem specification and IPO

chart for the Social Security number program
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 Inserting Characters within a string
Variable
• You can use the insert function to insert characters
into a string variable
• Syntax is:
– string.insert(subscript, insertString);
– subscript specifies where in string you want characters
inserted
– insertString specifies characters to be inserted

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 Inserting Characters within a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-33 How to use the insert function

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 Inserting Characters within a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-34 Social Security number program

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 Inserting Characters within a string
Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-35 Sample run of the Social Security number program

Figure 13-36 Another sample run of the

Social Security number program

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 The Company Name Program

• Program allows user to enter name of a company

• Displays name with a row of hyphens below it

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 The Company Name Program (cont’d.)

Figure 13-37 Problem specification and IPO chart

for the company name program

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 Duplicating a Character within a
string Variable
• You can use the assign function to duplicate one
character a specified number of times and assign the
resulting string to a string variable
• Syntax is:
– string.assign(count, character);
– count argument is an integer that indicates the number of
times you want to duplicate the character specified in
character argument
– character argument can be either a character literal
constant or a char memory location

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 Duplicating a Character within a
string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-38 How to use the assign function

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 Duplicating a Character within a
string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-39 Company name program

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 Duplicating a Character within a
string Variable (cont’d.)

Figure 13-40 Sample run of the company name program

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 Concatenating Strings

• String concatenation refers to the process of

connecting (linking) strings together
• You concatenate strings using the concatenation
operator (+ sign)

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 Concatenating Strings (cont’d.)

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Figure 13-41 How to use the concatenation operator
 Concatenating Strings (cont’d.)

Figure 13-42 Partial company name program showing string concatenation

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 Concatenating Strings (cont’d.)

Figure 13-43 Sample run of the company

name program using string concatenation

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 Summary

• The string data type was added to the C++ language

using the string class
• Memory locations whose data type is string are
initialized using string literal constants (0 or more
characters enclosed in double quotation marks)
• You can use the extraction operator to get a string from
the user at the keyboard if the string does not contain a
white-space character

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 Summary (cont’d.)

• The getline function gets a string of characters

entered at the keyboard and stores them in a string
variable
• The string can contain any characters, including white-
space characters
• The getline function reads and stores characters
from the keyboard until it encounters a delimiter
character, which it consumes (discards)
• The default delimiter character is the newline character

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 Summary (cont’d.)

• The computer stores characters entered at the keyboard

in the cin object
• Both the extraction operator and the getline
function remove characters from cin
• The extraction operator leaves the newline character in
cin, while the getline function consumes the
newline character
• The ignore function reads and then consumes
characters entered at the keyboard

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 Summary (cont’d.)

• The ignore function stops reading and consuming

characters when it consumes either a specified number
of characters or a delimiter character
• The default number of characters to consume is 1
• The assign, erase, insert, and replace
functions are self-contained statements that change the
value of a string variable
• The concatenation operator (+) is used to join (link)
strings together

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 Lab 13-1: Stop and Analyze

• Study the code in Figure 13-44 and then answer the

questions

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 Lab 13-2: Plan and Create

Figure 13-45 Problem specification for Lab 13-2

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 Lab 13-3: Modify

• Make a copy of Lab 13-2 to modify

• Current version allows player 1 to enter only five-letter
words
• Modify the program so that player one can enter a word
of any length
• Test the program appropriately

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 Lab 13-4: Desk-Check

• Desk-check the code in Figure 13-49

• What will the code display on the screen?

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 Lab 13-5: Debug

• Run the program in the Lab13-5.cpp file

• Type Joe and press Enter
• Rather than displaying the letters J, o, and e on three
separate lines, the program displays Joe, oe, and e
• Debug the program

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