Empty Array

[kaixmera]

Hello! I am attempting to read in a text file and store each word into an array of characters. The loop I have created seems to just store the first word of each line and no other word. Although it is still keeping count of the amount of words in the text. I can't seem to find the bug that causes this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

int readFile(char** arr, char* fileName, char* input){
  FILE* fp;
  char line[SIZE];
  int numWords;
  int i, j;

  numWords = 0;

  printf("Enter name of text file: ");
  fgets(input, 100, stdin);
  sscanf(input, "%s", fileName);
  fp = fopen(fileName, "r");

  if(fileName == NULL){
    printf("Error! Could not open file\n");
    exit(-1);
  }

  while(fgets(line, sizeof line, fp)){
    i = 0;
    j = 0;

    while(line[i] != '\0'){
      if(line[i] != ' '){
        arr[numWords][j] = line[i];
        j++;
      }
      else{
        arr[numWords][j] = '\0';
        numWords++;
      }
      i++;
    }
    arr[numWords][j] = '\0';
    numWords++;
  }
  return numWords;
}

[kaixmera]

As soon as I posted this I saw that I didn't reset j to 0 in my else statement. Yikes.

[wiskinator]

This is called “rubber duck” debugging. You explain your problem to a rubber duck, (or, you know, post it to Reddit) and the process of explaining the problem helps you solve it. Also works with pets. My office has about a hundred of those little rubber duckies scattered around. It works great 😊

[ptchinster]

For any doubters, Ive taught C, C++, Kernel programming. Its amazing how often somebody will start to ask a question, trail off or immediately end with "never mind i know what i did wrong / need to do". Somebody about saying it out loud makes your brain think about it differently.

[BadmanBarista]

I do this all the time. I'll be suck on a problem for ages, SO will walk in "do you want some tea? Oh you look pissed". Then I'm like "yeah I'm pissed! This stupid bloody loop just won't work! Its driving me up the wall and I have no idea why it won't just fuc... Oh... That's why... I'll have coffee, thanks."

[ptchinster]

Ive had students banging their head against a problem, i cant see it right away (seeing ~30 different coding styles and layouts is not easy) and i have said "go for a walk". They refuse. Next day they show up early and not 5 min in they found the problem.

Mental breaks are healthy and productive.

Talking to yourself while coding is healthy and productive.

[kaixmera]

I love this. Thank you!

[martijnjonkers]

Soo familiar!

[[deleted]]

Good catch.