reverseName function

[newbie08]

I am struggling with my program. My reverseName function does work properly, and i can't seem to be able to figure out why. I was wondering if i could get some help with it and possibly anything else that may be wrong with it.

#include <fstream>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

int getPiece (char deliminator, char source []);
int pieceCount(char s[], char deliminator);
void reverseName (char inName[], char outName[]);

int main()
{
	
	ifstream infile;
	ofstream outfile;
	char filename[56];
	char fileout [56];
	char space = ' ';
	int parts;

	cout << "Enter the input file to be opened: ";
	cin.getline(filename, 255);
	cout << endl;

	cout << "Enter the name of the output file: ";
	cin.getline(fileout, 255);
	cout << endl;

	infile.open(filename);
	if(infile.fail())
	{
		cout << "Error: could not open " << filename << endl;
		exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
	}

	outfile.open(fileout);
	if(outfile.fail())
	{
		cout << "Error: could not open " << fileout << endl;
		exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
	}
	
	char name[56];
	char outName[56];

	infile.getline(name,55);
	
	while(!infile.eof())
	{
		
		parts = pieceCount(name, ' ');
		if (parts == 2)
		{
			reverseName(name, outName);
			outfile << "Names are: " << outName; // can't get anything to output!
	
		}
		else{ 
			reverseName(name, outName);
			getPiece(space, name);
			outfile << outName << ", " << name << endl;
			outfile << outName << endl;
		}

	infile.getline(name,60);
	}



	infile.close();
	outfile.close();


	system("Pause");
	return 0;
}



//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
//getPiece -- Supposed to get middle name from a name and make it an initial
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
int getPiece (char deliminator, char s[])
{
	int i;
	for(i=0; s[i] != deliminator ;i++)
			s[i] = s[i];
	return i;
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
//pieceCount -- Counts how many names there are and if there is a middle name
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

int pieceCount(char s[], char deliminator)
{
	int count = 0;
	for (int i = 0; s[i] != '\0'; i++)
	{
		if (s[i] == ' ')
		{
			count ++;
		}
	}

	return count + 1;
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// reverseName function
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


void reverseName (char  inName[], char outName[])
{
	char last[40];
	char first [40];
	char comma [3];

	comma[0] = ',';
	comma[1] = ' ';
	comma[2] = '\0';

	int x = 0;
	int i;
	for (i= getPiece(' ',inName); i < strlen(inName); i++){
		last[x] = inName[i];
		x++;
	}
	for (i=0; i < getPiece(' ', inName); i++){
		first[i] =inName [i];
	}
	first[i]= '\0';

	strcat(last, comma);

	strcat(last, first);
	strcpy(outName, last);


	return;	
}

[Zaita]

Are you allowed to use the string class?

string sFirstName = "";
int iSpace = -1;

iSpace = FullName.find_first_of(" ");
sFirstName = FullName.substr(0, iSpace);

// etc
sReversedName = sLastName + "," + sFirstName;

If someone's full name is more than 40 chars, your program will have a buffer overflow. This is because you are cat'ing comma and first into your last name buffer which is sized to only 40 chars.

[newbie08]

It crashes.

[Zaita]

int getPiece (char deliminator, char s[])
{
  int i;
  for(i=0; s[i] != deliminator ;i++)
      s[i] = s[i];
  return i;
}

Thats a weird piece of code. It's to get the location correct?

int getPiece (char deliminator, char s[])
{
  for(int i=0; i < strlen(deliminator) ;i++)
    if (s[i] == deliminator)
      return i;

  return -1;
}

[newbie08]

Now i get this error.... in the for loop
error C2664: 'strlen' : cannot convert parameter 1 from 'const char' to 'const char *'

[z05DSL3A]

Can I just ask what the problem was with your original code? ie Why do you say it is not working properly.

I have just done a simple test and apart from putting a space at the start, when you give it somthing like "Grey Wolf" it returns " Wolf, Grey".

Hereis your code with a few minor mods:

void reverseName (char inName[], char outName[])
{
	char last[40] = {'\0'};
	char first [40] = {'\0'};
	char comma [3] = {'\0'};

	comma[0] = ',';
	comma[1] = ' ';
	comma[2] = '\0';

	int x = 0;
	int i;
	for (i= getPiece(' ',inName)+1; i < strlen(inName); i++) //+1 to getPiece to go to the
	{                                                        //next char aft the spacee
		last[x] = inName[i];
		x++;
	}
	for (i=0; i < getPiece(' ', inName); i++)
	{
		first[i] =inName [i];
	}
	first[i]= '\0';

	strcpy(outName, last);
	strcat(outName, comma);
	strcat(outName, first);

	return;	
}

[newbie08]

I don't know it just kept crashing when i tried to run it. It was with that same function. I could comment it out and it would work. Now i just need to fix that strlen error.

[z05DSL3A]

This may be what is wanted:

int getPiece (char deliminator, char s[])
{
  for(int i=0; i < strlen(s) ;i++)
    if (s[i] == deliminator)
      return i;

  return -1;
}

Your original code had the potential to blast through the end of the array if the delimiter was not found.

[newbie08]

OK that worked. Now i can't get it to output and abreviated middle name.