std::string.fin d_first_of()

[Christopher]

I am using std::string to parse a command given by the user, I don't
understand why the following snippet is not working as expected.

string buffer, // store commands from user
command,
argument;
string::size_ty pe index = string::npos;

cout<<"\nThe Following are valid commands:\n";
cout<<"read_all <number> -- display entire mail header and body.\n";
cout<<"read <number> -- display body of message\n";
cout<<"del <number> -- delete message\n";
cout<<"undel -- undo all deletion\n";
cout<<"reply <number> -- reply to message\n";
cout<<"list <number> -- display the next 10 message summaries\n";
cout<<"quit -- exit this program\n\n";

cin>>buffer;

index = buffer.find_fir st_of(' ');

if(index != string::npos )
{
cout<<"first\n" ;
command = buffer.substr(0 , index);
buffer.erase(0, index);
argument = buffer;
}
else
{
cout<<"second\n ";
command = buffer;
argument = "";
}

cout<<index<<"\ n";
cout<<command<< " "<<argument<<"\ n
my input:
hello there

output:
second
4294967295
helllo

expected output:
first
6
hello there

Thanx,
Chris

[Sharad Kala]

"Christophe r" <an**@nospam.ne t> wrote in message
news:yq******** ***********@fe1 .texas.rr.com.. .

I am using std::string to parse a command given by the user, I don't
understand why the following snippet is not working as expected.

string buffer, // store commands from user
command,
argument;
string::size_ty pe index = string::npos;
[snip] cin>>buffer;

The whitespace in "Hello there" makes buffer to contain "Hello" and not "Hello
there".

Change it to -
getline(cin, buffer);

-Sharad

[Christopher]

changed it to getline(cin,buf fer) and now it just skips over it without
waiting for input from the user. Maybe something is already in the instream?
if so how can I make sure it is empty and only filled with what the user
enters at that point?

Thanks,
Chris

"Sharad Kala" <no************ *****@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:c6******** ****@ID-221354.news.uni-berlin.de...

"Christophe r" <an**@nospam.ne t> wrote in message
news:yq******** ***********@fe1 .texas.rr.com.. .

I am using std::string to parse a command given by the user, I don't
understand why the following snippet is not working as expected.

string buffer, // store commands from user
command,
argument;
string::size_ty pe index = string::npos;
[snip]

cin>>buffer;

The whitespace in "Hello there" makes buffer to contain "Hello" and not

"Hello there".

Change it to -
getline(cin, buffer);

-Sharad

[Sharad Kala]

"Christophe r" <an**@nospam.ne t> wrote in message
news:JM******** ***********@fe1 .texas.rr.com.. .

changed it to getline(cin,buf fer) and now it just skips over it without
waiting for input from the user. Maybe something is already in the instream?
if so how can I make sure it is empty and only filled with what the user
enters at that point?

Please don't top-post.
Well the error bit in input stream is sticky, you need to clear it explicitly.
std::cin.clear( );
To skip invalid input characters -
std::cin.ignore (std::numeric_l imits<std::stre amsize>::max(), '\n');
Read this FAQ - http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lit....html#faq-15.2

-Sharad

[Dave Moore]

"Sharad Kala" <no************ *****@yahoo.com > wrote in message news:<c6******* *****@ID-221354.news.uni-berlin.de>...

"Christophe r" <an**@nospam.ne t> wrote in message
news:yq******** ***********@fe1 .texas.rr.com.. .

I am using std::string to parse a command given by the user, I don't
understand why the following snippet is not working as expected.

string buffer, // store commands from user
command,
argument;
string::size_ty pe index = string::npos;

[snip]

cin>>buffer;

The whitespace in "Hello there" makes buffer to contain "Hello" and not "Hello
there".

Change it to -
getline(cin, buffer);

-Sharad

There is also an (IMHO) easier way to do this in general using
stringstreams;

#include <sstream>
using std::istringstr eam;

// using your declarations

if (!getline(cin, buffer)) throw "I/O error"; // just as a simple
example
istringstream input(buffer);
input >> command;
if (!input) throw "No input on stream"; // just as a simple example
input >> argument;
if (!input) {
// handle case for no argument
} else {
// handle case for an argument present
}

I find this a more natural way to deal with formatted input ..
especially when reading from a text file. It also extends well to the
case where you don't know ahead of time how many arguments to expect
in the input stream. For example:

#include <deque>
std::deque<std: :string> arglist;
int argcnt=0;

string dummy;
input >> dummy;
while (input) {
arglist.push_ba ck(dummy);
++argcnt;
input >> dummy;
}

HTH, Dave Moore