is this correct

[Darklight]

Q6: Write a function that accepts two strings. Count the number of
characters in each, and return a pointer to the longer string.
and please comment

/* LEN_STRING.C PROGRAM TO RETURN LONGEST STRING */
#include<stdio. h>
#include<string .h>

void length(char [ ], char [ ]);

int main(void)
{

char a[100];
char b[100];

printf("Enter string1\n");
fgets(a,100,std in);

printf("Enter string2\n");
fgets(b,100,std in);

length(a,b);

return 0;
}

void length(char string1[ ], char string2[ ])
{
char *line;

if((strlen(stri ng1)) > (strlen(string2 )))
{
line = string1;
printf("\nstrin g 1 is the longest\n%s\n", line);
}
else if(strlen(strin g1) < strlen(string2) )
{
line = string2;
printf("\nstrin g 2 is the longest\n%s\n", line);
}
else
printf("\nBoth strings are the same length\n");
}

[Martin Dickopp]

Darklight <ng******@netsc ape.net> writes:

Q6: Write a function that accepts two strings. Count the number of
characters in each, and return a pointer to the longer string.
and please comment

/* LEN_STRING.C PROGRAM TO RETURN LONGEST STRING */
#include<stdio. h>
#include<string .h>

void length(char [ ], char [ ]);
The question asks to return a pointer to the longer string, but your
`length' function returns nothing. Also, a better function name would be
something like `longer_string' , since that's what the function is
supposed to return.
int main(void)
{

char a[100];
char b[100];

printf("Enter string1\n");
fgets(a,100,std in);

printf("Enter string2\n");
fgets(b,100,std in);
If the user enters 100 or more characters after the first prompt, these
additional characters are read by the second `fgets' call.
length(a,b);

return 0;
}

void length(char string1[ ], char string2[ ])
{
char *line;

if((strlen(stri ng1)) > (strlen(string2 )))
{
line = string1;
printf("\nstrin g 1 is the longest\n%s\n", line);
}
else if(strlen(strin g1) < strlen(string2) )
{
line = string2;
printf("\nstrin g 2 is the longest\n%s\n", line);
}
else
printf("\nBoth strings are the same length\n");
}

It's probably a good idea not to do any output in the `length' function,
but just return a pointer to the longer string (as required in the
question). Do the output in `main' instead.

It is good that you thought about the case when both strings have the
same length, although the question doesn't specify what to do in this
case.

Calling `strlen' twice for each string could degrade the performance.
Use variables instead

const size_t len1 = strlen (string1);
const size_t len2 = strlen (string2);

and compare these.

The `line' variable is not really needed. In the block where you /know/
that `string1' is longer, you can just use `string1'. Likewise for
`string2'.

Finally, identifiers starting with `str' followed by a lowercase letter
are reserved for the implementation. Consider different names, e.g.
`str1' and `str2'.

Martin
--
,--. Martin Dickopp, Dresden, Germany ,= ,-_-. =.
/ ,- ) http://www.zero-based.org/ ((_/)o o(\_))
\ `-' `-'(. .)`-'
`-. Debian, a variant of the GNU operating system. \_/

[Martin Dickopp]

Darklight <ng******@netsc ape.net> writes:

Mail-Copies-To: ng******@netsca pe.net

You set the above header in your posting. This caused my newsreader to
send a mail copy of my reply to you, however it was returned due to an
invalid email address.

Don't set Mail-Copies-To to an invalid email address, please!

Martin
--
,--. Martin Dickopp, Dresden, Germany ,= ,-_-. =.
/ ,- ) http://www.zero-based.org/ ((_/)o o(\_))
\ `-' `-'(. .)`-'
`-. Debian, a variant of the GNU operating system. \_/

[Al Bowers]

Darklight wrote:

Q6: Write a function that accepts two strings. Count the number of
characters in each, and return a pointer to the longer string.
and please comment

void length(char [ ], char [ ]);

Looking at your requirements, one wonders what you want to
return should the lengths be equal.

Longing at your prototype, it does not meet the requirements
because it does not return anything. Also, since the strings
are not going to be modified, you can make the parameters
const char.

const char *length(const char *s1, const char *s2);

If it doesn't matter which string pointer is returned should
the lengths be equal, then the definition is simple.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

const char *length(const char *string1, const char *string2)
{
return strlen(string1) >=strlen(string 2)?string1:stri ng2;
}

int main(void)
{
char *str1 = "Good Morning";
char *str2 = "Good Night";

printf("The longer of \"%s\" and \"%s\"\n"
"is \"%s\"\n",str1, str2,length(str 1,str2));
return 0;
}

--
Al Bowers
Tampa, Fl USA
mailto: xa******@myrapi dsys.com (remove the x to send email)
http://www.geocities.com/abowers822/

[Darklight]

Is this any better

/* LEN_STRING1.C PROGRAM TO RETURN LONGEST STRING */
#include<stdio. h>
#include<string .h>

char *length(char [ ], char [ ]);

int main(void)
{

char a[100];
char b[100];
char *c;

printf("Enter string1\n");
fgets(a,100,std in);

printf("Enter string2\n");
fgets(b,100,std in);

c = length(a,b);

printf("\nThe longest string is %s\n",c);
return 0;
}

char *length(char str1[ ], char str2[ ])
{
char *line;

if((strlen(str1 )) > (strlen(str2)))
{
line = str1;
}
else
{
line = str2;
}

return line;
}

[Malcolm]

"Darklight" <ng******@netsc ape.net> wrote in message

/* LEN_STRING1.C PROGRAM TO RETURN LONGEST STRING */
#include<stdio. h>
#include<string .h>

char *length(char [ ], char [ ]);

int main(void)
{

char a[100];
char b[100];
char *c;

printf("Enter string1\n");
fgets(a,100,std in);

printf("Enter string2\n");
fgets(b,100,std in);
You still haven't fixed the fgets() problem. fgets() is actually quite a
difficult function to use.
c = length(a,b);

printf("\nThe longest string is %s\n",c);
return 0;
}

char *length(char str1[ ], char str2[ ])
It's much mode idiomatic to use the char *str1, char *str2 notation. The
pointers can also be const since they are not modified.
{
char *line;

if((strlen(str1 )) > (strlen(str2)))
{
line = str1;
}
else
{
line = str2;
}

return line;
}

You do need to know what is supposed to happen if the strings are of equal
length. This is an oversight in your specification.

[Martin Dickopp]

Darklight <ng******@netsc ape.net> writes:

Mail-Copies-To: ng******@netsca pe.net
Once again, please don't do that.
Is this any better

Yes, it is better, although some of the comments you have received from
me and others still apply. :)

Martin
--
,--. Martin Dickopp, Dresden, Germany ,= ,-_-. =.
/ ,- ) http://www.zero-based.org/ ((_/)o o(\_))
\ `-' `-'(. .)`-'
`-. Debian, a variant of the GNU operating system. \_/

[Papadopoulos Giannis]

Darklight wrote:

Q6: Write a function that accepts two strings. Count the number of
characters in each, and return a pointer to the longer string.
and please comment

Is this a homework? Cause if it is, you got it wrong..

In a homework situation, the tutor is probably suggesting that YOU
create the strlen() function and not to use the ready one...

--
Giannis Papadopoulos
http://dop.users.uth.gr/
University of Thessaly
Computer & Communications Engineering dept.

[sugaray]

// here's my solution to this homework assignment

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

size_t Strlen(const char *str)
{
const char *p=str;
while(*p) ++p;
return p-str;
}

const char *LongestString( const char (*s1),const char (*s2)) {
size_t l1=Strlen(s1),l 2=Strlen(s2);
return (l1>l2) ? s1 : (l1<l2) ? s2 : NULL;
}

int main(int argc,char **argv)
{
const char *longest;

if(argc!=3) {
fprintf(stderr, "Usage:\n\t %s <string1> <string2>\n",ar gv[0]);
exit(EXIT_FAILU RE);
}

longest=Longest String(argv[1],argv[2]);
if(longest)
printf("The longest string is \"%s\"\n",longe st);
else printf("Both strings are equal length.\n");

return 0;
}

[Dan Pop]

In <cu************ *@zero-based.org> Martin Dickopp <ex************ ****@zero-based.org> writes:

Darklight <ng******@netsc ape.net> writes:

Mail-Copies-To: ng******@netsca pe.net

You set the above header in your posting. This caused my newsreader to
send a mail copy of my reply to you, however it was returned due to an
invalid email address.

Don't set Mail-Copies-To to an invalid email address, please!

Which RFC defines this header?

AFAIK, the right header for this purpose is, and has always been,
Followup-To.

Dan
--
Dan Pop
DESY Zeuthen, RZ group
Email: Da*****@ifh.de