how to get this data myqueue.addItem ("green") into a char array

[NoWorries]

I am getting hung up on how to get a piece of data into a char array the way it is being handled, here is a few snippets in order to help show what I'm trying to do.

a call is made

myQueue.addItem("green");

which goes to this

QueueItem *pQI = new QueueItem(pData, ++mNodeCounter);

and QueueItem looks like this

class QueueItem { 
    public: 
        QueueItem(char *pData, int id){mNodeID = id; 
           mpNext = 0;};
 
        void setNext(QueueItem *pItem);
        QueueItem getNext(){return *mpNext;};
        void printData(){ cout << mData << endl;};
 
    private: 
        char mData[30]; 
        int mNodeID; 
        QueueItem * mpNext; 
}; 

I'm trying to get the "green" into mData and I'm getting confused on how to do this.
I tried doing mData = &pData, but that wasn't the right way. So out of guessing I tried mData = pData, and mData = *pData none of which worked.
Pointers are still my weakest area in c++. And I've never had the text initiated in the function like this before. I think this is all the code that is needed to show what I'm trying to accomplish but if more of it is needed let me know. Thanks for any help.

[gpraghuram]

Try copying the value to mData and you can achieve what u need

Raghuram

[weaknessforcats]

So out of guessing I tried mData = pData, and mData = *pData none of which worked.

Yes, it will as soon as you start using C++ string objects instead of C-style arrays.

Also, you have built a 30 byte limit into your class. That means all items are 30 bytes of they only need 3 and items larger than 30 can't be used. There should be no hard-coded assumptions.

[NoWorries]

Thanks, I was trying to see if I could do it without a string but if that's the only way to do it I will go that route. But is that also saying there is NO way to get it into a predefined character array then.

[weaknessforcats]

But is that also saying there is NO way to get it into a predefined character array then.

Not true. You just need to know how to do that and how to not exceed the 30 character limit, etc. By the time you write all the protective code to manage that array you will have re-written most of the string class.

Arrays are the C internal containers. They are in C++ to be compatible with C but arrays are very low-level and should not be used in C++ unless you have a real technical reason for using them that you can write down on paper.

[NoWorries]

Alright that makes sense to me, thank you