Need help filling a user-defined shape with asterisks using recursion in C

[ab12]

I'm trying to write a program in C that gets a shape outlined with asterisks from the user, and returns that shape filled with asterisks. It will also get the coordinates of a point inside the shape from which to start filling. I need to use recursion here. for example, to be clear:

input: (ignore the line, think of that as blank space)
*****
*___*
*****
coordinates are (2,1) /*its an array so numbering will start from 0*/

output
*****
*****
*****

my program compiles but for some reason everything in the shape and past its boundaries get filled with asterisks. it gets filled to the maximum size i've set the array to, even if the shape isn't that big. its like it completely ignores when it gets to a boundary of asterisks when it's filling.

here is the program i've written, its rather long...

#include "simpio.h"
#include <stdio.h>
#include "genlib.h"
 
#define size 20;
 
void GetArray(char arr[][20]);
void fill(char arr[][20], int row, int col);
void disp(char arr[][20]);
 
main()
{
    char arr[20][20];
    int row, col;
 
    GetArray(arr);
    printf("\nEnter row of interior point: ");
    row = GetInteger();
    printf("Enter column of interior point: ");
    col = GetInteger();
    fill(arr, row, col);
    disp(arr);
    getchar();
    system("pause");
}
 
void GetArray(char arr[][20])
{
    char input;
    int i,j;
    for(i=0;i<20;i++)
    {
     for(j=0;j<20;j++)
      {
       arr[i][j] = ' ';
      }
    }
printf("Enter the closed shape using asterisks and spaces. Keep the number of rows and columns under 20\n");
printf("To signal the end of the input, type '!'. Use the 'enter' key to move down rows\n\n");
i = 0;
j = 0;
while(TRUE)
 {
 input = getchar();
 if(input == 'r')
      i++;
 else if(input == '!')
      break;
 else
  {
     arr[i][j] = input;
     j++;
  }
 }
    i=0;
    j=0;
    printf("\n\nThe input shape is:\n");
    for(i=0;i<20;i++)
    {
     for(j=0;j<20;j++)
     {
      printf("%c",arr[i][j]);
     }
    }
}
 
void fill(char arr[][20], int row, int col)
{
    if(arr[row][col]!=' '|| row>=20 || col>=20 || row<0 || col<0)
      {}
    else
    {
    arr[row][col] ='*';
    fill(arr,row+1,col);
    fill(arr,row-1,col);
    fill(arr,row,col+1);
    fill(arr,row,col-1);
    }
}
 
void disp(char arr[][20])
{
    int i,j;
 
    printf("\nThe filled shape is:\n");
    for(i=0;i<20;i++)
    {
     for(j=0;j<20;j++)
     {
      printf("%c",arr[i][j]);
     }
     printf("\n");
    }
}

[JosAH]

if(arr[row][col]!=' '|| row>=20 || col>=20 || row<0 || col<0)

Better turn that test around if you don't want to 'look' beyond the bounds of your array:

if(row>=20 || col>=20 || row<0 || col<0 || arr[row][col]!=' ')
 

kind regards,

Jos

[ab12]

Better turn that test around if you don't want to 'look' beyond the bounds of your array:

if(row>=20 || col>=20 || row<0 || col<0 || arr[row][col]!=' ')
 

kind regards,

Jos

its still not working. do i have too many recusive calls? should i have something in my if statement of the fill function? i'm pretty sure the problem lies in the fill function itself. i really need help on this guys, i've really tried hard to do this myself.

[ab12]

its still not working. do i have too many recusive calls? should i have something in my if statement of the fill function? i'm pretty sure the problem lies in the fill function itself. i really need help on this guys, i've really tried hard to do this myself.

basically now i get as the output a few lines of different lengths of asterisks and then after that a filled 20X20 box of asterisks.

[JosAH]

basically now i get as the output a few lines of different lengths of asterisks and then after that a filled 20X20 box of asterisks.

Also look at your line #45: 'r' does not represent the enter key; try '\r' instead.
(it might be followed by another character '\n' and you don't anticipate for that)

kind regards,

Jos

[JosAH]

ps. after you've fixed that little bug it still won't work because at line #46 you just
increment the row counter i without resetting the column counter j. Your code
prints out what it has read you should've seen something wrong there ...

kind regards,

Jos

[ab12]

ps. after you've fixed that little bug it still won't work because at line #46 you just
increment the row counter i without resetting the column counter j. Your code
prints out what it has read you should've seen something wrong there ...

kind regards,

Jos

that didn't really make a difference as anyway when the program display's the input shape, it displays it fine. i'm pretty sure the problem is in the fill function

[JosAH]

that didn't really make a difference as anyway when the program display's the input shape, it displays it fine. i'm pretty sure the problem is in the fill function

Sure, fine with me; display what is in those arrays using decimal values (%d)
and you'll see what had happened. What you see is not what you expected;
your floodfill function is fine by itself; it's your input function that goofs.

kind regard,

Jos

[JosAH]

ps. here's a question for you: how come your shape prints out 'fine' while all you're
supposed to be printing are spaces and stars? There must be other characters
stored in your array.

kind regards,

Jos

[ab12]

ps. here's a question for you: how come your shape prints out 'fine' while all you're
supposed to be printing are spaces and stars? There must be other characters
stored in your array.

kind regards,

Jos

uh..by fine i didn't mean the word fine. I meant it displayed the input shape correctly. i do only have spaces and stars in my array. so you're saying the problem lies in how i take in the shape of stars and not the recursive fill function? the thing is that i am able to display the input correctly, so i think that the array is functioning properly when it goes into the fill function. the fill function seems to be what is screwing things up. it is filling up everything past the boundaries, though it depends on the shape i create.