Error - function returns address of local variable

[tltying]

int main(void)
{
char brand[20];

printf("Enter brand: ");
brand = validatebrand();

}

char * validatebrand()
{
char brandName[20];
.....
.......
......
if( (strlen (brandName)) >= 1 && (strlen (brandName)) < 20)
{
return brandName; <-- this is the warning
}
else
{
return NULL;
}
}

Ask user to key in brand, and use a validatebrand() to check whether it's valid or not, if it is valid, return the brandName. But when it is return, and i tried a printf to check what's returned in the main(), i found out tat it's not returned the exact data but the address. How i am going to make the validatebrand() to return the entire valid data after validated? Can anyone point it out?
Thanks

[weaknessforcats]

Your problem is here:

char * validatebrand()
{
char brandName[20]; 
 

brandName is an array local to validatebrand(). When validatebrand returns, the brandName array is destroyed. By returning the address of an array that is destoyed, youget the warning.

Your solution is to pass in the array from main(). That would be the

char brand[20];
 

So you need to change validatebrand() to:

void validatebrand(char* brandName)
{
etc...