Strings

[Flac]

Ok, I started coding in VB... Now that im switching to C++ i cant figure out how to work strings... How do i store something in a string? how do i declare a string?

In the book im learning from it talks about comparing strings, but hasnt showed how to actauly make a string. Any help would be appriciated.

---Flac

[Comreak]

Originally posted by Flac
Ok, I started coding in VB... Now that im switching to C++ i cant figure out how to work strings... How do i store something in a string? how do i declare a string?

In the book im learning from it talks about comparing strings, but hasnt showed how to actauly make a string. Any help would be appriciated.

---Flac

There are two general types of strings you can work with in C++: char arrays and strings from the standard library (which are very similar to strings in vb).

A char array is just an array of characters. They generally have to be a predefined size and you can't compare them the way you would compare two strings in VB. Here's some code that shows how you would create and initialize a char array:

//to declare a char array
char mycstring[4];

//to initialize a char array
mycstring = "bob";

Keep in mind that when you declare a char array, you must leave extra space at the end for the terminating character ('\0'). If you don't, you'll get errors.

Strings from the standard library are very similar to the strings your used to working with in vb. They can do most of the same things as the ones in vb and then some. Here's how you declare one:

#include <string> //need this to get access to std strings

string myString = "whatever";

Search the forum or read up on how these strings work at MS's MSDN library:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp

Hope that clears some things up. Good luck.

[Flac]

dont mean to continue to pester.

but is there a way i can take input from a user into a string directly? or do i have to convert it somehow?

(is there a way i can do a std::cin >> string type statement to get a string, I prefer working with strings cause they are simpler to compare values to.)

[sunburnt]

sure, the string class has a stream extraction operator;

#include <string>
#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

// ...
string sInput;
cin >> sInput; // read one word;
cout << "you wrote the word: " << sInput << endl;
getline(cin, sInput); // read a line
cout << "you wrote the line: " << sInput << endl;
// ...

[Flac]

Thanks a lot... But now i have the problem that the getline(cin, variable) code doesnt read the first word in the string... Any suggestions?

---Flac

[CornedBee]

Have you copied the example literally?

[Darkwraith]

Remember that the line is terminated when you hit <Enter>

[Flac]

If writin my own code using your example for basis, and copied example literaly(adding in all the stuff needed to make it compile cleanly.)

Cod entered(not including return, or includes)

int main()
{
std::string sInput;
std::cin >> sInput; // read one word;
std::cout << "you wrote the word: " << sInput << std::endl;
getline(std::cin, sInput); // read a line
std::cout << "you wrote the line: " << sInput << std::endl;

when a string is entered, for example : Hi there.

I get
You wrote the word: hi
You wrote the line: there

if i enter "hi there bob" i get
You wrote the word: hi
You wrote the line: there bob

Its cutting out the first word of the string. Any suggestions?

---Flac

[sunburnt]

That's because the first line:

cin >> sInput;

reads the first word that you input and leaves the left in the stream to be read later.

try putting in just one word for the first case; then it will prompt you to enter more in the second case.

[Flac]

I understand the first part getting one word. But is there a way i can make

getline(std::cin, sInput); get the full inputed line, including the first word?

As is its taking everything but the first word, why is that?


---Flac

[CornedBee]

Because once the first part takes the first word, it's no longer there for the second part to take.

[Darkwraith]

If you comment out the line:

cin >> sInput;

it should work to your liking.