Get a series of lower case letters sorted - c

Question

The algorithm works fine with integers but since I converted them into char, it has been printing null for the output:
/* sort a series of lower case letters using quicksort algorithm. */
#include <stdio.h>
#define N 10
// since c gets the ascii code when returning an int for a char variable.
char quicksort(char a[], char low, char high);
char split(char a[], char low, char high);
int a[N];
int main(void)
{
int i;
printf("Enter letters to be sorted: ");
for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
scanf("%d", &a[i]);
quicksort(a, 0, N - 1);
printf("In sorted order: ");
for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
printf("%s ", a[i]);
printf("\n");
return 0;
}
char quicksort(char a[], char low, char high)
{
int middle;
if (low >= high) return;
middle = split(a, low, high);
quicksort(a, low, middle - 1);
quicksort(a, middle + 1, high);
}
char split(char a[], char low, char high)
{
char part_element = a[low];
for (;;) {
while (low < high && part_element <= a[high])
high--;
if (low >= high) break;
a[low++] = a[high];
while (low < high && a[low] <= part_element)
low++;
if (low >= high) break;
a[high--] = a[low];
}
a[high] = part_element;
return high;
}

Answer 1

Three issues:
a is declared as an array of int, but all your functions handle an array of char. This means they won't iterate through the array correctly. Change it to char a[N].
To read a character, use the %c format specifier to scanf.
To print a character, use the %c format specifier to printf.

Answer 2

The revised code still doesnt work and i cant seem to find the bug.
Your problems appear to be with main() pretty much along the lines that other folks have suggested with respect to using char oriented data instead of int. There are some non fatal questionable choice issues like using char datatypes for array indexes; quicksort() is declared to return char but returns nothing; and so forth. Below is a rework of your code, mostly for style, incorporating various folks suggestions:
/* sort a series of letters using quicksort algorithm. */
#include <stdio.h>
#define N (10)
void quicksort(char a[], int low, int high);
int split(char a[], int low, int high);
int main(void)
{
char a[N];
printf("Enter letters to be sorted: ");
for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
scanf("%c", &a[i]);
}
quicksort(a, 0, N - 1);
printf("In sorted order: ");
for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
printf("%c ", a[i]);
}
printf("\n");
return 0;
}
void quicksort(char a[], int low, int high)
{
if (low < high) {
int middle = split(a, low, high);
quicksort(a, low, middle - 1);
quicksort(a, middle + 1, high);
}
}
int split(char a[], int low, int high)
{
char part_element = a[low];
for (;;) {
while (low < high && part_element <= a[high]) {
high--;
}
if (low >= high) {
break;
}
a[low++] = a[high];
while (low < high && a[low] <= part_element) {
low++;
}
if (low >= high) {
break;
}
a[high--] = a[low];
}
a[high] = part_element;
return high;
}
Does it not do everything it's supposed to?
EXAMPLE
> ./a.out
Enter letters to be sorted: aadircslne
In sorted order: a a c d e i l n r s
>

Answer 3

scanf requires a %c format specifier. Your scanf should change to
scanf("%c", &a[i]);
As a result, you should redeclare the a array to char, not int.