Handling inputs for int, char, float - c

Question

I am trying to write a program that loops asking the user to continuously input either a float, int, or char and echo it back to them until they enter 'q', then the loop ends. I do not understand how to decipher between an int, char, or float before entering the loop. I have tried if (scanf("%c", ch)) and so on for float and int and that works great, but once I added the loop in it's messing me up. I have tried several different combinations, but I have still not found my answer.
Here is one attempt to show you exactly what I am trying to do:
char ch;
int num = 0;
float fl = 0;
printf("Enter a value: ");
while(ch != 'q') {
if (scanf("%c", &ch) && !isdigit(ch)) {
printf("You entered a character %c\n", ch);
}
else if (scanf("%d", &num)) }
printf("You entered an integer %d\n", num);
}
else if (scanf("%d", &num)) {
printf("You entered a floating point number %f\n", fl);
}
printf("Enter another value: ");
}
}
This keeps doing something strange and I cannot pinpoint my problem. Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

You cannot accomplish that with your approach. You can scan a line and parse it accordingly:
char line[128]; /* Create a buffer to store the line */
char ch = 0;
int num;
float fl; /* Variables to store data in */
int r;
size_t n; /* For checking from `sscanf` */
/* A `do...while` loop is best for your case */
do {
printf("Enter a value: ");
if(fgets(line, sizeof(line), stdin) == NULL) /* If scanning a line failed */
{
fputs("`fgets` failed", stderr);
exit(1); /* Exits the program with a return value `1`; Requires `stdlib.h` */
}
line[strcspn(line, "\n")] = '\0'; /* Replace `\n` with `'\0'` */
r = sscanf(buffer, "%d%zn", &num, &n);
if(r == 1 && n == strlen(line)) { /* If true, entered data is an integer; `strlen` requires `string.h` */
printf("You entered an integer %d\n", num);
}
else{
r = sscanf(buffer, "%f%zn", &fl, &n);
if(r == 1 && n == strlen(line)) { /* If true, entered data is a float; `strlen` requires `string.h` */
printf("You entered a floating point number %f\n", fl);
}
else{
if(strlen(line) == 1) /* If true, entered data is a character; `strlen` requires `string.h` */
{
ch = line[0];
printf("You entered a character %c\n", ch);
}
else{ /* Entered data is something else */
printf("You entered \"%s\"\n", line);
}
}
}
}while(c != 'q');
Disclaimer: I wrote the above code using a mobile and I haven't tested it.
Update (did not test and wrote with my mobile):
#include <stdio.h>
#include <ctype.h>
#include <stdbool.h>
int main(void)
{
int c = 0;
bool random = false;
bool flag = true;
bool is_float = false, is_char = false, is_number = false;
do{
c = getchar();
if(c == EOF)
break;
if(!random)
{
if(isdigit(c))
{
is_number = true;
}
else if(c == '.')
{
if(is_number)
{
if(is_float)
{
random = true;
}
else
{
is_float = true;
}
}
else if(!is_number && !is_float && !is_char)
{
is_float = true;
}
}
else if(c == '-' && !is_float && !is_number && !is_char);
else if(isalpha(c))
{
if(is_char)
random = true;
else
{
is_char = true;
if(c == 'q')
flag = false;
}
}
else
{
random = true;
}
if((is_char && is_float) || (is_char && is_number))
random = true;
if(c == '\n' && !is_char && !is_float && !is_number)
random = true;
}
if(c == '\n')
{
if(random)
/* puts("You entered a random string!"); */
puts("Invalid input!");
else if(is_float)
puts("You entered a float!");
else if(is_number)
puts("You entered a number!");
else if(is_char)
puts("You entered a character!");
else
puts("Error!");
if(!flag && !is_number && !is_float && !random)
flag = false;
else
flag = true;
is_char = is_float = is_number = random = false;
}
}while(flag);
puts("Done");
return 0;
}