Adding lines in a file to an array in C - c

Question

I am trying to read a file, with a name on each line, like
Jim
Abby
Timothy
and store each name in a spot in an array so that I can later work with each individual name. This is the code that I have, but I do not think the names are stored right, because if I change the order of the names in the file, the actions on the name changes too. The actions depend on the name, not the placement.
FILE *ptr_file; // pointer to file
char name[100];
size_t k=0;
ssize_t read;
char *line = NULL;
while ((read= getline(&line, &k, ptr_file))!=-1)
{
fscanf(ptr_file, "%s", &name);
printf("%s ",name);
}
`I am trying to do something like this with the names
for (i =0; i <length-1; i++)
//for the length of the string add each letter's value up
{
num = num + name [i];
}
but when I switch the name's place in the list, the value of num changes as well.

Answer 1

Maybe something like this. In this code I'm assuming there will be less than 200 names in file. You can change this by change size of "names" array
FILE *ptr_file; // pointer to file
char names[200][100];
size_t k=100;
size_t namesCount = 0;
size_t read;
while ((read= getline(names[namesCount], &k, ptr_file))!=-1) //reading name to names array
{
printf("%s ",names[namesCount++]);//printf just readed name
}

Answer 2

getline() does the memory allocation for you when you pass a NULL pointer.
i have commented the code for explanation.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#define THRESHOLD (5)
int main(int argc,char** argv) {
// the file containing the names (one in each line)
char* fn = "test";
// lets open the file (you should check the result!)
FILE* file = fopen(fn,"r");
// allocate memory for the array
char** names = (char**)malloc(THRESHOLD * sizeof(char*));
size_t i;
// set all the values to NULL
for(i=0; i<THRESHOLD; i++) {
names[i] = NULL;
}
// initialize the count
size_t count = 0;
// read all names until EOF and resize the array if needed
while(getline(&names[count],&i,file) != EOF) {
count++;
if(count >= THRESHOLD) {
names = (char**)realloc(names,(count+THRESHOLD)*sizeof(char*));
}
}
// resize (shrink) the array to the actual size
names = (char**)realloc(names,count * sizeof(char*));
// do something with the names (i just print them)
for(i=0; i<count; i++) {
printf("element %d, value %s",i,names[i]);
}
// you have to free the memory (allocated by getline)
for(i=0; i<count; i++) {
free(names[i]);
}
// you have to free memory (allocated by you)
free(names);
return 0;
}

Answer 3

It's difficult to see what you mean, but it looks like there are two fundamental logical problem you have (ignoring the specific technical points highlighted in the other answers).
1) The code reads one line using getline and discarding the result in line, then immediately reading more text from the file using fscanf.
2) Each name read from the file by the fscanf overwrites the name buffer, which is a single string of up to 99 characters plus a NULL terminator.
When you come to process the buffer it will contain only the last name read by a call to fscanf, or nonsense if there are zero or one lines in the file. Also, the fscanf format parameter "%s" tells fscanf to read a string up to the first whitespace (including tab or newline) character, which is probably fine for simple names, but not if you want first and second names.
This means that changing the order of the file will probably change which name is in the name buffer at the end of the routine that reads the file. This is why the value of num is different.