ATP list in C, reading and saving usernames - c

Question

I have a problem writing a code that should read usernames and put them in list. Every username should be connected to the number of times it has been entered. The problem occurs when entering the second username, my code places that username in the variable called first (where the first is kept). I guess I've done something wrong with the pointers, but I cannot find what. I am confused, in the end of one while loop the first one is the real first one, and when the program enters while again, variable first changes. How could that be? Please help me.
Thank you :)
typedef struct _user
{
char *name;
int counter;
struct _user *next;
} user;
int main() {
char userName [10];
int found = 0, go_on = 1;
user *first = NULL, *temp, *new;
while (go_on == 1) {
printf ("Username: ");
scanf("%s", userName);
if (first) {
// printf ("The first one in list: %s\n", first->name); - this prints the name of last username entered
for (temp = first; temp; temp = temp->next) {
if (strcmp (temp->name, userName) == 0) {
temp->counter++;
found = 1; }
if (found== 1) break;}
if (!found) {
new = (user*) malloc (sizeof(user));
new->name = userName;
new->counter = 1;
temp = new;
temp->next = NULL; } }
else {
new = (user*) malloc (sizeof(user));
new->name = userName;
new->counter = 1;
first = new;
first->next = NULL; }
printf ("Go on? (1/0)");
scanf("%d", &go_on);
printf ("Current list: ");
for (temp=first; temp; temp = temp->next)
printf("%s %d\n", temp->name, temp->counter);
//printf ("The first one in list: %s\n", first->name); - this prints the correct first
}
}

Answer 1

Your error, I think, is the userName array. You should allocate a new one for each element in your linked list. When you write new->name = userName;, you are not copying the name to the struct, you are making the struct point to your userName[10] array. As such every struct's actual "name" is storing only the single last name scanf-ed. That being said...
I generally prefer to write that kind of code with dedicated tools instead of logically embedding them in a loop construct:
Keeping your struct:
typedef struct _user
{
char *name;
int counter;
struct _user *next;
} user;
I would create a function that, given a properly constructed Sll returns a matching element:
function user *user_match_name(user *user_head, const ch *name)
{
user *cur_user = NULL;
/* look for a match */
for (cur_user = user_head ; cur_user ; cur_user = cur_user->next)
if(!strcmp(name,cur_user->name) return cur_user;
/* no match */
return NULL;
}
Then I usually prefer to have an Sll element builder:
function user *create_user(const ch *name)
{
user *new_user;
if(!(new_user = malloc(sizeof(user))))
printf("Error in allocation"); /* or better malloc error handling */
/* IMPORTANT: PROVIDE MEMORY FOR THE NAMES!!! */
if(!(new_user->name = malloc(sizeof(char)*256))) /* sizeof(char) is useless but I like to explicit it like that. And 256 should be enough a buffer could be better made */
printf("Error in allocation"); /* or better malloc error handling */
strncpy(new_user->name, name,256); /* not sure if I got the argument order right... */
new_user->counter = 0; /* or 1 depending on your prefered convention */
new_user->next = NULL;
return new_user;
}
It ease the debugging like you wouldn't believe! Then it's just a matter of rewriting your main function:
int main() {
char userName [10];
int found = 0, go_on = 1;
user *user_head = NULL, *new_user,*temp;
while (go_on == 1) {
printf ("Username: ");
scanf("%s", userName);
if( (new_user = user_match_name(user_head,userName)) )
++new_user->counter
else
new_user = create_user(userName);
/* Here we push on the Sll */
if(user_head){
new_user->next = user_head;
user_head = new_user;
} else {
user_head = new_user;
}
printf ("Go on? (1/0)");
scanf("%d", &go_on);
printf ("Current list: ");
for (temp = user_head; temp; temp = temp->next)
printf("%s %d\n", temp->name, temp->counter);
//printf ("The first one in list: %s\n", first->name); - this prints the correct first
}
}
Ahhhhhh! Much easier to read. Be mindful of: 1) I didn't compile check the code. The important ideas are there, leverage them. 2) Even in your previous implementation, you are white space vulnerable but that's somewhat another topic.
Or you could cimply fix it by doing:
typedef struct _user
{
char name[10];
int counter;
struct _user *next;
} user;
and strncpy(new->name,userName,10) instead of assigning the pointer.