implementing strings queue in c: when do I have to use malloc - c

I have tried to implement a strings queue in c.
(Queue using an array)
But I get an unknown fly in my code.
1) I try to assign a string to the queue. Is my logic wrong?
static void enqueueInSearchEngineQueue(const char* res_name) {
if (searchEnginesNamesQueue_ItemsCount <= SEASRCH_ENGINES_QUEUE_MAX_SIZE) {
*searchEnginesNamesQueue[searchEnginesNamesQueue_ItemsCount] = malloc(sizeof(*res_name));
strcpy(searchEnginesNamesQueue[searchEnginesNamesQueue_ItemsCount] ,res_name);
searchEnginesNamesQueue_ItemsCount++;
}
else
{
// freeSearchEngingeQueue();
}
}
static int existInSearchEngingeQueue(const char* res_name) {
int i = 0;
int answer = 0;
for (i; i < searchEnginesNamesQueue_ItemsCount; i++) {
if (strcmp(searchEnginesNamesQueue[i], res_name) == 0) {
answer = 1;
break;
}
}
return answer;
}
static void freeSearchEngingeQueue() {
int i = 0;
for (i; i < searchEnginesNamesQueue_ItemsCount; i++) {
free(searchEnginesNamesQueue[i]);
}
searchEnginesNamesQueue_ItemsCount = 0;
}
static void searchEnginesIcons_download_callback(const char* res_name,
int success, void *context, char *last_modified) {
if (success) {
if (!existInSearchEngingeQueue(res_name)) {
enqueueInSearchEngineQueue(res_name);
#ifdef ANDROID
DriveToNativeManager_refreshSearchEnginesIconsOnSearchActivity(res_name);
#elif defined(IPHONE)
//TODO
refreshIconsOnSearchActivity();
#endif
}
}
}
2) callbacks from other part of my code fill the queue.
I have thought to use a memory on the stack, would it work or malloc is a must?

Yes, your code is broken.
You cannot check the length of a string passed to a function as a const char * using sizeof, you need to call strlen(), and add 1 for the terminator to figure out how memory to malloc().
The value of sizeof *res_name is constant, and simply sizeof (char), i.e. 1. So you are overwriting memory wildly, which causes undefined behavior.

This looks wrong:
*searchEnginesNamesQueue[searchEnginesNamesQueue_ItemsCount] = malloc(sizeof(*res_name));
You don't show the type definition, but the leading * is highly suspicious. Did you really want a dereference there? If that is deliberate, then it looks like it's missing on the following line, and elsewhere.
Also, that's not the way to get a length of a string. Use strlen instead.
Try this:
searchEnginesNamesQueue[searchEnginesNamesQueue_ItemsCount] = malloc(strlen(res_name)+1);

Related

Dynamically increasing C string's size

I'm currently creating a program that captures user's keypresses and stores them in a string. I wanted the string that stores the keypresses to be dynamic, but i came across a problem.
My current code looks something like this:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
typedef struct Foo {
const char* str;
int size;
} Foo;
int main(void)
{
int i;
Foo foo;
foo.str = NULL;
foo.size = 0;
for (;;) {
for (i = 8; i <= 190; i++) {
if (GetAsyncKeyState(i) == -32767) { // if key is pressed
foo.str = (char*)realloc(foo.str, (foo.size + 1) * sizeof(char)); // Access violation reading location xxx
sprintf(foo.str, "%s%c", foo.str, (char)i);
foo.size++;
}
}
}
return 0;
}
Any help would be appreciated, as I don't have any ideas anymore. :(
Should I maybe also allocate the Foo object dynamically?
First, in order to handle things nicely, you need to define
typedef struct Foo {
char* str;
int size
} Foo;
Otherwise, Foo is really annoying to mutate properly - you invoke undefined behaviour by modifying foo->str after the realloc call in any way.
The seg fault is actually caused by sprintf(foo.str, "%s%c", foo.str, (char)i);, not the call to realloc. foo.str is, in general, not null-terminated.
In fact, you're duplicating work by calling sprintf at all. realloc already copies all the characters previously in f.str, so all you have to do is add a single character via
f.str[size] = (char) i;
Edit to respond to comment:
If we wanted to append to strings (or rather, two Foos) together, we could do that as follows:
void appendFoos(Foo* const first, const Foo* const second) {
first->str = realloc(first->str, (first->size + second->size) * (sizeof(char)));
memcpy(first->str + first->size, second->str, second->size);
first->size += second->size;
}
The appendFoos function modifies first by appending second onto it.
Throughout this code, we leave Foos as non-null terminated. However, to convert to a string, you must add a final null character after reading all other characters.
const char *str - you declare the pointer to const char. You cant write to the referenced object as it invokes UB
You use sprintf just to add the char. It makes no sense.
You do not need a pointer in the structure.
You need to set compiler options to compile **as C language" not C++
I would do it a bit different way:
typedef struct Foo {
size_t size;
char str[1];
} Foo;
Foo *addCharToFoo(Foo *f, char ch);
{
if(f)
{
f = realloc(f, sizeof(*f) + f -> size);
}
else
{
f = realloc(f, sizeof(*f) + 1);
if(f) f-> size = 0
}
if(f) //check if realloc did not fail
{
f -> str[f -> size++] = ch;
f -> str[f -> size] = 0;
}
return f;
}
and in the main
int main(void)
{
int i;
Foo *foo = NULL, *tmp;
for (;;)
{
for (i = 8; i <= 190; i++)
{
if (GetAsyncKeyState(i) == -32767) { // if key is pressed
if((tmp = addCharToFoo(f, i))
{
foo = tmp;
}
else
/* do something - realloc failed*/
}
}
}
return 0;
}
sprintf(foo.str, "%s%c", foo.str, (char)i); is ill-formed: the first argument cannot be const char *. You should see a compiler error message.
After fixing this (make str be char *), then the behaviour is undefined because the source memory read by the %s overlaps with the destination.
Instead you would need to use some other method to append the character that doesn't involve overlapping read and writes (e.g. use the [ ] operator to write the character and don't forget about null termination).

Segmentation fault on double pointer dereference

The following code works fine without the statement d = *dummy; which is a double pointer dereference. However if this line is present, a segmentation fault occurs. Why so?
The code allocates and initializes memory for data structs dynamically. I was trying to simplify access to the returned pointer-to-pointer.
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
typedef struct s_dummy {
char dummy_number;
} Dummy;
int mock_read_from_external_source() {
return 4;
}
int load_dummies(Dummy** dummies, int* num_of_dummies) {
*num_of_dummies = mock_read_from_external_source();
*dummies = (Dummy*) calloc(*num_of_dummies, sizeof(Dummy));
if (!dummies) {
return 1; // allocation unsuccessful
}
// Iterate dummies and assign their values...
for (int i = 0; i < *num_of_dummies; i++) {
(*dummies + i)->dummy_number = i;
}
return 0;
}
void main() {
Dummy** dummies;
Dummy* d;
int num_of_dummies = 0;
int *p_num_of_dummies = &num_of_dummies;
int err;
err = load_dummies(dummies, p_num_of_dummies);
// Segmentation fault occurs when dummies is dereferenced
d = *dummies;
if (err) {
exit(err);
}
for (int i = 0; i < num_of_dummies; i++) {
printf("Dummy number: %d\n", (*dummies + i)->dummy_number);
}
}
Thanks in advance.
You are getting the fault because of UB, in part caused by trying to use variable objects without memory. dummies, although created as a Dummies **, has never been provided memory. At the very least, your compiler should have warned you about dummies not being initialized in this call:
err = load_dummies(dummies, p_num_of_dummies);
This is easily addressed by simply initializing the variable when it is created:
Dummy** dummies = {0}; //this initialization eliminates compile time warnings
^^^^^
Then come the run-time errors. The first is called a fatal run-time on my system, which means the OS refused to continue because of a serious problem, in this case an attempt to dereference a null pointer in this line:
dummies = (Dummy) calloc(*num_of_dummies, sizeof(Dummy));
Because you created a Dummy ** called dummies, the first step is to create memory for the pointer to pointers dummies, then create memory for the several instances of dummies[i] that will result. Only then can the members of any of them be written to.
Here is one method illustrating how memory can be created for a Dummies pointer to pointers, ( d ) and several Dummies instances ( d[i] ):
Dummy ** loadDummies(int numPointers, int numDummiesPerPointer)
{
int i;
Dummy **d = {0};
d = malloc(numPointers * sizeof(Dummy *));//Create Dummies **
if(!d) return NULL;
for(i=0;i<numPointers;i++)
{ //Now create Dummies *
d[i] = malloc(numDummiesPerPointer*sizeof(Dummy)); //random size for illustration
if(!d[i]) return NULL;
}
return d;
}
In your main function, which by the way should really be prototyped at a minimum as: int main(void){...}, this version of loadDummies could be called like this:
...
Dummies **dummies = loadDummies(4, 80);
if(!dummies) return -1;//ensure allocation of memory worked before using `dummies`.
...
After using this collection of dummies, be sure to free all of them in the reverse order they were created. Free all instances of dummies[0]-dummies[numPointers-1] first, then free the pointer to pointers, dummies
void freeDummies(Dummy **d, int numPointers)
{
int i;
for(i=0;i<numPointers;i++)
{
if(d[i]) free(d[i]);
}
if(d) free(d);
}
Called like this:
freeDummies(dummies, 4);
dummies was never assigned a value, so de-referencing will attempt to reach some random memory which is almost certainly not going to be part of your program's allocated memory. You should have assigned it to &d.
But you don't even need to do that. Just use &d once when you call the function.
Also, if you return the number of dummies allocated instead of 1/0, you can simplify your code. Something like the below (not tested):
#include <stdio.h>
int mock_read_from_external_source() {
return 10;
}
typedef struct Dummy {
int dummy_number;
} Dummy;
int load_dummies(Dummy** dummies) {
int want, i = 0;
if((want = mock_read_from_external_source()) > 0) {
*dummies = (Dummy*) calloc(want, sizeof(Dummy));
if(*dummies) {
// Iterate dummies and assign their values...
for (i = 0; i < want; i++) {
(*dummies)[i].dummy_number = i;
}
}
}
return i;
}
int main() {
Dummy* d = NULL;
int num_of_dummies = load_dummies(&d); // when &d is de-referenced, changes are reflected in d
if(num_of_dummies > 0) {
for (int i = 0; i < num_of_dummies; i++) {
printf("Dummy number: %d\n", d[i].dummy_number);
}
}
if(d) { // clean up
free(d);
}
return 0;
}

How to get a function to return a string?

How do we return a string from a function?
I'm just beginning to learn to use the string functions and malloc, basically, i'm trying to get:
ef = 11101111
as an output.
Here's what i've tried.
#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include<string.h>
const int MAXWORD = 2;
char hexToBinary(char hex[MAXWORD]);
int main()
{
char hex[MAXWORD] = {'e','f'};
printf("%s = %s\n", hex, hexToBinary(hex));
return 0;
}
char hexToBinary(char hex[MAXWORD])
{
char *hexToBn = malloc( (MAXWORD-1) * sizeof(char) );
char *convertedString = malloc( (MAXWORD-1) * sizeof(char) );
for(int i=0 ; i<MAXWORD ; ++i)
{
if(hex[i] == 'e' || hex[i] == 'E')
{
strcpy(hexToBn, "1110");
}
if(hex[i] == 'f' || hex[i] == 'F')
{
strcpy(hexToBn, "1111");
}
strcat(convertedString, hexToBn);
}
return convertedString;
}
If you would like to make a function that returns a C string, declare it returning char*:
char *hexToBinary(char hex[MAXWORD]) {
...
}
This is not ideal, because it creates a possibility of a memory leak. In fact, your code would leak a string, because you never free what's allocated in malloc.
You should either fix the leak by capturing the return value and calling free once you are done with it, or use the buffer+length API pattern:
char *bin = hexToBinary(hex);
printf("%s = %s\n", hex, bin);
free(bin);
An alternative API would look like this:
void hexToBinary(char hex[], char bin[], int len) {
... // Users pass the output buffer bin and its length len
}
Couple ways to do so:
1: Allocate string on the heap and pass it to the caller. The caller ensures the string is delete using free.
char * get_str()
{
char * str = malloc(string_length + 1);
// Do something
return str;
}
2: pass the string to the function
void update_string(char * input, int length)
{
// modify string
}
Declare the return type as char*. Then use it like you would.
Note: you may have to do other things to your code. I just said the first thing I saw at a glance. Also, you need to make sure that your memory is deallocated with free when you are done with it.

Struct member corrupted after passed but not after passed again

I'm having some very strange bug in my ANSI C program.
I'm using debugger and I've observed that 'size' variable is corrupted in function 'doSthing.' Outside of 'doSthing' 'size' got a proper value, but inside 'doSthing' I've got a value nothing similar to what it should be, possibly some random data. This would be not be such a mystery but...
In 'doAnotherThing' which is called from 'doSthing' I get the proper value again. I suppose if it passes the correct value, it is not corrupted anyway, am I wrong? But then why does it have a different value?
The pointer in struct does not change inside the functions.
Memory is allocated for both oTV and oTV->oT.
I really don't see what's happening here...
typedef struct{
ownType *oT[] /* array of pointers */
int size;
} ownTypeVector;
void doSthing(ownTypeVector* oTV);
void doAnotherThing(ownTypeVector* oTV);
void doSthing(ownTypeVector* oTV)
{
...
doAnotherThing(oTV);
...
}
Thanks for your comments, I collected all the code that contains control logic and data structures so that it compiles. It runs on in an embedded systems, that can receive characters from multiple sources, builds strings from it by given rules and after the strings are ready, calls a function that needs that string. This can also be a list of functions. This is why I have function pointers - I can use the same logic for a bunch of things simply by choosing functions outside the 'activityFromCharacters' function.
Here I build a data structre with them by adding A-s, B-s and C-s to the AVector.
Of course every one of these separate sources has their own static strings so that they do not bother each other.
The problem again in the more detailed version of the code:
'aV->size' has got a proper value everywhere, except 'handleCaGivenWay.' Before it gets calles, 'aV->size' is ok, in 'addA' 'aV->size' is ok, too. After leaving 'handleCaGivenWay' it is ok again.
#define NUMBER_OF_AS 1
#define NUMBER_OF_BS 5
#define NUMBER_OF_CS 10
typedef struct{
char name[81];
} C;
typedef struct{
C *c[NUMBER_OF_CS]; /* array of pointers */
int size;
int index;
} B;
typedef struct{
B *b[NUMBER_OF_BS]; /* array of pointers */
char name[81];
int size;
} A;
typedef struct{
A *a[NUMBER_OF_AS]; /* array of pointers */
int size;
} AVector;
typedef struct {
char *string1;
char *string2;
} stringBundle;
typedef struct{
void (*getCharacter)(char *buffer);
void (*doSthingwithC)(stringBundle* strings,AVector* aV);
AVector* aV;
} functionBundle;
void getCharFromaGivenPort(char *buffer)
{
//...
}
void addA(AVector * aV, stringBundle* strings)
{
aV->a[aV->size]->size = 0;
++aV->size;
int i = 0;
if(strlen(strings->string2) < 81)
{
for(i;i<81;++i)
{
aV->a[aV->size-1]->name[i] = strings->string2[i];
}
}
else {report("Too long name for A:");
report(strings->string2);}
}
void handleCaGivenWay(stringBundle* strings,AVector* aV)
{
A* a;
a = NULL;
if(aV->size) { a = aV->a[aV->size-1]; }
switch(1)
{
case 1: addA(aV,strings); break;
case 2: //addB()...
default: if (a && aV->size)
{ //addC(a->thr[a->size-1],c);
}
else report("A or B or C invalid");
break;
}
//handleCaGivenWay
}
void activityFromCharacters(stringBundle* strings,functionBundle* funcbundle)
{
/* some logic making strings from characters by */
/* looking at certain tokens */
(* funcbundle->doSthingwithC)(strings,funcbundle->aV);
}
//activityFromCharacters
AVector* initializeAVector(void)
{
AVector* aV;
if (NULL == (aV = calloc(1,sizeof(AVector))))
{ report("Cannot allocate memory for aVector."); }
int i = 0;
int j = 0;
int k = 0;
for(i; i < NUMBER_OF_AS; ++i)
{
if (NULL == (aV->a[i] = calloc(1,sizeof(A))))
{ report("Cannot allocate memory for As."); }
aV->a[i]->size = 0;
aV->a[i]->name[0] = 0;
for(j; j < NUMBER_OF_BS; ++j)
{
if (NULL == (aV->a[i]->b[j] = calloc(1,sizeof(B))))
{ report("Cannot allocate memory for Bs."); }
aV->a[i]->b[j]->size = 0;
for(k; k < NUMBER_OF_CS; ++k)
{
if (NULL == (aV->a[i]->b[j]->c[k] = calloc(1,sizeof(C))))
{ report("Cannot allocate memory for Cs."); }
}
}
}
aV->size = 0;
return aV;
//initializeProgramVector
}
int main (void)
{
AVector* aV;
aV = initializeAVector();
while(1)
{
static stringBundle string;
static char str1[81];
static char str2[81];
string.string1 = str1;
string.string2 = str2;
functionBundle funcbundle;
funcbundle.getCharacter = &getCharFromaGivenPort;
funcbundle.doSthingwithC = &handleCaGivenWay;
funcbundle.aV = aV;
activityFromCharacters(&string,&funcbundle);
}
//main
}
your code shows that it hasn't any error...
But i think you are doing mistake in getting the value of size in doSthing function.
you are printing there its address. so concentrate on some pointer stuff..
Try printing the oTV->size just before the call and as the first statement in doSthing function. If you get the correct value in both print, then the problem is with the function doSthing. Problem could be better understood if you've shown the code that calls doSthing.
Searched a long time to find this. I found 2 problems, but dont know what exactly you are trying to accomplish so i cannot tell for certain that the fix'es i propose are what you intend.
typedef struct{
A *a[NUMBER_OF_AS]; /* array of pointers */
int size;
} AVector;
// and in addA():
aV->a[aV->size]->size = 0;
First: You are inlining the array of pointers in the struct. What i think what you want and need is a pointer to a pointer array so that it can grow which is what you want in addA() i think. The line from addA() aV->a[aV->size]->size = 0; does not communicate your intention very well but it looks like you are trying to change the value beyond the last entry in the array and since it is inlined in the struct it would result to the separate field size by pure coincidence on some alignments; this is a very fragile way of programming. So what i propose is this. Change the struct to contain A** a; // pointer to pointer-array, malloc it initially and re-malloc (and copy) it whenever you need it to grow (in addA()).

using functions in c (return value)

Learning C and having many doubts.
I have a function (lets say function 1) that calls another function (lets say function 2).
Function 2 calculates an array of string.
How can I use this array in function 1?
Some code example:
int find_errors(char* word)
{
char error[100];
/*Given the word, It will find the duplicate chars and store it in the
error array. */
return 0;
}
int find_word(char* word)
{
find_errors (word);
printf("%s\n", error);
return 0;
}
There are at least three possible approaches:
Use a global variable
pass a parameter between them
return a pointer from the function
There are multiple ways to do this.
1) Create a dynamic array and return a pointer to the array. This will require you to manually free the memory for the array at a later time.
#define NUM_ELEMS 50
// In find_error():
char* error = malloc(NUM_ELEMS * sizeof(char));
return error;
// In find_word():
char *error = find_errors();
// do stuff
free(error);
2) Pass a pointer to find_errors that it can use as the error array. This will not require you to manually free the memory.
// In find_word():
char error[NUM_ELEMS];
find_error(error);
3) Use a global array. May make it more difficult for other people to understand your code. Has other potential problems as well.
// In global scope:
char error[NUM_ELEMS];
Your question relates to "call-by-reference" and "call-by-value".
char* getNewValsToSet(void)
{
char* new_vals = (char*) malloc(sizeof(char[5]));
new_vals[4] = '\0';
return new_vals;
}
void setValuesEven(char* vals_to_set)
{
vals_to_set[0] = 'A';
vals_to_set[2] = 'C';
}
void setValuesOdd(char* vals_to_set)
{
vals_to_set[1] = 'B';
vals_to_set[3] = 'D';
}
int main(void)
{
char* some_vals_to_set = getNewValsToSet();
setValsEven(some_vals_to_set);
setValsOdd(some_vals_to_set);
// ... now has vals "ABCD"
free(some_vals_to_set); //cleanup
return 0;
}
If you have "doubts" about learning C, IMHO it's one of the best things you can do (no matter the language in which you work) because it will explain exactly how things work "under-the-hood" (which all high-level languages try to hide to some degree).
You need to declare the error array globally and use it just like you did.
EDIT: using global variables isn't the best practice in most of the cases, like this one.
Here is an example of what you are looking for with an awesome console output. It dynamically allocates the array to hold any number errors (duplicate characters in your case) that may occur.
//Only free errors if result is > 0
int find_errors(char* word, char** errors)
{
int num_errors = 0;
int word_length = strlen(word);
int ARRAY_SIZE = MIN(8, word_length);
char existing[word_length];
int existing_index = 0;
*errors = NULL;
for(int i = 0; i < word_length; i++)
{
char character = word[i];
//Search array
for (int n = 0; n < word_length; ++n ) {
if(n >= existing_index)
{
existing[n] = character;
existing_index++;
break;
}
if (existing[n] == character) {
num_errors++;
if(!*errors)
*errors = (char*)malloc(ARRAY_SIZE * sizeof(char));
//Check if we need to resize array
if(num_errors >= ARRAY_SIZE)
{
ARRAY_SIZE *= 2;
ARRAY_SIZE = MIN(ARRAY_SIZE, word_length);
char *tmp = (char*)malloc(ARRAY_SIZE * sizeof(char));
memcpy(tmp, *errors, (unsigned long)ARRAY_SIZE);
free(*errors);
*errors = tmp;
}
//Set the error character
(*errors)[num_errors - 1] = character;
break;
}
}
}
return num_errors;
}
int find_word(char* word)
{
char* errors;
int errCount = find_errors (word, &errors);
if(errCount > 0)
{
printf("Invalid Characters: ");
for(int i =0; i < errCount; i++)
{
printf("%c ", errors[i]);
}
printf("\n");
free(errors);
}
return 0;
}
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
find_word("YWPEIT");
find_word("Hello World");
find_word("XxxxXXxXXoooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooOOO");
}

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