Trying to add a node into a linked list - c

I've been trying to add a new node into a linked list of profiles (for ex. facebook profiles), and I'm getting a runtime error while launching. This is what I got :
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
typedef struct friend {
char *name;
int age;
char gender;
struct friend* next;
} friend;
void node_add(friend* new);
int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
friend amit;
friend *new;
amit.name = "amit";
amit.age = 16;
amit.gender = 'm';
node_add(new);
new->name = "amit";
printf ("name: %s\n", new->name);
system("PAUSE");
return 0;
}
void node_add(friend* new) {
new = (friend* )malloc(sizeof(friend));
friend* head = new;
new -> next = head;
}
I'm trying now to create a delete node function. I tried to find which node does the user wants to delete, and then delete it by doing
delete -> next = delete -> next -> next
The problem is, I need to get for the first node in the list.
Here is what I wrote:
void node_delete(friend* delete) {
friend *temp;
char name[256];
int i = 0, j = 0;
printf ("Please enter the friend's name you want to delete: \n");
fgets (name, 256, stdin);
fgets (name, 256, stdin);
while (0 == (strcmp(temp -> next -> name, delete -> next -> name))) {
temp = friend -> next;
}
temp -> next = temp -> next -> next;
free (delete);
}

Edit:
It seems my test was a mite too quick, because there is in fact a pretty serious problem with this code, but it's subtle:
In main() you are never actually pointing new at anything. It's just a garbled pointer out into memory space, which might sometimes work, and most of the time, is just terrible.
friend *new; // here's your problem; change this to:
friend *new = malloc(sizeof(friend));
Also, never cast the results of malloc.
Reedit:
How a very simple linked list implementation might look:
typedef struct _node node;
struct _node {
void *payload;
node *next;
};
node *create_node () {
node *retval = malloc(sizeof(node));
retval->payload = NULL;
retval->next = NULL;
return retval;
}
node *add_node (node *target) {
if (target->next)
return;
node *next = create_node();
node->next = next;
}
node *node_search (node *haystack, void *needle) {
while (haystack) {
if (!compare(needle, haystack->payload)) {
return haystack;
} else {
haystack = haystack->next;
}
}
return NULL;
}
Implementation of deletion and insertion are left as an exercise to the reader.

Of course, you alloc memory and assign it to local variable.
If you want to change pointer, pass pointer with one more asterix.
And, by the way, do not name anything like friend or new. Its keywords in C++,
and it create not needed problems.

You should have friend *head global.
And in the
void node_add(friend* new)
{
new = (friend* )malloc(sizeof(friend));
new->next = head;
head = new;
}

You should use a double-pointer.
void node_add(friend **new) {
*new = malloc(sizeof(friend));
/* etc */
}

The issue is in the following line:
amit.name = "amit";
You should be a malloc and doing a strcpy()

Related

I cant find the error of my linked list( why is my head pointer moving?)

I have tried so many times to set my head pointer pointing to the first node. At first(in the empty list) it correctly points the first node. But after the first loop, the head pointer points to the newnode linked. Actually now Im quite unsure about my whole code as well.
int main(void){
struct library *head = NULL; //set the head pointer to NULL
int option;
printf("Enter the number:");
while((option = getchar())!= 9){
switch(option){
case '1':
{
char title[1000];
char author[1000];
char subject[1000];
printf("Enter title of the book you want to add:");
scanf("%s",title);
printf("Enter author of the book you want to add:");
scanf("%s",author);
printf("Enter subject of the book you want to add:");
scanf("%s",subject);
add_book(title,author,subject,&head);
printf("successful! and head pointer is pointing to %s\n",head->collection.title);
break;
}
}
}
void add_book(char title[],char author[],char subject[], struct library ** head){
struct library *current;
struct library *newnode = malloc(sizeof(struct library));
newnode->collection.title = title;
newnode->collection.author = author;
newnode->collection.subject = subject; // assigning value inside newnode
newnode->num_books = 0;
newnode->next = NULL; // assign NULL value to the end of newnod
//when the head is NULL which means when the list is empty
if(*head == NULL)
{
current = newnode;
*head = current;
return;
}
else
{
current = *head; //assign the first node to current pointer
//find the last node of the list
while(current->next != NULL)
{
current = current->next;
}
current->next = newnode; // link the last node to new node
return;
}
}
This is struct for this
struct book {
char* title;
char* author;
char* subject;
};
struct library {
struct book collection;
int num_books;
struct library* next;
};
The lifetime of char title[1000];, char author[1000];, and char subject[1000]; ends when execution reaches the end of the block inside case '1': { /* ... */ }. Once this happens, the pointers that were assigned in add_book become dangling pointers - pointing to invalid memory.
To remedy this, you must ensure the lifetime of your strings matches the lifetime of the structures that contain them. This can be done either by allocating enough space in the structure itself
struct book {
char title[1000];
/* etc. */
};
or by dynamically allocating enough space for a copy of each string. In any case you must copy the string to this memory (man 3 strcpy).
If it is available on your system, man 3 strdup does both steps of the second form at once. Otherwise, it is roughly the same as strcpy(malloc(strlen(source_string) + 1), source_string);.
Also note that the scanf specifier %s is as dangerous as gets when used without a field-width specifier (e.g., char buffer[1000]; scanf("%999s", buffer);), as it can potentially overflow your buffer.
An example program. Enter strings one-by-one, and terminate with EOF CTRL+D (Windows: CTRL+Z, RETURN).
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
struct link {
char *string;
/* alternatively: char string[512]; */
struct link *next;
};
void add_link(struct link **root, const char *string) {
struct link *node = calloc(1, sizeof *node);
node->string = strdup(string);
/* alternatively: strcpy(node->string, string) */
if (*root) {
struct link *tail = *root;
while (tail->next)
tail = tail->next;
tail->next = node;
} else
*root = node;
}
int main(void) {
struct link *head = NULL;
while (1) {
char buffer[512];
if (!fgets(buffer, sizeof buffer, stdin))
break;
/* remove newline */
buffer[strcspn(buffer, "\n")] = '\0';
add_link(&head, buffer);
}
for (struct link *node = head, *next; node; node = next) {
next = node->next;
printf("STRING: %s\n", node->string);
free(node->string);
free(node);
}
}
Note: in a real program you should always check the return values of your memory allocating functions (malloc, calloc, strdup, etc.) as they can fail.

Linked List insertion in Beginning

I am trying basic creation of linked list using C. I have written the following code which is working up until first node but fails eventually on second one. I think the issue is where I am trying to display the node values in list separated by arrow(->). I think my logic is right but please correct me. Thanks in advance
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <malloc.h>
struct node
{
int number;
struct node *next;
};
typedef struct node NODE;
NODE *node1, *node2, *start, *save;
int main()
{
node1 = (NODE *)malloc(sizeof(NODE));
int i = 0;
start = NULL;
for(i = 0; i < 3; i++)
{
int inf;
printf("Enter node value:");
scanf("%d", &inf);
node1->number = inf;
node1->next = NULL;
if(start == NULL)
{
start = node1;
save = node1;
}
else
{
// save=start;
// start=node1;
// node1->next=save;
node1->next = start;
start = node1;
}
while(node1 != NULL)
{
printf("%d ->",node1->number);
node1 = node1->next;
}
}
return 0;
}
The issues are
How you're allocating your nodes for insertion (i.e. save for one, you're not).
How they're placed in the list once you fix the above.
Don't cast malloc in C programs (read here for why).
Fail to check the success of your scanf invoke.
Fail to check the success of your malloc invoke
Before you get discouraged, things you did correctly:
Did not mask a node pointer in a typedef
Properly included a MCVE for review
Prospected the things you may be doing wrong.
A very simple example of iterating three values into a linked list would look something like this:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
struct node
{
int number;
struct node *next;
};
typedef struct node NODE;
int main()
{
NODE *head = NULL, *p;
int i = 0;
for(i = 0; i < 3; i++)
{
int inf;
printf("Enter node value:");
if (scanf("%d", &inf) == 1)
{
p = malloc(sizeof *p);
if (p != NULL)
{
p->number = inf;
p->next = head;
head = p;
}
else
{
perror("Failed to allocate new node");
return EXIT_FAILURE;
}
}
else
{
// failed to read data. break
break;
}
// report current linked list
printf("%d", p->number);
for (p=p->next; p; p = p->next)
printf(" -> %d", p->number);
fputc('\n', stdout);
}
// cleanup the linked list
while (head)
{
p = head;
head = head->next;
free(p);
}
head = NULL;
return 0;
}
Input
The values 1 2 3 are input upon being prompted:
Output
Enter node value:1
1
Enter node value:2
2 -> 1
Enter node value:3
3 -> 2 -> 1
Best of luck.
You should use malloc() inside for loop.
Since it is outside, same memory is being used.
As said by Vamsi, you should use malloc to put the nodes on the heap. You also generally shouldn't cast the output of malloc, it isn't needed. And then you could play around with making a doubly-linked list, where you also have a prev pointer inside your struct.

Making of linked list by head and node

here's my code in C for making of linked list. Its giving runtime error after the while loop gets executed for one time. Plz help me in correcting my code. (totally confused that where's the error.) I am making a head node first and then adding child nodes to it.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
typedef struct node nd;
typedef nd *link;
struct node{
int data;
link next;
};
typedef struct {
int size;
link head;
}list;
void create(link temp)
{
link new;
new=(link)malloc(sizeof(nd));
printf("enter data: ");
scanf("%d",new->data);
temp->next=new;
temp=temp->next;
}
list createlist()
{
list sl;
sl.size=0;
sl.head=0;
return sl;
}
int main()
{
list sl;
sl=createlist();
link temp;
temp=sl.head;
char c;
while (1)
{
printf("Add node?: ");
scanf(" %c",&c);
if (c=='y')
{
create(temp);
sl.size++;
}
else
break;
}
return 0;
}
your createlist() function is returning a reference to a local variable that goes out of scope after it returns. You should instead return a heap based value:
list* createlist() {
list* sl = (list*)malloc(sizeof(list));
sl->size=0;
sl->head=0;
return sl;
}
Initially temp points to NULL. temp = sl.head;
In create(temp) temp->next = new;
You are dereferencing a NULL, address 0x0. I get a segmentation fault when I do that.
Need to change the algorithm.
A debugger shows this problem immediately.
You could use a pointer to pointer for temp. It would be easier to read if you didn't use a typedef for a pointer to node. I haven't tested this, but it should be close:
nd ** create(nd **temp)
{
nd *new;
new=(nd *)malloc(sizeof(nd)); /* this cast shouldn't be needed */
printf("enter data: ");
scanf("%d",&(new->data));
new->next = NULL;
*temp = new;
return &(new->next);
}
/* ... */
int main()
{
nd **temp;
temp = &(sl.head);
/* ... */
temp = create(temp);
/* ... */
}

All Nodes in a linked list point to same object

The problem is somewhere in here....
char buffer[80];
char *name;
while (1) {
fgets(buffer, 80, inf); //reads in at most 80 char from a line
if (feof(inf)) //this checks to see if the special EOF was read
break; //if so, break out of while and continue with your main
name = (char *) malloc(sizeof(char)*20);
....
name = strtok(buffer, " ");//get first token up to space
stock = newStock(name,...)
....
}
I'm working in C with generic linked lists. I made a list implementation that I've tested and know works with chars. I'm trying to add stocks (I created a stock struct) to the linked list, with each node of the linked list holding a stock struct, but when I finish reading in the stocks all of the nodes point to the same struct and I can't figure out why. Here's some snippets of my code
list *list = malloc(sizeof(list));
newList(list, sizeof(stock_t));
while(1) {
...
(read from file)
...
stock_t *stock;
stock = newStock(name, closes, opens, numshares, getPriceF, getTotalDollarAmountF,getPercentChangeF,toStringF);
addToBack(list, stock);
}
Here's the newStock function:
stock_t *newStock(char *name, float closingSharePrice, float openingSharePrice, int numberOfShares, getPrice getP, getTotalDollarAmount getTotal, getPercentChange getPercent, toString toStr) {
stock_t *stock = malloc(sizeof(stock));
stock->stockSymbol = name;
stock->closingSharePrice = closingSharePrice;
stock->openingSharePrice = openingSharePrice;
stock->numberOfShares = numberOfShares;
stock->getP = getP;
stock->getTotal = getTotal;
stock->getPercent = getPercent;
stock->toStr = toStr;
return stock;
}
In a way I see what's wrong. newStock returns a new pointer every time, but it always gets stored in the variable 'stock' which is what every node points to, so it's going to be equal to whatever the last pointer newStock returned was...but I don't see the way around this. I tried having newStock return just a stock_t, and doing addToBack(list, &stock), but that didn't solve the problem either.
Any help would be appreciated!
Here is some code from the list:
typedef struct node {
void *data;
struct node *next;
}node_t;
typedef struct {
int length;
int elementSize;
node_t *head;
node_t *tail;
} list;
void newList(list *list, int elementSize) {
assert(elementSize > 0);
list->length = 0;
list->elementSize = elementSize;
list->head = list->tail = NULL;
}
void addToBack(list *list, void *element) {
node_t *node = malloc(sizeof(node_t));
node->data = malloc(list->elementSize);
node->next = NULL; //back node
memcpy(node->data, element, list->elementSize);
if (list->length == 0) { //if first node added
list->head = list->tail = node;
}
else {
list->tail->next = node;
list->tail = node;
}
list->length++;
}
Here's code from the stock struct:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <ctype.h>
typedef float (*getPrice)(void *S);
typedef float (*getTotalDollarAmount)(void *S);
typedef float (*getPercentChange)(void *S);
typedef char *(*toString)(void *S);
typedef struct stock{
char *stockSymbol;
float closingSharePrice;
float openingSharePrice;
int numberOfShares;
getPrice getP;
getTotalDollarAmount getTotal;
getPercentChange getPercent;
toString toStr;
}stock_t;
The generic functions probably seem like overkill but this is for homework (if you couldn't tell already) so we were asked to specifically use them. I don't think that has anything to do with the problem though.
Here are the definitions for those functions anyway
float getPriceF(void *S) {
stock_t *stock = (stock_t*)S;
return stock->closingSharePrice;
}
float getTotalDollarAmountF(void *S) {
stock_t *stock = (stock_t*)S;
return ((stock->closingSharePrice) * (stock->numberOfShares));
}
float getPercentChangeF(void *S) {
stock_t *stock = (stock_t*)S;
return ((stock->closingSharePrice - stock->openingSharePrice)/(stock->openingSharePrice));
}
char *toStringF(void *S) {
stock_t* stock = (stock_t*)S;
char *name = malloc(20*sizeof(char));
//sprintf(name, "Symbol is: %s. ", (stock->stockSymbol));
return stock->stockSymbol;
}
void printStock(void *S) {
char *str = toStringF(S);
printf("%s \n", str);
}
And this is how I'm traversing the list:
typedef void (*iterate)(void *); //this is in the list.h file, just putting it here to avoid confusion
void traverse(list *list, iterate iterator) {
assert(iterator != NULL);
node_t *current = list->head;
while (current != NULL) {
iterator(current->data);
current = current->next;
}
}
And then in my main I just called
traverse(list, printStock);
I can't find any problems with your code (that would cause your problem, anyway - there are places where you don't check the return from malloc() and stuff like that, but those are not relevant to this question). You don't supply the definition of stock_t, so I made a new data struct, and a new couple of functions, otherwise I just copied and pasted the code you provided:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <assert.h>
/* Your code starts here */
typedef struct node {
void *data;
struct node *next;
}node_t;
typedef struct {
int length;
int elementSize;
node_t *head;
node_t *tail;
} list;
void newList(list *list, int elementSize) {
assert(elementSize > 0);
list->length = 0;
list->elementSize = elementSize;
list->head = list->tail = NULL;
}
void addToBack(list *list, void *element) {
node_t *node = malloc(sizeof(node_t));
node->data = malloc(list->elementSize);
node->next = NULL; //back node
memcpy(node->data, element, list->elementSize);
if (list->length == 0) { //if first node added
list->head = list->tail = node;
}
else {
list->tail->next = node;
list->tail = node;
}
list->length++;
}
/* Your code ends here */
/* I made a new struct, rather than stock, since you didn't supply it */
struct mydata {
int num1;
int num2;
};
/* I use this instead of newStock(), but it works the same way */
struct mydata * newNode(const int a, const int b) {
struct mydata * newdata = malloc(sizeof *newdata);
if ( newdata == NULL ) {
fputs("Error allocating memory", stderr);
exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}
newdata->num1 = a;
newdata->num2 = b;
return newdata;
}
/* I added this function to check the list is good */
void printList(list * list) {
struct node * node = list->head;
int n = 1;
while ( node ) {
struct mydata * data = node->data;
printf("%d: %d %d\n", n++, data->num1, data->num2);
node = node->next;
}
}
/* Main function */
int main(void) {
list *list = malloc(sizeof(list));
newList(list, sizeof(struct mydata));
struct mydata * data;
data = newNode(1, 2);
addToBack(list, data);
data = newNode(3, 4);
addToBack(list, data);
data = newNode(5, 6);
addToBack(list, data);
printList(list);
return 0;
}
which outputs this:
paul#MacBook:~/Documents/src$ ./list
1: 1 2
2: 3 4
3: 5 6
paul#MacBook:~/Documents/src$
demonstrating that you have a 3 node list, with all nodes different and where you'd expect them to be.
Either there is some other problem in code you're not showing, or for some reason you are thinking each node points to the same struct when it actually doesn't.
One possibility is that you have a char * data member in your stock struct. It's impossible to tell from the code you provided, but it's possible that you really are creating different nodes, but they all end up pointing to the same name, so they just look like they're the same. If you're assigning a pointer to name, you should make sure it's freshly allocated memory each time, and that you're not just, for instance, strcpy()ing into the same memory and assigning the same address to each stock struct.
EDIT: Looks like that was your problem. This:
name = (char *) malloc(sizeof(char)*20);
....
name = strtok(buffer, " ");
should be:
name = (char *) malloc(sizeof(char)*20);
....
strcpy(name, strtok(buffer, " "));
Right now, you malloc() new memory and store a reference to it in name, but then you lose that reference and your memory when you overwrite it with the address returned from strtok(). Instead, you need to copy that token into your newly allocated memory, as shown.

Trouble with insertion of C string into linked list

I am writing a program to read a file and then store the data into a linked List.
linkedList.h
#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdbool.h>
struct linked_list
{
char *stock_name;
double stock_price;
struct linked_list *next;
};
typedef struct linked_list NODE;
NODE* insert(NODE *head, double stock_price, char *stock_name);
void printList(NODE *head);
linkedList.c
#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdbool.h>
#include"linkedList.h"
void printList(NODE *head)
{
NODE *this = head;
while(this != NULL)
{
printf("stock name:%s , stock price:%lf\n", this->stock_name, this->stock_price);
this = this->next;
}
}
NODE* insert(NODE *head, double stock_price, char *stock_name)
{
NODE *newNode = malloc(sizeof(NODE));
if(head == NULL)
{
newNode->stock_price = stock_price;
newNode->stock_name = stock_name;
head = newNode;
}
else
{
newNode->stock_price = stock_price;
newNode->stock_name = stock_name;
newNode->next = head;
head = newNode;
}
return head;
}
main.c
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdbool.h>
#include <string.h>
#include "linkedList.h"
NODE *head;
bool headNode = true;
void insertIntoLinkedList(char *stock_name, double stock_price);
int main ( int argc, char *argv[] )
{
head = malloc(sizeof(NODE));
double stock_price;
char stock_name[100];
int stock_name_counter = 0;
**..then I read the file..**
stock_name[stock_name_counter] = '\0'; //to end my C string
stock_name_counter = 0; //this is used for reading char
insertIntoLinkedList(stock_name, stock_price); //I double checked here,the name and price is correct
**......**
printList(head); //**Not the output I want**
fclose( file );
void insertIntoLinkedList(char *m_stock_name, double m_stock_price)
{
if(headNode == true)
{
head = insert(NULL, m_stock_price, m_stock_name);
headNode = false; //this is used to insert data to my linked list for the first time
}
else
{
head = insert(head, m_stock_price, m_stock_name);
}
}
Here is the problem: if the file contains:
YAHOO 120
GOOGLE 10
APPLE 199
my printList() gave me this:
APPLE 120
APPLE 10
APPLE 199
I have been trying to debug for hours and still cannot figure why the name is not stored in my linked list properly(but the price is store properly..)...any help will be appreciate :)
The address of stock_name in main is always constant through out the program and you store that address to newNode->stock_name and so you will always get the last stored string in stock_name.
Modification
NODE* insert(NODE *head, double stock_price, char *stock_name)
{
NODE *newNode = malloc(sizeof(NODE));
newNode->stock_name = malloc(strlen(stock_name)+1);
if(head == NULL)
{
newNode->stock_price = stock_price;
strcpy(newNode->stock_name, stock_name);
head = newNode;
}
else
{
newNode->stock_price = stock_price;
strcpy(newNode->stock_name, stock_name);
newNode->next = head;
head = newNode;
}
return head;
}
Don't forget to free the allocated memory.
You need to make a copy of the string stored in stock_name when you call insert. As is, all the nodes point to the same buffer, and every time you read a new line, you overwrite the buffer. In the end, this means that all of the nodes have the text APPLE because that's the last content that's read into the shared buffer. If you either copy the buffer's contents (instead of just the pointer to the buffer) or allocate a new buffer every time you read from the file, this will be fixed.
Your basic problem is that C does not have a "String" type. A string is simple an array of characters, and an array "decays" to a pointer when used as an argument to a function. Based on the way you're using it, your insert() function should do a second malloc() to allocate storage for the string and use strdup() or similar to store it.
Your other problem is that you've got a logic flaw in the insert() function. You aren't initializing newNode->next if head is NULL. You should be doing newNode->next = head either way. If it's NULL, good. Your list tail will then not be pointing at an indeterminate place.

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