Compare user input with text file in C - c

Question

I need to have a user input a word then compare the word with a text file to see if it is correct. The user has 3 attempts to enter the word before the program terminates. My issue is reading the word from the file I know it's something simple that I have wrong. I should also clarify that the error I'm getting is in the compiler I haven't gotten to the point of being able to compare the strings yet!
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
int main(void)
{
FILE *fp;
fp = fopen("secret.txt","r");
char guess[10];
const char secret[10];
int i, c;
c = getc(fp);
fgets(secret, sizeof(secret), fp);
for (i=0; i < 3; i++)
{
printf("Please guess the word: \n");
scanf("%s", guess);
while (c !=EOF)
{
if (strcmp(secret,guess)==0)
{
printf("Your guess was correct");
return 0;
}
else
{
printf("Your guess was incorrect. Please try again\n");
}
}
fclose (fp);
}
return 0;
}

Answer 1

Here are some pointers:
c = getc(fp) consumes the first character of the file, so it never becomes part of the secret variable.
If secret.txt contains a newline, the newline is read into the secret variable.
The while (c != EOF) loop seems pointless, since c isn't modified inside the loop. Furthermore, the infinite nature of the loop prevents the outer for loop from functioning correctly.
If I were you, I'd fix the while loop and would make sure that secret is read correctly, for example by printing it out or examining it in a debugger.

Answer 2

What is
c = getc(fp);
needed for? My "guess" would be that you read the first character of the word into c and then secret misses the first character.
EDIT: Instead of using getc for EOF checking, which as said corrupts the read word (and this while loop is rubbish anyway), just check the return value of fgets:
if(fgets(secret, sizeof(secret), fp) == NULL)
//file is empty or other error occurred
and remove this infinite while(c != EOF) loop.
So it should rather look something like:
FILE *fp = fopen("secret.txt","r");
char guess[10];
const char secret[10];
int i;
if(fgets(secret, sizeof(secret), fp) == NULL)
{
printf("Error while reading file\n");
return -1;
}
fclose(fp);
for (i=0; i < 3; i++)
{
printf("Please guess the word: \n");
scanf("%s", guess);
if (strcmp(secret,guess) == 0)
{
printf("Your guess was correct");
return 0;
}
else
printf("Your guess was incorrect. Please try again\n");
}
return 0;

Answer 3

Your code is grossly off: you do not alter 'c' inside a loop, making it spin indefinitely. It's a good idea to sketch your algorithm on a piece of paper before you start coding. In your case, pseudocode should look like this:
Open file
Read the secret
Close file
Repeat three times:
--- Display the prompt
--- Read user input
--- If user input matches the secret, congratulate the user and exit.
Tell the user his guess was incorrect.
At this point, converting it to C should be more or less mechanical. Good luck!

Answer 4

while (c !=EOF)
{
if (strcmp(secret,guess)==0)
{
printf("Your guess was correct");
return 0;
}
else
{
printf("Your guess was incorrect. Please try again\n");
}
}
looks like an infinite loop to me