Programming Forums > Application Development > C

boxcar182 · Nov 29th, 2006, 6:16 PM

Hello everybody. My first post on this forum and i'm in desperate need of your help.

I'm trying to create a program that will count the number of words in a string. Things that are considered part of a word are any letter or punctuation.

My code right now is: (With TRUE = 1, FALSE = 0)

(Toggle Plain Text)

int count_words(const char *string)
{
  int i = 0;  /*counter for loop*/
  int length = mystrlen(string); /*determine the length of the string */
  int words = 0; /*gives the total number of words in the string */
  int gate;
 
  
  for(; i < length; i++, string++)
  {
   if(*string == ' ' || '\n' || '\t')
   {
     gate = FALSE;
   }
   else if (*string == ('a' <= *string && *string <= 'z') || ('A' <= *string && *string <= 'Z'))
   {
     gate = TRUE;
   }
   if(--gate == TRUE && gate == FALSE)
   {
     words++;
   } 
  }  
  return words;

I was trying to count spaces but the problem that i'm getting is that if i do count spaces for one example:
|This is a simple string.|

my word count is 4 which makes sense. If i were to add 2 it wouldn't be correct. Also i have to check for tabs and newlines, and also there are going to be multiple spaces and tabs and other junk.

What i was trying to do was have two things, TRUE or FALSE. When the value was correct (i.e. when the string was a-z or A-Z) the result would be TRUE. When it's a space, tab, or newline it would be FALSE.

Now the problem i think i'm having is that i'm trying to figure out how to write the code to determine if the previous result was TRUE and it is now FALSE add 1 to word count.

If anyone knows what i'm doing wrong please respond. Thanks in advance!

Sane · Nov 29th, 2006, 9:28 PM

If you want to know what the previous result was, make a "lastGate" variable that is assigned the value of "gate" at the very end of the for loop.

That way, you can check for multiple spaces, as you mentioned earlier, with:

(Toggle Plain Text)

if (lastGate == TRUE && gate == FALSE)

Don't forget to initiate "lastGate" with a default value!

The Dark · Nov 29th, 2006, 9:51 PM

Also this test

(Toggle Plain Text)

   else if (*string == ('a' <= *string && *string <= 'z') || ('A' <= *string && *string <= 'Z'))

The bit in red makes no sense - is it left over from an earlier version. You are comparing char value with a boolean expression.

Also don't forget to initialise gate

andro · Nov 29th, 2006, 10:09 PM

There's 2 things wrong with this bit:

(Toggle Plain Text)

if(*string == ' ' || '\n' || '\t')

First is that it should be *(string+i).

Second, you can't line up the ||'s like that. You need something like:

(Toggle Plain Text)

if(*(string+i) == ' ' || *(string+i) == '\n' || *(string+i) == '\t')

Narfco · Nov 30th, 2006, 12:31 AM

I have something that might help, I will PM you if I find it.

bl00dninja · Nov 30th, 2006, 2:55 AM

strtok?

i don't know, just poking in the dark...

Nov 29th, 2006, 6:16 PM	#1
boxcar182 Newbie Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	Trying to write a program to count words Hello everybody. My first post on this forum and i'm in desperate need of your help. I'm trying to create a program that will count the number of words in a string. Things that are considered part of a word are any letter or punctuation. My code right now is: (With TRUE = 1, FALSE = 0) (Toggle Plain Text) int count_words(const char string) { int i = 0; /counter for loop/ int length = mystrlen(string); /determine the length of the string / int words = 0; /gives the total number of words in the string / int gate; for(; i < length; i++, string++) { if(string == ' ' \|\| '\n' \|\| '\t') { gate = FALSE; } else if (string == ('a' <= string && string <= 'z') \|\| ('A' <= string && string <= 'Z')) { gate = TRUE; } if(--gate == TRUE && gate == FALSE) { words++; } } return words; int count_words(const char string) { int i = 0; /counter for loop/ int length = mystrlen(string); /determine the length of the string / int words = 0; /gives the total number of words in the string / int gate; for(; i < length; i++, string++) { if(string == ' ' \|\| '\n' \|\| '\t') { gate = FALSE; } else if (string == ('a' <= string && string <= 'z') \|\| ('A' <= string && string <= 'Z')) { gate = TRUE; } if(--gate == TRUE && gate == FALSE) { words++; } } return words; I was trying to count spaces but the problem that i'm getting is that if i do count spaces for one example: \|This is a simple string.\| my word count is 4 which makes sense. If i were to add 2 it wouldn't be correct. Also i have to check for tabs and newlines, and also there are going to be multiple spaces and tabs and other junk. What i was trying to do was have two things, TRUE or FALSE. When the value was correct (i.e. when the string was a-z or A-Z) the result would be TRUE. When it's a space, tab, or newline it would be FALSE. Now the problem i think i'm having is that i'm trying to figure out how to write the code to determine if the previous result was TRUE and it is now FALSE add 1 to word count. If anyone knows what i'm doing wrong please respond. Thanks in advance!

Nov 29th, 2006, 9:28 PM	#2
Sane Programming Guru Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,825 Rep Power: 5	If you want to know what the previous result was, make a "lastGate" variable that is assigned the value of "gate" at the very end of the for loop. That way, you can check for multiple spaces, as you mentioned earlier, with: (Toggle Plain Text) if (lastGate == TRUE && gate == FALSE) if (lastGate == TRUE && gate == FALSE) Don't forget to initiate "lastGate" with a default value!

Nov 29th, 2006, 9:51 PM	#3
The Dark Expert Programmer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 824 Rep Power: 4	Also this test (Toggle Plain Text) else if (string == ('a' <= string && string <= 'z') \|\| ('A' <= string && string <= 'Z')) else if (string == ('a' <= string && string <= 'z') \|\| ('A' <= string && string <= 'Z')) The bit in red makes no sense - is it left over from an earlier version. You are comparing char value with a boolean expression. Also don't forget to initialise gate

Nov 29th, 2006, 10:09 PM	#4
andro Professional Programmer Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: California Posts: 294 Rep Power: 3	There's 2 things wrong with this bit: (Toggle Plain Text) if(string == ' ' \|\| '\n' \|\| '\t') if(string == ' ' \|\| '\n' \|\| '\t') First is that it should be (string+i). Second, you can't line up the \|\|'s like that. You need something like: (Toggle Plain Text) if((string+i) == ' ' \|\| (string+i) == '\n' \|\| (string+i) == '\t') if((string+i) == ' ' \|\| (string+i) == '\n' \|\| *(string+i) == '\t')

Nov 30th, 2006, 12:31 AM	#5
Narfco Programmer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 31 Rep Power: 0	I have something that might help, I will PM you if I find it. __________________ www.narfco.com

Nov 30th, 2006, 2:55 AM	#6
bl00dninja Programming Guru Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: namespace std Posts: 1,246 Rep Power: 5	strtok? i don't know, just poking in the dark... __________________ i put on my robe and wizard hat... Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?...Morons.

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Programming Forums > Application Development > C

Trying to write a program to count words