Extension to solution given to a novice

[John A. Weeks III]

In article <1140 at gtenmc.UUCP> csp at gtenmc.UUCP () writes:
> > This proves without doubt 'Ignorance is NOT bliss'.
> But if you insist here is a routine which will handle the input will
> some rigor. 

Is it just me, living in a sheltered world, or is the following
routine gross?

+ #include <stdio.h>
+ #include <malloc.h>
+ #define MEM_ERR 1
+ extern err_no;
+ char *mygets();

+ char *mygets(l,t)
+ unsigned l;
+ char t;   /* String terminator */
+ {
+   char *ptr,c;
+   c = getchar();
+   if (( int )c != -1 && c != t )
+      *( ptr = mygets( l + 1 , t )) = c;
+   else
+   {
+      if (( ptr = malloc( l + 1 )) == ( char * ) NULL )
+	 return( err_no = MEM_ERR , ( char * ) NULL );
+      *( ptr += l ) = 0;
+   }
+   return( ptr - 1 * ( l > 0 ));
+ }

You are using recursion to read a string character by character?  What
if you get a 1k string--have you ever worked on a machine/OS with
limited stack space?  And what is the (int) c != -1?  I think you want
EOF here.  And the cast of c in this check, ever work with a machine
with 8 bit characters, especially signed 8 bit chars?  You could easily
get symbols that map to integer -1 (like in DOS).

I think you are trying to hit a two pound problem with a 5 pound hammer.
No wonder we need risks and sparcs to do jobs that were once done on PDP's.

-john-


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John A. Weeks III               (612) 942-6969             john at newave.mn.org
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