Some String Functions from

<string.h>
Function Purpose
strlen Returns the number of characters in a string
strcpy Makes a copy of a string
strncpy Makes a copy of a string
strcat Appends a string to the end of another string

Lecture 15 strncat
strcmp
Appends a string to the end of another string
Compare two strings alphabetically
Strings
strncmp Compare two strings alphabetically
CSE115: Programming Language I

strlen example String Assignment

#include <stdio.h> • Strings can not be assigned using the assignment
#include <string.h>
operator ‘=’.
int main() char str[20];
{
char someStr[100] = "I love Bangladesh"; str = “Test String”; not valid.
int n; • String copy
n = strlen("Hello world"); strcpy(destination, source)
printf("Length of Hello world = %d\n",n);
n = strlen(someStr);
printf("Length of %s = %d\n",someStr, n);
gets(someStr);
n = strlen(someStr);
printf("Length of %s = %d\n",someStr, n);
return 0;
}
Function strcpy Function strcpy
• Function strcpy copies source string into the • Function strcpy copies source string into the
destination string. destination string.
char dest[15]; char dest[15];
strcpy(dest, “test string”);
• The null character is appended at the end automatically. • The null character is appended at the end automatically.
• If source string is longer than the destination string, the • If source string is longer than the destination string, the
overflow characters may occupy the memory space used by overflow characters may occupy the memory space used by
other variables. other variables.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
dest dest
t e s t s t r i n g \0

Function strncpy Function strncpy

• Function strncpy copies source string into the • Function strncpy copies source string into the
destination string by specifying the number of characters destination string by specifying the number of characters
to copy. to copy.
char dest[15]; char dest[15];
strncpy(dest, “test string”, 6);

• If source string is longer than the destination string, the • If source string is longer than the destination string, the
overflow characters are discarded automatically. overflow characters are discarded automatically.

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dest dest
t e s t s
Function strncpy strcpy and strncpy example
#include <stdio.h>
• Function strncpy copies source string into the #include <string.h>
destination string by specifying the number of characters int main( )
to copy. {
char source[ ] = "fresh2refresh";
char dest[15]; char target[20]= "";
printf("source = %s\n", source);
strncpy(dest, “test string”, 6); printf("target = %s\n", target);
strcpy(target, source);
dest[6] = ‘\0’; printf("target after 1st strcpy( ) = %s\n", target);
strcpy(target, "***************");
• You have to place the null character manually. printf("target after 2st strcpy( ) = %s\n", target);
• If source string is longer than the destination string, the strncpy(target, source, 6);
printf("target after strncpy( ) = %s\n", target);
overflow characters are discarded automatically. target[6] = '\0';
printf("target after target[6] = '\\0' = %s\n",
target);
return 0;
}
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
dest
t e s t s \0

String Appending Function strcat

• Strings can not be appended using the addition operator • Function strcat concatenates the destination string
‘+’. with the source string.
str = “Test” + “String”; not valid. char dest[15] = “Yin”;
• String concatenation
strcat(destination, source)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
dest
Y i n \0
Function strcat Function strncat
• Function strcat concatenates the destination string • Function strcat concatenates the destination string
with the source string. with the source string. By the specified number of
char dest[15] = “Yin”; characters to append
strcat(dest, “ Yang”); char dest[15] = “Quest”;

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dest dest
Y i n Y a n g \0 q u e s t \0

Function strncat strcat and strncat example

• Function strcat concatenates the destination string #include <stdio.h>
with the source string. By the specified number of #include <string.h>
characters to append
int main ()
char dest[15] = “Quest”; {
strncat(dest, “ionized”, 3); char str1[50] = "", str2[50];
strcpy (str2,"The");
strncat (str1, str2, 2);
strcpy(str2, "underdog");
strncat (str1, str2, 5);
strncat(str1, "catches up", 3);
strncat(str1, "swiftly", 1);
printf("%s", str1);
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 return 0;
dest
q u e s t i o n \0 }
String Comparison String Comparison
• The comparison between two strings is done by comparing each Relationship Returned Value Example
corresponding character in them (in terms of ASCII code).
• “thrill” < “throw” string1 < string2 Negative strcmp(“Hello”, “Hi”)
• “joy” < joyous“
string1 = string2 0 strcmp(“Hi”, “Hi”)
• “Hi” < “hi”
• Strings can not be compared using the relational operators like ‘<’ string1 > string2 Positive strcmp(“joyous”, “joy”)
or ‘==’.
char str1[20]=“joy”, str2[20]=“joyous”;
if (str1 < str2) not valid.
• String comparison
strcmp(string1, string2)

strcmp Example strncmp Example

#include <stdio.h> #include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h> #include <string.h>
int main( )
{ int main ()
char str1[20] = "fresh“, str2[20] = "refresh"; {
int result; char str[3][5] = { "R2D2" , "C3PO" , "R2A6" };
result = strcmp(str1, "fresh"); int n;
printf("%s and fresh: %d\n", str1, result); printf("Looking for R2 astromech droids...\n");
result = strcmp(str1, "Fresh"); for (n=0 ; n<3 ; n++)
printf("%s and Fresh: %d\n", str1, result); if (strncmp (str[n],"R2xx",2) == 0)
result = strcmp(str1, str2); {
printf("%s and %s: %d\n", str1, str2, result); printf ("found %s\n",str[n]);
result = strcmp(str1, "f"); }
printf("%s and f: %d\n", str1, result); return 0;
gets(str1); gets(str2); }
if(strcmp(str1, str2) == 0)
printf("%s == %s", str1, str2);
else if(strcmp(str1, str2) < 0)
printf("%s < %s", str1, str2);
else printf("%s > %s", str1, str2);
return 0;
}