How to parse a file and store few strings in an array

Faez Shingeri

Hi, What would be the best way to extract an array of strings (only the first strings separated by a "," ) encapsulated within the curly braces ( { } )from within a file...? Eg: Test.txt *************************** This is also in the text file { abc def ghi , jkl mno pqr , stu vwl yza , } This is also in the text file ***************************** I only want "abc" "jkl" and "stu" in an array.. Thanks, Faez

SandipG

What have you done so far??

Faez Shingeri

int main()
{
char *buf[1024], *tok;
FILE *fp1, *fp2;
fp1=fopen("test.txt","r+");
fp2=fopen("newtest.txt","w+");

while(fgets(buf, bufsize, fp1) != NULL)
{
for(tok = strtok(buf,"{");tok !="}";)
{
fprintf(fp2, "%s",buf);
}
}
fclose(fp2);
fclose(fp1);
}

Lost User

Please use <pre> tags round your code (you can edit the above message) as it makes it so much easier to read. Your call to strtok() should use a pattern of all the characters you wish to ignore, you can then use the first returned token on each line, something like:

while(fgets(buf, bufsize, fp1) != NULL)
{
tok = strtok(buf,"{ ,}");
if (tok != NULL)
printf("Token: %s\n", tok);
}

Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman

David Crow

Did you really intend for buf to be an array of pointers?

"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson

"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons

"Show me a community that obeys the Ten Commandments and I'll show you a less crowded prison system." - Anonymous

Lost User

Well spotted!

Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman

Faez Shingeri

Lovely..! This program works like a charm....:-D But now I am getting some extra unwanted strings too till the point I wanto extract the needed string.. My new o/p file now look like Token: DCLGEN Token: LIBRARY Token: ACTION Token: LANGUAGE Token: NAMES Token: QUOTE Token: COLSUFFIX Token: IS Token: EXEC Token: POLICY_NO Token: REG_NO Token: EFFECTIVE_DATE Token: EXPIRY_DATE Token: CAN_EFF_DATE Token: CAN_PRO_DATE Token: RETURN_PREMIUM Token: CAN_PROCESSED Token: END-EXEC But I want the strings only after EXEC and before END-EXEC... ie from POLICY_NO to CAN_PROCESSED... I tried using

while(strcmp("EXEC",tok))

but it ain't working .. :-/ Thanks in advance, Faez

Lost User

Try this:

BOOL bCapture = FALSE; // flag to ignore unwanted tokens
while(fgets(buf, bufsize, fp1) != NULL)
{
tok = strtok(buf,"{ ,}");
if (tok != NULL)
{
if (bCapture == FALSE)
{
// not capturing yet, so check for start of list
if (strcmp(tok, "EXEC") == 0)
bCapture = TRUE;
}
else // bCapture == TRUE
{
// bCapture is true so check for end of
// list, or display token
if (strcmp(tok, "END-EXEC") == 0)
bCapture = FALSE;
else
printf("Token: %s\n", tok);
}
}
}

[edit]Fixed the "END-EXEC" string, thanks to Carlo for pointing it out.[/edit]

Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman

CPallini

My 5, though your code, as it stands, wouldn't match the-requirements. :-D

Veni, vidi, vici.

Lost User

I wrote it over breakfast; what's missing?

Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman

CPallini

Nothing is missing, however an underscore is not an hyphen. --Carlo The Nitpick.

Veni, vidi, vici.

Lost User

CPallini wrote:

Carlo The NitpickEagle-Eye

FTFY :)

Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman

Faez Shingeri

That code was a beauty again .... :-D Actually... the final file after strtok() looks like the one below... :|

Token: DCLGEN
Token: LIBRARY
Token: ACTION
Token: LANGUAGE
Token: NAMES
Token: QUOTE
Token: COLSUFFIX
Token: IS
Token: EXEC
Token: POLICY_NO
Token: REG_NO
Token: EFFECTIVE_DATE
Token: EXPIRY_DATE
Token: CAN_EFF_DATE
Token: CAN_PRO_DATE
Token: RETURN_PREMIUM
Token: CAN_PROCESSED
Token: END-EXEC
Token: COBOL
Token: DCLCANCL
Token: POLICY_NO
Token: CN-POLICY-NO //I need this string too in diff array name tableRow[6][10]
Token: REG_NO
Token: CN-REG-NO //I need this string too in diff array name tableRow[6][10]
Token: EFFECTIVE_DATE
Token: CN-EFFECTIVE-DATE //I need this string too in diff array name tableRow[6][10]
Token: EXPIRY_DATE
Token: CN-EXPIRY-DATE //I need this string too in diff array name tableRow[6][10]
Token: CAN_EFF_DATE
Token: CN-CAN-EFF-DATE //I need this string too in diff array name tableRow[6][10]
Token: CAN_PRO_DATE
Token: CN-CAN-PRO-DATE //I need this string too in diff array name tableRow[6][10]
Token: RETURN_PREMIUM
Token: CN-RETURN-PREMIUM //I need this string too in diff array name tableRow[6][10]
Token: CAN_PROCESSED
Token: CN-CAN-PROCESSED //I need this string too in diff array name tableRow[6][10]
Token: THE

Your code cleverly extracted the strings within EXEC and END-EXEC which I stored in

char tableCol[6][10]

But now I am finding it really difficult to store the strings which are immediatedly followed by the "tabCol" string from the file... :( ie CN-POLICY-NO, CN-REG-NO, CN-EFFECTIVE-DATE, CN-EXPIRY-DATE, CN-CAN-EFF-DATE, CN-CAN-PRO-DATE, CN-RETURN-PREMIUM & CN-CAN-PROCESSED which are to be stored in

char tableRow[6][10]

Apologies ...:( Thanks a ton, Faez

Lost User

Since they all begin with "CN-", you could add a test:

if (strncmp(tok, "CN-", 3) == 0)
printf ...

Alternatively you have to test for each one individually.

Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman

David Crow

Faez Shingeri wrote:

...which are to be stored in

char tableRow[6][10]

Which won't be large enough.

"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson

"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons

"Show me a community that obeys the Ten Commandments and I'll show you a less crowded prison system." - Anonymous

Faez Shingeri

No no... It ain't always preceeded with "CN-" string ... The strings which needs to be stored in TabRow array are followed by the second occurrence of each tableCol values... Initially I also thought of using strcat () and append CN- to the tabCol values... But den I realized that it was for this file only... Other files are completely different. Regards, Faez

Lost User

If you don't have a common character identifier to select your strings then there is little that can be done. And from what you say you will have different rules for different files so it's difficult to suggest any other options.

Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman

Faez Shingeri

Finally I have come up witha Not-so-good code... But it works.. :) I created another similar situation to parse from END-EXEC to End of File as below...

if (k == 0)
{
if (strcmp(tok, "END-EXEC") == 0)
k = 1;
}
else
{
if (strcmp(tok, "THE") == 0)
{
k = 0;
}
else
{
strcpy(tabRow[m],tok);m++;
fprintf(fp3,"Token: %s\n", tok);

}
}
}
// Out of all the loops and condition now....

j=0,n=0;
for(j=0;j<=m;j++)
{
	if(strcmp(tabCol\[n\],tabRow\[j\])==0)
	{
		k=j;
		strcpy(tabRow\[n\],tabRow\[k+1\]);
		n++;
	}
	else ;


}
for(k=0;k

It wud be nice to get ur comments on this... :-D

Thanks,
Faez

Lost User

Difficult to say really. Assuming it does what you want then that's fine, but I don't see any checks for the specific strings after the "END-EXEC" that you wish to save. Or perhaps that is what the line

if(strcmp(tabCol[n],tabRow[j])==0)

is doing.

Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman