Storing strings from a text file into a two dimensional array

Question

I'm working on a project using C and for the project I must read in a text file and store each word into an array. I also have to remove the punctuation off the words, so I need to use a 2-Dimensional array in order to edit the words. I am having trouble figuring out how to get the words in the 2-D array it self. This is what I have done so far:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#define MAX 1001
#define LINES 81

int main(void) {
    int stringSize;
    int i =0;
    char *x[MAX][LINES];
    char str[MAX];
    char y[MAX];
    FILE *fp;

    fp = fopen("TwoCitiesStory.txt","r");
    if(fp == NULL) {
        printf("Cannot open file.\n");
        exit(1);
    }

    while(!feof(fp)) {
        for(i=0;i<MAX;i++){
            fscanf(fp,"%s",x[i][LINES]);
        }
    }

    return 0;
}

Do you want to read a line from file... as %s will only read words — avinash pandey
– avinash pandey, Commented Apr 1, 2015 at 4:02
For example if the text file contained "Hi my name is Bob". I need the array to hold x[0][]="Hi" x[1][]="my" and so on. The maximum amount of words in the text file is 1000 and the maximum length of a word is 80 characters. — beginner_coder
– beginner_coder, Commented Apr 1, 2015 at 4:04
char x[MAX][LINES];..for(i=0;i<MAX;i++){ fscanf(fp,"%80s",x[i]); } — BLUEPIXY
– BLUEPIXY, Commented Apr 1, 2015 at 4:08
You are using feof incorrectly: stackoverflow.com/questions/5431941/… — William Pursell
– William Pursell, Commented Apr 1, 2015 at 4:09

R Sahu · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-01 04:13:00Z

1

The following line

char *x[MAX][LINES];

declared a 2D array of pointers. What you need is just a 2D array of characters.

char x[MAX][LINES];

The code for reading the words can be simplified to:

while( i < MAX && fscanf(fp, "%80s", x[i]) == 1 )
{
   ++i;
}

answered Apr 1, 2015 at 4:13

R Sahu

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Comments

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 10:24:15Z

1

Read the whole line using fgets()
Store the read line into the 2D array

The whole code looks like

char x[row][col];
char buf[300];
int i=0,j=0;
memset(x,0,sizeof(x));
while(fgets(buf,sizeof(buf),fp))
{
  size_t n = strlen(buf);
  if(n>0 && buf[n-1] == '\n')
  buf[n-1] = '\0';
  if(i>= row && n> col)
  break;
  strcpy(x[i],buf);
  i++;

}

Edits:

If you need each word separately in the array. buf is being used to read the whole line. strtok() is used to break the line into words with space as delimiter. Then store each word in each row.

size_t n;
while(fgets(buf,sizeof(buf),fp))
{
   char *p = strtok(buf," ");
   while( p != NULL)
   {
      n = strlen(p);
      if(i>= row && n> col)
      break;
      strcpy(x[i],p);
      i++;
      p = strtok(NULL," ");
   }
}

If you want to print out the array go for

int i;
for(i=0;i<row;i++)
printf("%s\n",x[i]);

Why feof() is wrong

edited May 23, 2017 at 10:24

CommunityBot

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answered Apr 1, 2015 at 4:05

Gopi

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3 Comments

beginner_coder Over a year ago

This doesn't separate each word in the array. For example if the text file contained "Hi my name is Bob". I need the array to hold x[0][]="Hi" x[1][]="my" and so on. The maximum amount of words in the text file is 1000 and the maximum length of a word is 80 characters.

beginner_coder Over a year ago

The code it self runs successfully, but I am a bit confused on how you reached this answer. Is row the max number of words and col the length of the words themselves? First you created char x[row][col]; which created an array of characters and then you created buf[300];. But what does buf do? If I have to print the words after, which array do I call? I tried printing like this: for(i=0;i<row;i++) for(i=0;i<col;i++) printf("%s\n",x[row][col]);

Gopi Over a year ago

@beginner_coder You can print out the 2D array as shown in the edits

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