how to use sscanf?

[nick]

is it similar to scanf?
when i use scanf it can read the words in the screen automatically one
after another.i use a char array to store the string,then use sscanf to
read the words,but it just only reat out the first word in the string
array every time. so if i want to read the words in the string one by
one, just like scanf, what should i do?

thanks!

 

[Saif]

is it similar to scanf?
when i use scanf it can read the words in the screen automatically one
after another.i use a char array to store the string,then use sscanf to
read the words,but it just only reat out the first word in the string
array every time. so if i want to read the words in the string one by
one, just like scanf, what should i do?

If all you're going to read is words (strings), you can increment the
buffer pointer passed to sscanf by the length of the string previously
read.

Assuming your complete string is pointed to by char *str and you want
to read each word from it into another already allocated character
array char *word. Then...

/*Read first word*/
sscanf(str,"%s", word);
/*Read next word*/
sscanf(str+strlen(word), "%s", word);

You can repeat this to read consecutive strings.

sscanf is typically used though when you know exactly the number and
type of fields you want to extract from the parent string. You will
then use sscanf just once and get all the fields in one shot instead of
having to manipulate the buffer pointer for each field you read.

 

[Becker]

More basically,

The scanf() prototype is:
/*
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*/
int scanf ( const char * format [ , argument , ...] );

The sscanf() prototype is:
/*
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*/
int sscanf ( char * buffer, const char * format [ , argument , ...] );


I guess you must be familiar with the function scanf(), which reads
data from the standard input(stdin) and stores it to the locations
specified by the argument(s) passed to it(scanf()).
sscanf() reads data from the specified -buffer- and stores it into the
locations by the argument(s).

Just as what Saif said:

sscanf is typically used though when you know exactly the number and
type of fields you want to extract from the parent string. You will
then use sscanf just once and get all the fields in one shot instead of
having to manipulate the buffer pointer for each field you read.

/* BEGING */
#include <stdio.h>

int main (void)
{
char specifiedBuffer[] = "C is a good programming language!";
char str1[10], str2[10];
int i;

sscanf (specifiedBuffer, "%s %*s %*s %s", str1, str2);
printf ("%s => %s\n", str1, str2);

return 0;
}

/* END */

Output:
C => good

/*
Becker
*/

 

[Becker]

More basically,

The scanf() prototype is:
/* ------------------------------------------------­------------------
*/
int scanf ( const char * format [ , argument , ...] );

The sscanf() prototype is:
/* ------------------------------------------------­------------------
*/
int sscanf ( char * buffer, const char * format [ , argument , ...] );



I guess you must be familiar with the function scanf(), which reads
data from the standard input(stdin) and stores it to the locations
specified by the argument(s) passed to it(scanf()).
sscanf() reads data from the specified -buffer- and stores it into the
locations by the argument(s).

Just as what Saif said:

sscanf is typically used though when you know exactly the number and
type of fields you want to extract from the parent string. You will
then use sscanf just once and get all the fields in one shot instead of
having to manipulate the buffer pointer for each field you read.

/* BEGING */
#include <stdio.h>

int main (void)
{
char specifiedBuffer[] = "C is a good programming language!";
char str1[10], str2[10];

sscanf (specifiedBuffer, "%s %*s %*s %s", str1, str2);
printf ("%s => %s\n", str1, str2);

return 0;
}

/* END */

Output:
C => good


/*
Becker
*/

 

[Suman]

More basically,

The scanf() prototype is:
/* ------------------------------------------------­------------------
*/
int scanf ( const char * format [ , argument , ...] );

I have:
7.19.6.4 The scanf function
Synopsis

The sscanf() prototype is:
/* ------------------------------------------------­------------------
*/
int sscanf ( char * buffer, const char * format [ , argument , ...] );

I have:
7.19.6.7 The sscanf function
Synopsis
1 #include <stdio.h>
int sscanf(const char * restrict s,
const char * restrict format, ...);

/* BEGING */


#include <stdio.h>

int main (void)
{
char specifiedBuffer[] = "C is a good programming language!";

And what happens when there's a typo like:
char unspecifiedBuffer[] = "pooooorprogramming language!";

char str1[10], str2[10];

sscanf (specifiedBuffer, "%s %*s %*s %s", str1, str2);

sscanf (unspecifiedBuffer, "%s %*s %*s %s", str1, str2);

Ought to check return values of *scanf() and friends...

[snip]

 

[nick]

thanks yours reply, but i have another question, the question is, how to
check where is the end of the string?

thanks!

 

[Jordan Abel]

thanks yours reply, but i have another question, the question is, how to
check where is the end of the string?

strlen(str) returns an index, strchr(str,0) a pointer; pick your poison.

 

[Dave Thompson]

If all you're going to read is words (strings), you can increment the
buffer pointer passed to sscanf by the length of the string previously
read.

Assuming your complete string is pointed to by char *str and you want
to read each word from it into another already allocated character
array char *word. Then...

/*Read first word*/
sscanf(str,"%s", word);
/*Read next word*/
sscanf(str+strlen(word), "%s", word);

You can repeat this to read consecutive strings.

%s _skips whitespace_ and then reads a string of non-whitespace, i.e.
a "word". Or fails due to hitting the end of the input, which you
should catch by checking the return value, as you should for all
*scanf variants. strlen(word) doesn't allow for the whitespace. If
there is leading whitespace in the input string, this will (first)
fail for second word; otherwise for the third.

Also, %s (and %[) in *scanf should always be given with a length
limit, to prevent either accidentally or maliciously exceeding the
actual object (buffer) size and causing Undefined Behavior, which in
the latter (malicious) case is likely to be destroying your data
and/or stealing your money. Unless you are absolutely 100% sure the
input is valid, which in practice is only if was generated by a valid
sprintf call or similar in the line immediately preceding the sscanf
call, in which case you already have the data and don't need to scan.

Try:
char * ptr = str; /* if not already a pointer you can spare */
int used;
if( sscanf (ptr, "%Ns%n", word, &used) < 1 ) /* error */
ptr += used;
if( sscan (ptr, ...

- David.Thompson1 at worldnet.att.net