questions about time structure in C

[michelle]

Hi, for the program I am coding now, I need to write the time as a
String to a file, and later need to compare that recorded time with
the current time. I have problem changing time from the string to the
unsigned int (to compare with t->tv_sec). So what I did first is
that:

struct timeval* t = (struct timeval*) malloc (sizeof(struct timeval));
gettimeofday(t, NULL);
t->tv-sec +=sec; (Use sec(any seconds) to calculate the expired time)
fprintf(file, "expire at %s\n", ctime(&(t->tv_sec))). (so print to a
file about when it expries)

And then later I need to convert this string back to unsigned int to
compare with the current time. Does anyone know how do I convert it
back if there is a way to do it? Thanks!

Michelle

 

[Jack Klein]

Hi, for the program I am coding now, I need to write the time as a
String to a file, and later need to compare that recorded time with
the current time. I have problem changing time from the string to the
unsigned int (to compare with t->tv_sec). So what I did first is
that:

struct timeval* t = (struct timeval*) malloc (sizeof(struct timeval));
gettimeofday(t, NULL);

In addition to what Clint correctly said, because neither "struct
timeval" nor "gettimeofday()" are part of C, don't ever cast the
return value of malloc. As long as a definition of struct timeval is
in scope and you are indeed using C, not C++, do this:

struct timeval *t = malloc(sizeof *t);

If your compiler complains about the assignment, include <stdlib.h>.
If it still complains, you are compiling a C++ program and you are in
the wrong newsgroup.

t->tv-sec +=sec; (Use sec(any seconds) to calculate the expired time)
fprintf(file, "expire at %s\n", ctime(&(t->tv_sec))). (so print to a
file about when it expries)

The ctime() function accepts a pointer to a time_t type, so if the
tv_sec member of a struct timeval is not a time_t, you have undefined
behavior.

And then later I need to convert this string back to unsigned int to
compare with the current time. Does anyone know how do I convert it
back if there is a way to do it? Thanks!

Michelle

C does not require or guarantee that a time_t can be converted to or
from an unsigned int without loss. Even POSIX does not require that a
time_t be an integer type, it could be a double.

Your program uses non-standard functions and makes non-standard
assumptions. You really need to take it to a platform specific group.

--
Jack Klein
Home: http://JK-Technology.Com
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