Re: writing a c program to substitute text

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From	Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: writing a c program to substitute text
Date	Tue, 28 Feb 2017 08:46:18 -0800
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fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> writes:
> On 02/26/2017 03:55 PM, James R. Kuyper wrote:
>> On 02/26/2017 07:14 AM, fred flintstone wrote:

[...]

> Listen to me james. Have you ever used 'malloc' as a verb? If you have a 
> declaration like:
>
> const char *parrow = "arrow";
>
> , can one say that it has been malloced, or is it only correct to use 
> the grown-up term of "allocated?" (Might there be a malloc right under 
> the patina?)

I won't speak for James, but I've certainly used malloc as a verb.

But it would not be correct to say that anything has been malloced in
the above declaration.  Memory for the pointer object parrow is
allocated either at program startup or on entry to the enclosing block,
depending on whether it's defined inside or outside a function body.
Memory for the string "arrow" is allocated at program startup.  (At
least logically; an implementation can arrange for them to be allocated
in any way that produces the same semantics.)  It's unlikely that any of
these will be allocated via an underlying call to malloc.

>>> Do I malloc a 1000 because someone has to make an adult decision?

It's hard to tell what you mean here, but I'd suggest that allocating
some amount that you assume is much more than you'll actually need is
*probably* poor practice.  For example, if you allocate 1000 bytes to
hold a line of text read from a file, then most of that space will be
wasted in the usual case.  On the other hand, I've certainly dealt with
text files with lines longer than 1000 bytes, and most of the tools I
use can deal with them just fine.

On the other other hand, allocating a large fixed chunk of memory is
simpler and can often be quicker.  But if you can manage to allocate
just what you need, whether it's large or small, that can often (but not
always) be the best approach.

[...]
>    while (1) {
>      c = fgetc (fptr);
>
>      if (c == EOF)
>        break;
>      else
>        putc (c, gptr);
>    }

The usual idiom for this kind of loop is:

    while ((c = fgetc(fptr)) != EOF) {
        putc(c, gptr);
    }

[...]

> char *
> mystdrdup (const char *str)
> {
>    size_t len = strlen (str);
>    char *answer = malloc (len + 1);
>    if (answer)
>      strcpy (answer, str);
>    else {			/* error handling here */
>    };
>
>    return answer;
> }

*If* you need this function (you probably don't), it doesn't need any
error handling other than returning a null pointer.  A low-level
function like this has no way of knowing how an allocation failure
should be handled.  Just let the caller know it failed, and the caller
can decide how to proceed.

[...]

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-u@mib.org  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Working, but not speaking, for JetHead Development, Inc.
"We must do something.  This is something.  Therefore, we must do this."
    -- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

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writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-02-26 04:14 -0800
  Re: writing a c program to substitute text fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2017-02-26 04:55 -0800
  Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-26 14:28 +0100
    Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-02-27 03:58 -0800
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-02-27 13:11 +0000
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2017-02-27 13:33 +0000
          Re: writing a c program to substitute text scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2017-02-27 17:12 +0000
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2017-02-27 17:59 +0000
              Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-27 19:05 +0100
              Re: writing a c program to substitute text scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2017-02-27 18:37 +0000
                Re: writing a c program to substitute text Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-02-27 11:40 -0800
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text Manfred <noname@invalid.add> - 2017-02-27 16:03 +0100
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-03-01 05:33 -0800
          Re: writing a c program to substitute text "D. Aaron Sawyer" <aaron@110.net> - 2017-03-01 10:32 -0400
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-03-01 06:59 -0800
              Re: writing a c program to substitute text Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-03-01 15:24 +0000
                Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-03-02 01:47 -0800
                Re: writing a c program to substitute text Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-03-02 11:05 +0000
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2017-02-27 13:33 +0000
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-02-27 09:10 -0800
          Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-27 19:07 +0100
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2017-02-27 18:23 +0000
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-27 14:46 +0100
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2017-02-27 09:27 -0500
          Re: writing a c program to substitute text GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-02-27 15:28 +0100
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2017-02-27 09:38 -0500
          Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-27 15:44 +0100
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2017-02-27 10:36 -0500
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text Anglican <h.toms@qmul.ac.uk> - 2017-02-27 15:50 +0000
              Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-27 17:13 +0100
              Re: writing a c program to substitute text Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2017-02-27 16:30 -0800
          Re: writing a c program to substitute text fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2017-02-27 07:08 -0800
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2017-02-27 07:20 -0800
              Re: writing a c program to substitute text fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2017-02-27 07:24 -0800
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text Manfred <noname@invalid.add> - 2017-02-27 16:00 +0100
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-02-27 09:22 -0800
          Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-27 19:11 +0100
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2017-02-28 15:41 -0800
        solved Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-03-02 01:25 -0800
          Re: solved Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-03-02 11:28 +0100
          Re: solved Re: writing a c program to substitute text Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-03-02 10:54 +0000
            Re: solved Re: writing a c program to substitute text Manfred <noname@invalid.add> - 2017-03-02 15:28 +0100
              Re: solved Re: writing a c program to substitute text Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-03-02 14:51 +0000
            Re: solved Re: writing a c program to substitute text John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2017-03-02 14:18 -0800
              Re: solved Re: writing a c program to substitute text Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-03-02 23:55 +0000
                Re: solved Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-03-14 18:32 -0700
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2017-04-17 07:04 -0700
    Re: writing a c program to substitute text jladasky@itu.edu - 2017-02-27 13:48 -0800
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-02-27 14:16 -0800
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-28 08:47 +0100
          Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-02-28 01:59 -0800
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-28 11:39 +0100
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2017-02-28 12:03 +0000
              Re: writing a c program to substitute text BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2017-02-28 13:33 +0000
                Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-28 14:43 +0100
                Re: writing a c program to substitute text BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2017-02-28 13:59 +0000
                Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-03-01 04:26 -0800
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-27 23:29 +0100
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-02-27 15:10 -0800
  Re: writing a c program to substitute text Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2017-02-26 06:42 -0800
    Re: writing a c program to substitute text Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2017-02-26 16:54 +0000
      [OT] "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2017-02-27 00:56 +0800
    Re: writing a c program to substitute text Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-02-26 13:36 -0800
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2017-02-26 14:53 -0800
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-27 00:53 +0100
          Re: writing a c program to substitute text Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2017-02-26 17:30 -0800
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-02-26 17:44 -0800
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-02-27 01:46 +0000
              Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-27 09:29 +0100
                Re: writing a c program to substitute text Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2017-02-27 02:12 -0800
                Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-27 13:11 +0100
    Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-02-27 04:41 -0800
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2017-02-27 05:04 -0800
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-02-27 13:25 +0000
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-02-27 09:56 -0800
  Re: writing a c program to substitute text "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2017-02-27 01:00 +0800
  Re: writing a c program to substitute text "James R. Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2017-02-26 18:55 -0500
    Re: writing a c program to substitute text fred flintstone <fred@server.invalid> - 2017-02-28 04:20 -0800
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-28 14:38 +0100
        Re: writing a c program to substitute text Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-02-28 08:33 -0800
          Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-28 19:38 +0100
            Re: writing a c program to substitute text Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-02-28 11:40 -0800
              Re: writing a c program to substitute text David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-02-28 21:03 +0100
            Re: gcc optimization levels Noob <root@127.0.0.1> - 2017-02-28 22:55 +0100
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text "James R. Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2017-02-28 11:43 -0500
      Re: writing a c program to substitute text Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-02-28 08:46 -0800

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