I am attempting to write a program with a function in it that when first called, takes in a string, and then prints out the first word of that string. Then, if sent a NULL as an argument in the next call, it will print out the second word. Doing so until the end of the sentence. If sent a new string, rather than null, it will begin again with the new string, and print out the first word of that string.

My main problem right now is keeping the string sent stored in such a way that it isn't lost after you exit the function, that way, if you send it a NULL the next time you call the function, it still remembers the last string it was sent.

I have tried static character arrays, and dynamic allocation.

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I would welcome them.

here is an example of what I am trying to do, hopefully the code isn't too messy:

#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib>
using namespace std;

void string_eater(char* string);

int main(void)
{
char string[] = "Hello World.";

string_eater(string);
string_eater(NULL);

return 0;
}

void string_eater(char* string)
{

static int count;
static char* stored_string = NULL;

if(string != NULL) //All right I wasn't sent a NULL, so I have to start all over again..
{
count = 0;
stored_string = *string; //There is a new string, time to store it!
}


for(; *(stored_string + count) != ' ' && *(stored_string + count) != '\0'; count++)
cout << *(stored_string + count);

cout << endl;

if(*string == NULL)
cout << "I am all out of string, and you didn't give me a new one!" << endl;

}

Declare the "char* stored_string" and "int count" as the global variables rather than doing so locally in the "string_eater" function.

Declaring them static has the same effect, except that it restricts their scope to within the function.

stored_string = *string

is dodgy - you're assiging a (char) to a (char *). You'll need to think more carefully about that part of the program.

Btw, code is much easier for us to read if you put it between {code} and {/code} tags (except use square brackets).

Alex

Like these: [code][/code]

think of STL vector

Make a local static pointer to string. Assign a dynamically allocated new string equal to your incomming, and work on that.

Or

make a static string, longer than you will ever need. Then copy the incoming string to it (strcpy()?), and then work from that stored string.

Copying the incoming string to a local pointer is bad, because there is no storage associated with that pointer, if you dont do something like "stored_string = new char[128];"