Strings

Dr. Karuna C. Gull

 Strings
• String is an Array of Characters terminated by
a NULL character '/0'.
• Example:
char a[10] = “Hello”;
• The above string can be pictorially
represented as shown below:
 Declaration of String
• Strings are declared in C in similar manner as arrays. Only
difference is that, strings are of char type.
char string_name[size];
•  The size determines the number of characters in the
string name including the null character.
• Example:
char s[5]; //string s can hold maximum of 5 characters
including NULL character
• The above code can be pictorially represented as shown
below:
 Initialization of String
• 1. Compile time Initialization
• Example:
char s[4]={'V', 'T', 'U' ,’\0’};
or
char s[4]=“VTU”;
• The above code can be pictorially represented
as shown below:
 Initialization of String
• 2. Run time Initialization
• Reading a string using scanf():
The conversion specification for reading a
string using scanf is %s.
One must not use ampersand (&) symbol
while reading the string.
char stringname[30];
scanf(“%s”,stringname);
 Reading a string using scanf( )
• Example :
#include<stdio.h>
void main ()
{
char name[20];
printf(“\n Enter the name\n”);
scanf(“%s”, name);
}

• Note : The scanf functions stops reading at the first white

space character.
 Reading a string using gets( )
• Reading a string using gets( ):
The function gets()is called line oriented I/P
function and can be used to process entire line.
The gets( ) function can be used to read entire
line including white spaces.
• The general form of gets function is as given
below:
• s = gets (str); or gets (str);
 Printing a string
• 1. Using printf():
–String is printed using a printf statement.
–As long as the string is terminated by a null character.
–The printf function prints all the character upto but not including the null character.
printf (“ %s”, str);
• Example:
int main()
{
char first[11] = “ANDY”;
printf (“ The name is %s\n”, first);
return 0;
}
• 2. Using puts(): The function puts() is called line oriented O/P function and can be used
to process entire line.
–The puts() function can be used to print the line.
–The general form of puts function is as given below :
puts (str);
Example: Program to count the number of
characters in a string. – String Length
#include <stdio.h>
void main()
{
char str[100];
int i, length;
printf(“\n\tEnter a String to Compute its Length: ");
scanf(“%s", str);
for(i = 0; str[ i ] != ‘\0’; i++) ; /* NULL Statement * /
length = i;
printf(“\n\n\t The Length of String: %s is %d”, str, length);
}
 Character Handling Library Functions
• Character handling Functions Includes functions to perform
useful tests and manipulations on character data.
• Each function receives a character (or int) or EOF as an
argument.
• These library functions exists in the header <ctype.h>.
• Commonly used Character handling functions are:
int isdigit( char ) \\ Returns True or False
int isalpha(char ) \\ Returns True or False
int isalnum(char ) \\ Returns True or False
int islower(char ) \\ Returns True or False
int isupper(char ) \\ Returns True or False
ch = char tolower( int ) \\ Returns a character
ch = char toupper( int ) \\ Returns a character
Example: Program to Convert lower case
character to upper case and vice versa.
#include<ctype.h>
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
char ch;
printf("Enter a Character : ");
scanf("%c", &ch);
if(islower(ch))
{
ch = toupper(ch);
}
else
{
ch = tolower(ch);
}
printf("\n\tCharacter After Reversing case is : %c", ch);
return 0;
}
Example: Program to Check whether the
character read is digit or an alphabet.
#include<ctype.h>
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
char ch;
printf("Enter a Character: ");
scanf("%c",&ch);
if(isdigit(ch))
{
printf("\n\t Character %c is a Digit", ch);
}
if(isalpha(ch))
{
printf("\n\tCharacter %c is a Alphabet", ch);
}
return 0;
}
String Manipulation Functions From The
Standard Library
• C language provides number of built in string handling functions.
• All the string manipulation functions are defined in the standard library
<string.h>.
• The standard library string.h contains many functions for string
manipulation.
• Some of the string handling or manipulation functions used in C are:
1. strlen( )
2. strcpy( )
3. strncpy( )
4. strcmp( )
5. strcat( )
6. strlwr( )
7. strupr( )
8. strrev( )
String Manipulation Functions From
The Standard Library
1. strlen( ) :
• This function is used to find the length of the string in bytes. The
general form of a call to strlen is the following :
length = strlen(str);
• The parameter to strlen , str is a string .
• The value it returns is an integer representing the current length of
str in bytes excluding the null character.
• Example:
#include<string.h> Output
char str[20]; Enter a string
Program
int l; Length of the given string is 7
scanf(“%s”,str);
l = strlen(str);
String Manipulation Functions From The
Standard Library
2. strcpy( ) :
• This function copies the string from one variable to another variable.
• The strcpy( ) function will copy the entire string including the
terminating null character to the new location.
• General form of a call to strcpy :
strcpy(dest,source) ;
• Here the characters in source string will get copied to destination
string.
• Example :
Output
#include<string.h>
Enter first string
char str1[10],str2[10]; Program
printf (“\n Enter first string \n”); The value of str1 : Program
scanf(“%s”,str1); The value of str2 is : Program
strcpy(“str2”,str1);
String Manipulation Functions From The
Standard Library
3. strncpy() :
• This function copies the string from one variable to another variable, but
only upto the specified length .
• The general form of a call to the strncpy function is the following :
strncpy(dest, source,n) ;
• Where.
– dest –> Destination string
– source -> source string
– n-> is the number of characters
• Example : Output
#include<string.h> Enter a string
char str1[10],str2[10]; PROGRAM
printf(“\n Enter a string \n”); The value of str1 : PROGRAM
scanf(“%s”,str1); The value of str2 is : PROGR
strncpy(str2,str1,5);
String Manipulation Functions From The
Standard Library
4. strcmp( ) :
• It is used to compare one string with another and it is case
sensitive .
• The general form of the call to strcmp is the following where
either parameter may be a string literal or variable :
• result = strcmp(first, second);
• The function strcmp returns an integer determined by the
relationship between the strings pointed to by the two
parameters.
• The result may take any of the following value :
– result > 0 if first > second
– result = 0 if first = =second
– result < 0 if first < second
 4. strcmp() - Example :
#include<stdio.h>
#include<string.h>
main( ) Output
{ Enter string one : Rahul
char str1[30]=“Rahul”,str2[30]=“Modi”; Enter string two : Modi
int n; Strings are not equal
n = strcmp(str1,str2);
if(n= =0)
printf(“ Both the strings are equal
\n”);
else
printf(“\n Strings are not equal \n”);
}
String Manipulation Functions From The
Standard Library
• 5. strcat( ):
• This function is used to join (concatenate) two strings .
• The resulting string has only one null character at the end.
• The general form of the call to the strcat function is the
following, where both first and second are pointers to strings :
strcat(first, second);
• Example:
#include<string.h>
char first[7] = “Fri”;
char second[7]=”day”;
strcat(first, second);
String Manipulation Functions From The
Standard Library
6. strlwr( ) :
• This function converts uppercase characters to lowercase .
• The general syntax is
Output
strlwr(str) KARAVALI
• Example: The Entered string in lower case
#include<stdio.h> characters is
#include<string.h> karavali
main()
{
char upr[30]=“KARAVALI”;
puts(upr);
strlwr(upr);
printf(“\n The Entered string in lower case characters is %s\n”,upr);
}
String Manipulation Functions From The
Standard Library
7. strupr( ) :
• This function converts lowercase characters to uppercase .
• The general syntax is Output
strupr(str) . hello
The Entered string in upper case
• Example:
characters is : HELLO
#include<stdio.h>
#include<string.h>
main()
{
char lwr[30]=“hello”;
puts(lwr);
strupr(lwr);
printf(“\n The Entered string in upper case characters is :%s\n”,lwr);
}
 String Manipulation Functions From The
Standard Library
8. strrev() :
• This function reverses a given string .
• The general syntax is
strrev(str) .
Example:
#include<stdio.h>
Output
#include<string.h> Enter a string
main() RAMA
{ The Entered string in Reversed format is AMAR

char a[30]=“RAMA”;
puts(a);
strrev(a);
printf(“\n The Entered string in Reversed format is %s\n”,a);
}
 Two dimensional array of characters

Syntax:
char stringname[rowsize][colsize];
 Two dimensional array of characters

char s[3][50] = { “EDUSAT”, “PROGRAM”,

“BANGALORE” };
 Two dimensional array of characters
Example: Program to Read a List of Names
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
int i , n; char names[10][50];
printf("\n\tEnter the Number of Names: ");
scanf("%d", &n);
printf("\n\tEnter %d Names", n);
for(i = 0; i < n; i++)
{
printf("\n\tEnter Name-%d: ", i+1);
scanf("%s", names[i]);
}
printf("\n\tThe %d Names are: ", n);
for(i = 0; i < n; i++)
printf("\n\t\t\t%s",names[i]);
return 0;
}
Thank you
End of Module -3