What Is a Char Array?

A character array is an array used to store character data. The general form of its definition is: char array name [data length]. A character array is used to store characters or strings. An element in the character array stores a character, which occupies one byte in memory. There is no string type in C. Strings are stored in character arrays.

For storage

Character array

You can get a character by referencing an element in the character array.

The reference form of the array is:

Array name [subscript]

[Example 5-8] Enter "I like playing basketball" and display it.

#include <stdio.h>

int main (void)

{

char a [26] = "I like playing basketball";

int i;

for (i = 0; i <26; i ++)

printf ("% c", a [i]);

}

The result is: I like playing basketball ^[2]

String and end-of-string flags

In C, strings are treated as arrays of characters. In order to determine the actual length of a string, the C language specifies a "string end flag" with the character '\ 0' as the end flag ^[1]

1. Character array input

   (1) Use getchar () or scanf () '% c' format character to perform character assignment on the array. For example, for the array a [10]: assign using getchar ():

   for (i = 0; i <10; i ++)

   a [i] = getchar ();

   Assign with scanf ():

   for (i = 0; i <10; i ++)

   scanf ("% c", & a [i]);

   (2) Assign values to the array using the '% s' format of scanf (). Still for array a [10]:

   scanf ("% s", a);

   or

   scanf ("% s", & a [0]);

   When you enter "C program" and press enter, the a array will automatically contain a string "C program" ending with "\ 0".

2. Character array output

   (1) Use the '% c' format character of putchar () or printf () to perform character assignment on the array. For example, for the array a [10]: assign using putchar ():

   for (i = 0; i <10; i ++)

   a [i] = putchar ();

   Assign using printf ():

   for (i = 0; i <10; i ++)

   printf ("% c", a [i]);

   The output is:

   c program ^[2]

   Example 6.8 Enter a line of characters, count how many words are in them, and separate them with spaces.

   #include <stdio.h>
   void main ()
   {
   char string [81];
   int i, num = 0, word = 0;
   char c;
   gets (string);
   for (i = 0; (c = string [i])! = '\ 0'; i ++)
   if (c == '') word = 0;
   else if (word == 0)
   {
   word = 1;
   num ++;
   }
   printf ("There are% d words in this line. \ n", num);

   }

   operation result

   I am a boy.

   There are 4 words in this line. ^[1]