[steverh]

Hello, I need to count the words from a text file but seem to be stuck, my code will compile but either continuous loops or only returns a value of 2. Please assist.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <ctype.h>
#include <iostream.h>


int main(void)
{
char x;
FILE *wordcount;
int count = 0;

	wordcount = fopen("gettys.txt", "r+");
	
	if (wordcount == NULL)
		printf("\nFile gettys.txt cannot be opened.\n");
	
	while ( !feof(wordcount) )
	{
		fscanf(wordcount, "%c", &x);
		for (count = 0; isspace(x); count++)
			{
			count = count +1;
			}
	}	
	return count;	
	printf("\nThe Gettysburg Address contains %d words.\n", &count);
	fclose(wordcount);
	
}

Attached File(s)

•  gettys.txt (1.45K)
  Number of downloads: 291

[bodom658]

well, your for loop should not be incrementing your count variable, use an if statement to check whether isspace(x) is true (returns a non-zero value if some sort of space value is encountered.) Also, do not use return count;, as this will exit your function and return the value of count. Just print off the value like you have and then return 0; or whatever you are used to.

[steverh]

I still am having the same problem of the continuous loop with these changes, are there any further suggestions?

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <ctype.h>
#include <iostream.h>


int main(void)
{
char x;
FILE *wordcount;
int count;

	wordcount = fopen("gettys.txt", "r+");
	
	if (wordcount == NULL)
		printf("\nFile gettys.txt cannot be opened.\n");
	
	while ( !feof(wordcount) )
	{
		fscanf(wordcount, "%c", &x);
		for (count = 0; isspace(x); count++)
			{
			if (isspace(x) != '\0') 
			count = count +1;
			}
	}	
		
	printf("\nThe Gettysburg Address contains %d words.\n", &count);
	fclose(wordcount);
		
}

[no2pencil]

Your problem is that your for loop contains your counter, & then inside of the loop you are using the same variable to count the number of words. So what is happening is you set the rules for the for loop to loop X amount of time, then you change the value of X every time you find a space.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <ctype.h>


int main(void) {
  char x;
  FILE *wordcount;
  int words=0;

  wordcount = fopen("gettys.txt", "r+");

  if (!wordcount) {
    printf("\nFile gettys.txt cannot be opened.\n");
  }

  while (!feof(wordcount)) {
    fscanf(wordcount, "%c", &x);
    if (isspace(x)) {
      words++;
    }
  }

  fclose(wordcount);
  printf("\nThe Gettysburg Address contains %i words.\n", words);

}