Chapter 10: Problem 38

T \(\mathrm{F}\) String-handling functions accept as arguments pointers to strings (array names or pointer variables), or literal strings.

Short Answer

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Short Answer: In C, strings are one-dimensional arrays of characters terminated by a null character ('\0'). String-handling functions manipulate and process strings. They can accept various string arguments, including pointers to strings, array names, and literal strings. To implement a string-handling function, define a function with an appropriate pointer to a string parameter (e.g., `const char *str`). Then, use this parameter within the function to manipulate the string data.

Step by step solution

Understanding the basics of strings in C

In C, a string is a one-dimensional array of characters terminated by a null character ('\0'). String-handling functions are used to manipulate and process strings.

Understanding pointers to strings

A pointer to a string is a variable that stores the address of the first character of the string in memory. Since a string is an array of characters, a pointer to a string will have the data type 'char *'.

Understanding array names as string arguments

When an array is passed to a function, the function receives the address of the first element of the array, i.e., the array name is a pointer to the first element of the array. As a result, we can use array names as string arguments whenever we need to pass a string to a function.

Understanding pointer variables as string arguments

A pointer variable is a variable that stores the address of another variable. In the context of strings, a pointer variable can store the address of the first character of a string; thus, it can be used as a string argument in a function.

Understanding literal strings as string arguments

A literal string is a sequence of characters enclosed between double quotes (" "). When a literal string is used as an argument in a function, it is treated as an array of characters; the address of the first character is passed to the function. Therefore, literal strings can also be used as string arguments in functions.

Implementing string-handling functions

Now that you understand the types of string arguments, you can implement string-handling functions by accepting these arguments. Here is an example of a function that takes a pointer to a string as an argument and computes its length: ```c #include int string_length(const char *str) { int length = 0; while (str[length] != '\0') { length++; } return length; } int main() { char str1[] = "Hello, world!"; char *str2 = "Goodbye!"; printf("Length of str1: %d\n", string_length(str1)); printf("Length of str2: %d\n", string_length(str2)); printf("Length of literal string: %d\n", string_length("This is a test.")); return 0; } ``` In this example, the `string_length` function accepts a pointer to a string (`const char *str`) as an argument and calculates its length. The function is then called with an array name (`str1`), a pointer variable (`str2`), and a literal string as arguments.

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T \(\mathrm{F}\) String-handling functions accept as arguments pointers to strings (array names or pointer variables), or literal strings.

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understanding the basics of strings in C

Understanding pointers to strings

Understanding array names as string arguments

Understanding pointer variables as string arguments

Understanding literal strings as string arguments

Implementing string-handling functions

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