Value type const char cannot be used to initialize an entity of type char*

Question

I am having the following problem with my code, though it compiles correctly:

value type const char cannot be used to initialize an entity of type char*

Can someone help me? I can run the code which is weird but I can't create a makefile using this. It's very weird to me.

int SpliString(struct dict_word *entry, const char *str)
{
long word_length,j,k;

int yearIndex;
char *buffer;
char *endOfYears;
char *endOfYear;
char *endOfDefinition;
char *endOfWord = strstr(str, "_#_");

   //Sets the first num bytes of the block of memory pointed by ptr
  //to the specified value (related as an unsigned char)
memset(entry, 0, sizeof(struct dict_word));

  // If '_#_' is not found, it's NULL
    if (endOfWord)
{
    // Calculating word legth; 'str' points to start of word, 'endofWord' points to '_#_' that is just after word
    word_length = endOfWord - str;

    // Copying data into the word
    strncpy(entry->words, str, word_length);

    // 'endOfYears' points to '_#_,' but wee need to find follow '_#_'
    // therefore there is added 3 in order to skip curremnt '_#_
    endOfYears = strstr(endOfWord+3, "_#_");

    if (endOfYears)
    {
        word_length = endOfYears - (endOfWord+3);
        // Skips _#_
        buffer = endOfWord+3;
        yearIndex = 0;
        j = 0;

        // Finds next year in the line, it stops if all 10 years is filled
        // or end of years string is reached
        while(yearIndex<10 && buffer+j<endOfYears)
        {
            // Stores year in the buffer, with converting 'stirng' to 'int'
            entry->year[yearIndex] = atoi(buffer+j);
            // check year for negative...
            if (entry->year[yearIndex]<=0)
                return 0;

            // Locating substring; 'j' is current offset from beginning of buffer
            endOfYear = strchr(buffer+j, '_');

            if (endOfYear)
            {
                j = endOfYear - buffer;
                j++;
                yearIndex++;
            }
            else
            {
                break;
            }
        }

        //endOfYears points to '_#_' that separatates 'years' and 'definition'
        //and there is needed to find '_#_' between 'definition' and 'synonyms'
        //therefore it skips '_#_' that separatates 'years' and 'definition',
        //+3, because '_#_' has length = 3
        endOfDefinition = strstr(endOfYears+3, "_#_");
        if (endOfDefinition)
        {
            word_length = endOfDefinition - (endOfYears+3);
            k = 0;

            for(j=0; j<word_length; j++)
            {
                // Skips '_#_'
                if (endOfYears[j+3]==',')
                {
                    entry->eng_synonyms[k] = ' ';
                    k++;
                }
                else if (endOfYears[j+3]>='a' && endOfYears[j+3]<='z')
                {
                    entry->eng_synonyms[k] = endOfYears[j+3];
                    k++;
                }
                else if (endOfYears[j+3]!='_')
                {
                    return 0;
                }
            }

            k = 0;
            word_length = (str+strlen(str)) - (endOfDefinition+3);

            for(j=0; j<word_length; j++)
            {
                if (endOfDefinition[j+3]==',')
                {
                    entry->heb_synonyms[k] = ' ';
                    k++;
                }
                else if (endOfDefinition[j+3]>='A' && endOfDefinition[j+3]<='Z')
                {
                    entry->heb_synonyms[k] = endOfDefinition[j+3];
                    k++;
                }
                else if (endOfDefinition[j+3]!='_')
                {
                    return 0;
                }
            }
        }

        // Check for legality
        // Check all symbols of 'entry->words'
        // calculate length and supress warning
        for(j=0;j<(int)strlen(entry->words);j++)
        {
            if (entry->words[j]<'a' || entry->words[j]>'z')
                return 0;
        }

        return 1;
    }
}
return 0;
}

What exactly is the error? You say it compiles correctly but then list what looks like a compiler error. Which line is the error one? — DoxyLover, Jan 09 '14 at 20:45
What do you mean by you can run the code but can't create a makefile? There's important information missing here. — nmichaels, Jan 09 '14 at 20:47
i can run it but when I look at my visual studio it says on that line when char *endOfWord = strstr(str, '_#_') value type const char cannot be used to initialize an entity of type char* — user2985083, Jan 09 '14 at 20:48
You file extension may be C, but the error is what you get if `char *endOfWord = strstr(str, "_#_");` is compiled in C++. — chux - Reinstate Monica, Jan 09 '14 at 20:51
return type strstr is `char *` in C. return type same 1st argument in C++. — BLUEPIXY, Jan 09 '14 at 20:53

score 4 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:24

4

Use

const char *buffer;
const char *endOfWord = strstr(str, "_#_");

Confident OP is compiling in C++.

// C
char *strstr(const char *s1, const char *s2);
// C++
const char* strstr(const char* s1, const char* s2);
char* strstr( char* s1, const char* s2);

See
Compile C app with Visual Studio 2012
How to compile and execute C program on Visual Studio 2012 for Windows 8?

edited May 23 '17 at 12:24

Community

1
1

answered Jan 09 '14 at 20:50

chux - Reinstate Monica

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Value type const char cannot be used to initialize an entity of type char*

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