'C for Dummies' getchar() function not working

Question

I'm currently in the very early stages of learning C programming and am working my way through "Beginning Programming with C for Dummies" using Code::Blocks. The first activity in Chapter 7, Fetching characters with getchar(), asks us to copy the code exactly as it's presented in the book; see below:

#include <stdio.h>

int main()    
{
    int c;

    printf("I'm waiting for a character: ");
    c = getchar();
    printf("I waited for the '%c' character.\n", c);
    return (0);
}

The output I get is:

I'm waiting for a character:

However according to the book, the output that I should be seeing is the character's ASCII code value. It then asks that I change the %c placeholder to %d to display the value, but still I get the same outcome as before. I could probably recite the code with my eyes closed I've checked it through that may times; I simply cannot see where I'm going wrong.

Am I right in thinking that the getchar() function isn't being recognized? Or that the code isn't being read after the first printf statement? Any guidance is welcome as I don't want to move on until I've understood the problem.

After you see `I'm waiting for a character:`, do you type in a character? — Gaurav Sehgal, Dec 21 '16 at 05:38
try `printf("I'm waiting for a character: ");fflush(stdout);` — BLUEPIXY, Dec 21 '16 at 05:40
Notes: `int main()` is a deprecated signature. Use prototype-style declarations: `int main(void)` (for all functions, not just `main`). `return` is not a function, but a statement. Don't use parentheses around the argument, this can result in strange error messages for typos. The function-syle was used for K&R C, today it is more of a bad habit. — too honest for this site, Dec 21 '16 at 05:45
First of all, you should change your `int c;` to `char c;`. Other than that, you can run your application with no problem at all. — Prometheus, Dec 21 '16 at 06:50
@Prometheus http://stackoverflow.com/questions/18013167/why-must-the-variable-used-to-hold-getchars-return-value-be-declared-as-int — n. m. could be an AI, Dec 21 '16 at 07:00
@4386427 Thanks for your response and screen shot of my code with your output. — KylieSomething, Dec 21 '16 at 07:35
@4386427 I took your code from your link and pasted it into both code::blocks and IDEone, however I AGAIN got the same output as per my OP. Why would the same piece of code work differently for you than it does for me? — KylieSomething, Dec 21 '16 at 07:38
On ideone: Did you remember to put an ' a' into the "input" tab? — Support Ukraine, Dec 21 '16 at 07:43
@4386427 Sorry, can you please be more specific? I've only been learning for one week :) — KylieSomething, Dec 21 '16 at 08:04
At ideone there are an input tab and an output tab just below the code window. After writing the code, click the input tab and type the `a` the run the program — Support Ukraine, Dec 21 '16 at 08:32
do you enter a character on your keyboard and then press enter when you run it on your pc? — Kami Kaze, Dec 21 '16 at 10:41
@4386427 Thanks for your suggestion, I did what you said, it worked, but I'm not satisfied enough to move on, something is still not right. Thanks for your help though! :) — KylieSomething, Dec 21 '16 at 20:07
@4386427 Actually I've come to realise that your response was answer I needed, thank you so much, I can now move one :) — KylieSomething, Dec 21 '16 at 21:41

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 21 '16 at 06:08

1

Please enter any key, then 2nd printf will show the result. getchar() is expecting input from user, controller reach at 2nd line & waiting for input.

answered Dec 21 '16 at 06:08

Jitendra

11
2

'C for Dummies' getchar() function not working

1 Answers1