Arg! OOP and strings/char arrays!

[prototype]

This seemed pretty simple to me.

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

class thecounter{
private: static int maxlen;
char input[maxlen];

public: thecounter(int c)
{maxlen=c}
void setText()
{
do{
cout<<"Enter whatever, as long as it is no more than ";
cout<<maxlen<<" characters including spaces.\n";
cin.getline(input,(--maxlen));
if(int check = (strlen(input)>(--maxlen)){
cout<<"Error! I said no more than "<<maxlen<<"!";
cout<<"Re-enter text.";
cin.getline(input,(--maxlen));
}
} while(check !=0);
}
static int NumberOfSentances;
static int NumberOfWords;
static int NumberOfLetters;
void textCount()
{
for(int i=0;i<maxlen;i++){
if(isalnum(input[i]))
NumberOfLetters++;
if(isspace(input[i]))
NumberOfWords++;
if(ispunct(input[i]))
NumberOfSentances;
}
}
void show()
{
cout<<"There are "<<NumberOfSentances<<"sentances."
cout<<"There are "<<NumberOfWords<<"words."
cout<<"There are "<<NumberOfLetters<<"letters."
}
};

void main(){
thecounter first=100,second=200,third=300;
first.setText();
first.textCount();
first.show();
second.setText();
second.textCount();
second.show();
third.setText();
third.textcount();
third.show();
}

All I want to do, is have a class that can
count the number of letters, words, and sentances
in a text entered by the user. I used some macros
to figure out whats what. But I am getting about 12
errors, and I don`t know what they mean. It says
that the varible "maxlen" should be a const int, but
then I can`t use different length text strings. Any
ideas?

[Simon Sellick]

"prototype" <prototype@myself.com> wrote:
>
>This seemed pretty simple to me.
>
>#include <iostream.h>
>#include <string.h>
>
>class thecounter{
> private: static int maxlen;
> char input[maxlen];
>
> public: thecounter(int c)
> {maxlen=c}
> void setText()
> {
> do{
> cout<<"Enter whatever, as long as it is no more than ";
> cout<<maxlen<<" characters including spaces.\n";
> cin.getline(input,(--maxlen));
> if(int check = (strlen(input)>(--maxlen)){
> cout<<"Error! I said no more than "<<maxlen<<"!";
> cout<<"Re-enter text.";
> cin.getline(input,(--maxlen));
> }
> } while(check !=0);
> }
> static int NumberOfSentances;
> static int NumberOfWords;
> static int NumberOfLetters;
> void textCount()
> {
> for(int i=0;i<maxlen;i++){
> if(isalnum(input[i]))
> NumberOfLetters++;
> if(isspace(input[i]))
> NumberOfWords++;
> if(ispunct(input[i]))
> NumberOfSentances;
> }
> }
> void show()
> {
> cout<<"There are "<<NumberOfSentances<<"sentances."
> cout<<"There are "<<NumberOfWords<<"words."
> cout<<"There are "<<NumberOfLetters<<"letters."
> }
>};
>
>void main(){
> thecounter first=100,second=200,third=300;
> first.setText();
> first.textCount();
> first.show();
> second.setText();
> second.textCount();
> second.show();
> third.setText();
> third.textcount();
> third.show();
>}
>
>All I want to do, is have a class that can
>count the number of letters, words, and sentances
>in a text entered by the user. I used some macros
>to figure out whats what. But I am getting about 12
>errors, and I don`t know what they mean. It says
>that the varible "maxlen" should be a const int, but
>then I can`t use different length text strings. Any
>ideas?

Doesn't 'static' mean class-level? I would have expected maxlen to be an
instance variable, associated with one particular thecounter. (If you want
a default value, you can assign it one in the constructor)
Hope this helps.

[prototype]

"Simon Sellick" <simon.sellick@tesco.net> wrote:
>
>
>Doesn't 'static' mean class-level? I would have expected maxlen to be an
>instance variable, associated with one particular thecounter. (If you want
>a default value, you can assign it one in the constructor)
>Hope this helps.

Thats the rub. I need maxlen to be different for each object. But my
compiler (Borland C++ 4.52) insists that maxlen be const. That is what I

can`t figure out.

[Danny Kalev]

prototype wrote:
>
> "Simon Sellick" <simon.sellick@tesco.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >Doesn't 'static' mean class-level? I would have expected maxlen to be an
> >instance variable, associated with one particular thecounter. (If you want
> >a default value, you can assign it one in the constructor)
> >Hope this helps.
>
> Thats the rub. I need maxlen to be different for each object. But my
> compiler (Borland C++ 4.52) insists that maxlen be const.
And rightfully so:

char input[maxlen];

You're using maxlen as an array's size. An array's size must be a
constant. You have to decide whether you want it as a constant and in
that case, it shouldn't be a class member, you can use an external
constant. If you want a distinct variable for every object, you will
have to allocate the array input dynamically using new (and don't
forget to delete[] it in the destructor of course).

Danny

That is what I
>
> can`t figure out.