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From: gordon@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (John Gordon)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: problems with scanf() and gets()
Message-ID: <1991Jun6.182118.16211@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 6 Jun 91 18:21:18 GMT
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Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
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jhp@apss.ab.ca (Herbert Presley) writes:

>scanf() and gets() will not accept keyboard input in the same program if
>scanf() is used first.  I am using scanf() to accept an integer from the
>keyboard and gets() to accept a string.  Because scanf() aborts input at
>the first whitespace, you cannot enter a sentence string (or, is this something
>I am doing wrong because of my inexperience)?  So in instances where you are
>attempting to enter a formatted integer variable and a string in the same
>program, I find that using scanf() first makes gets() skip the wait for
>keyboard input.

	Here is your problem: scanf() leaves a carriage return hanging in the
input buffer.  Since gets() ends on a carriage return, it picks this up
immediately and quits.  My solution is to do a getchar() right after a scanf()
and suck up the floating carriage return.

---
John Gordon
Internet: gordon@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu        #include <disclaimer.h>
          gordon@cerl.cecer.army.mil       #include <clever_saying.h>