Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!ames!husc6!hscfvax!xmjschm
From: xmjschm@hscfvax.harvard.edu (MJSchmelzer)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Substitute for gets()
Message-ID: <721@hscfvax.harvard.edu>
Date: 8 Feb 89 05:00:23 GMT
Organization: Health Sciences Computing Facility, Harvard University
Lines: 30

Given that gets() is unsafe because it doesn't check its input,
what form of scanf() should be used?

The problem I'm having is this:

scanf("%s", buffer);

where buffer is char[255] and the scanf statement is in a loop,
the \n gets passed to the next scanf call. 
Another problem is if I enter, say:

foo bar

to this scanf-in-a-loop, it cycles through the stdin buffer twice to yield:

foo
bar

I know I'm not saying this very well, sorry. But I figure this is a pretty
basic dilemma that most folks have encountered. I mean, gets() in such a 
loop does just fine, ie it would return "foo bar", but I have yet to
kludge up a functionally equivalent scanf().

Does this mean gets() is indispensable ? 
Thanks for any help/insights.
 
-- 
==============  xmjschm@harvspha.BITNET ============= 
Mike Schmelzer  xmjschm@hscfvax.harvard.edu           Quotes are stupid.
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