Question

char symbols[16] = "";
int index = 0;
while (1)
{
     if (index % 2)
         snprintf(symbols, sizeof symbols, "a%s", symbols);
     else
         snprintf(symbols, sizeof symbols, "b%s", symbols);

     index++;

     printf("%s\n", symbols);
}

How output looks: a => bb => aaa => bbbb

I want the output looks: a => ba => aba => baba

Answer 1

This is undefined behaviour. From the C99 standard section 7.19.6.5 The snprintf function:

The snprintf function is equivalent to fprintf, except that the output is written into
an array (specified by argument s) rather than to a stream. If n is zero, nothing is written,
and s may be a null pointer. Otherwise, output characters beyond the n-1st are
discarded rather than being written to the array, and a null character is written at the end
of the characters actually written into the array. If copying takes place between objects
that overlap, the behavior is undefined.

You will need to make a copy of symbols for use as an argument in the snprintf() calls:

char symbols[16] = "";
char symbols_copy[16];
int index = 0;
while (index++ < 15)
{
     memcpy(symbols_copy, symbols, sizeof(symbols));

     if (index % 2)
         snprintf(symbols, sizeof symbols, "a%s", symbols_copy);
     else
         snprintf(symbols, sizeof symbols, "b%s", symbols_copy);

     printf("%s\n", symbols);
}

See demo http://ideone.com/GvnW7D .