Question

Firstly, this is for a class so there are limitations on what we can and can’t do, plus I am extremely new to c++ and programming in general, so that is why the code is probably a little crap.

I am at my wits end trying to understand why when I display the item_list using the first set of cout lines within the first for loop, it displays each individual item as it should be (its a list of skyrim ingredients and their effects).

However, when the second for loop executes, the item_list is filled with nothing but the last item that should have been inserted (wisp wrappings and their effects).

Even just pointing me in the right direction would be GREATLY appreciated 🙂

cheers

int client::fill_list(int size_in, int h1size, int h2size)
{
    char temp[ASIZE] = {'\0'};
    int j = 0;
    ifstream ifile;
    ifile.open("test.txt");

    if(ifile.is_open())
    {
        for(int i = 0; i < size_in; ++i)
        {    
            if(ifile.good())
            {       
                j = 0;
                do
                {                   
                    temp[j] = char(ifile.get());
                    ++j;
                }while(ifile.peek() != '*');
                temp[j] = char(ifile.get());
                copy(client_item.name, temp, j);
            }


            if(ifile.good())
            {
                j = 0;
                do
                {                   
                    temp[j] = char(ifile.get());
                    ++j;
                }while(ifile.peek() != '*');
                temp[j] = char(ifile.get());
                copy(client_item.effect1, temp, j);
            }

            if(ifile.good())
            {
                j = 0;
                do
                {                   
                    temp[j] = char(ifile.get());
                    ++j;
                }while(ifile.peek() != '*');
                temp[j] = char(ifile.get());
                copy(client_item.effect2, temp, j);
            }

            if(ifile.good())
            {
                j = 0;
                do
                {                   
                    temp[j] = char(ifile.get());
                    ++j;
                }while(ifile.peek() != '*');
                temp[j] = char(ifile.get());
                copy(client_item.effect3, temp, j);
            }

            if(ifile.good())
            {
                j = 0;
                do
                {                   
                    temp[j] = char(ifile.get());
                    ++j;
                }while(ifile.peek() != '*');
                temp[j] = char(ifile.get());
                copy(client_item.effect4, temp, j);
            }
            reference.into_list(i,client_item);
        cout << reference.item_list[i].name;
        cout << reference.item_list[i].effect1;
        cout << reference.item_list[i].effect2;
        cout << reference.item_list[i].effect3;
        cout << reference.item_list[i].effect4;
        getchar();
        }
    }
    for(int k = 0; k < SIZE; ++k)
    {
        cout << reference.item_list[k].name;
        cout << reference.item_list[k].effect1;
        cout << reference.item_list[k].effect2;
        cout << reference.item_list[k].effect3;
        cout << reference.item_list[k].effect4;
    }
    getchar();
    return 0;
}

…

int table::into_list(int index, item&item_in)
{
    if(index < SIZE)
    {
        item_list[index] = item_in;
        return 0;
    }
    else
        return 1;
}

…
Header for the table class

#include "hash.h"

class table
{
public:
    table()
    {
        item_list = new item [SIZE];
    }
    ~table();
    int fill(item*);
    int insert(item&, nHash&);
    int insert(item&, eHash&, int);
    int retrieve(char*,item*,int);
    int remove(int,item&);
    int remove(int);
    int check_hash(int,int,int);
    int keygen(char*, int);
    int from_list(int, item&);
    int into_list(int, item&);

//private:
    item * item_list;
    nHash name_table;
    eHash ef1_table;
    eHash ef2_table;
    eHash ef3_table;
    eHash ef4_table;
};

….
Beginning of main

#include "client.h"

int main()
{
    client program;

    program.fill_list(SIZE,HNSIZE,HESIZE);

    for(int i = 0; i < SIZE; ++i)
    {
        cout << program.reference.item_list[i].name;
        cout << program.reference.item_list[i].effect1 << endl;
        cout << program.reference.item_list[i].effect2 << endl;
        cout << program.reference.item_list[i].effect3 << endl;
        cout << program.reference.item_list[i].effect4 << endl;
    }

….

item header

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <cctype>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <cstring>
#include <cmath>

using namespace std;

const int ASIZE = 30;
const int SIZE = 92;
const int HNSIZE = 41;
const int HESIZE = 17;

struct item
{
    item();
    ~item();
    char * name;
    char * effect1;
    char * effect2;
    char * effect3;
    char * effect4;
    int count;
    //int keygen(int,int);
    /*int name_key;
    int ef1_key;
    int ef2_key;
    int ef3_key;
    int ef4_key;*/
};

Answer 1

It’s possible that part of the problem is how you make copies of client_item here:

reference.into_list(i,client_item);

This just assigns client_item to item_list like so:

item_list[index] = item_in;

…but since item is defined like this:

struct item
{
    item();
    ~item();
    char * name;
    char * effect1;
    ...

…all of the items in item_list will have pointers (like name, etc.) that point to the same memory as the memory in client_item.

For example, after each assignment, the pointers item_list[index].name and item_in.name will have the same value. (You can check that by printing both pointers, if you’re curious.) Since they both point to the same memory, if you change what’s stored at that memory, both objects will appear to change at the same time.

That means that subsequent changes to client_item — like copying a new string into one of the places that it points — will affect all of the saved items as well.