Question

I have used an else..if statement in my program to check if certain conditions are met in the validation but I think I have an error in the layout of my else..if statement that I can’t seem to pinpoint.Can someone point me in the right correction or give me some helpful tips on what I should do in this situation?Thanks.

void validatePass()
{
    FILE *fptr;
    char password[MAX+1];
    int iChar,iUpper,iLower,iSymbol,iNumber,iTotal,iResult,iCount;


    //shows user password guidelines
    printf("\n\n\t\tPassword rules: ");
    printf("\n\n\t\t 1. Passwords must be at least 9 characters long and less than 15 characters. ");
    printf("\n\n\t\t 2. Passwords must have at least 2 numbers in them.");
    printf("\n\n\t\t 3. Passwords must have at least 2 uppercase letters and 2 lowercase letters in them.");
    printf("\n\n\t\t 4. Passwords must have at least 1 symbol in them (eg ?, $, £, %).");
    printf("\n\n\t\t 5. Passwords may not have small, common words in them eg hat, pow or ate.");

    //gets user password input

    printf("\n\n\t\tEnter your password following password rules: ");
    scanf("%s", &password);


    iChar = countLetters(password,&iUpper,&iLower,&iSymbol,&iNumber,&iTotal);

    if(iUpper < 2)
    {
        printf("Not enough uppercase letters!!!\n");

    }

    else if(iLower < 2)
    {
        printf("Not enough lowercase letters!!!\n");

    }
    else if(iSymbol < 1)
    {
        printf("Not enough symbols!!!\n");

    }
    else if(iNumber < 2)
    {
        printf("Not enough numbers!!!\n");

    }
    else if(iTotal < 9 && iTotal > 15)
    {
        printf("Not enough characters!!!\n");

    }

    iResult = checkWordInFile("dictionary.txt",password);

    if( iResult == gC_FOUND )
    {
        printf("\nFound your word in the dictionary");
    }

    else if
    {
        printf("\nCould not find your word in the dictionary");
    }

    iResult = checkWordInFile("passHistory.txt",password);

    if( iResult == gC_FOUND )
    {
        printf("\nPassword used");

    }

    else if
    {
        printf("\nOk to use!");
    }

    printf("\n\n\n Your new password is verified ");
    printf(password);

    //writing password to passHistroy file.


    fptr = fopen("passHistory.txt", "w");   // create or open the file
    for( iCount = 0; iCount < 8; iCount++)
    {
        fprintf(fptr, "%s\n", password[iCount]);
    }

    fclose(fptr);

    printf("\n\n\n");
    system("pause");


}//end validatePass method

Answer 1

There’s no else if, just else if () .... Well, to put it nicely, you can’t have an if without a condition afterwards. Otherwise, you’re just leaving the compiler wondering "if what?".

wrong

if (...)
{
}
else if
{
    printf("\nCould not find your word in the dictionary");
}

okay

if (...)
{
}
else 
{
    printf("\nCould not find your word in the dictionary");
}

also okay

if (...)
{
}
else if(condition)
{
    printf("\nCould not find your word in the dictionary");
}