Hi

I have a question regarding sscanf function and its use.
I found the explanation of this function and the example of it.

/* sscanf example */
#include <stdio.h>

int main ()
{
  char sentence []="Benny is 29 years old";
  char str [20];
  int i;

  sscanf (sentence,"%s %*s %d",str,&i);
  printf ("%s -> %d\n",str,i);
  
  return 0;
}

Output:
Benny -> 29

But, I don't understand why... this part,


sscanf (sentence,"%s %*s %d",str,&i);
printf ("%s -> %d\n",str,i);


produces the output of this.


Benny -> 29



Why did only Benny and 29 were pick up??


Thank you!

: Hi
:
: I have a question regarding sscanf function and its use.
: I found the explanation of this function and the example of it.
:
:

: /* sscanf example */
: #include <stdio.h>
: 
: int main ()
: {
:   char sentence []="Benny is 29 years old";
:   char str [20];
:   int i;
: 
:   sscanf (sentence,"%s %*s %d",str,&i);
:   printf ("%s -> %d\n",str,i);
:   
:   return 0;
: }
: 
: Output:
: Benny -> 29
: 

:
: But, I don't understand why... this part,
:
:
: sscanf (sentence,"%s %*s %d",str,&i);
: printf ("%s -> %d\n",str,i);
:
:
: produces the output of this.
:
:
: Benny -> 29
:
:
:
: Why did only Benny and 29 were pick up??
:
:
: Thank you!
:


Because only two variables were used.

"%s goes to str
%*s doesn't mean a thing and there was no variable to receive it either
%d goes to i

: (...)
: %*s doesn't mean a thing and there was no variable to receive it either
: (...)

I guess TokoG took the example from this page: http://www.cplusplus.com/ref/cstdio/sscanf.html

Here the %*s really does mean a thing: read a string, but ignore it.
It makes sense, since if you hadn't put this the sscanf function would've tried to parse the substring "is" as an integer, what would be an error.

Homero C. de Almeida

There's no dishonour in failure. For we aren't allowed to know wheter we'll achieve success or not. There is only one final shame, the cowardice of not trying.

: : (...)
: : %*s doesn't mean a thing and there was no variable to receive it either
: : (...)
:
: I guess TokoG took the example from this page: http://www.cplusplus.com/ref/cstdio/sscanf.html
:
: Here the %*s really does mean a thing: read a string, but ignore it.
: It makes sense, since if you hadn't put this the sscanf function would've tried to parse the substring "is" as an integer, what would be an error.
:
: Homero C. de Almeida
:
: There's no dishonour in failure. For we aren't allowed to know wheter we'll achieve success or not. There is only one final shame, the cowardice of not trying.
:
:


Seems I have forgotten about %*

But... when parsing a string there are two cases: either you know the format of the string, or you don't. If you know the format of the string, you should write somthing like

sscanf (sentence,"%s is %d",str,&i);

If you don't know the format of the string, you will have to iterate it until you find a digit. There is no need for %* in any of these cases.
It seems like a handy functionality to have, but I wonder if there ever is any use for it...?

:
: Seems I have forgotten about %*
:
: But... when parsing a string there are two cases: either you know the format of the string, or you don't. If you know the format of the string, you should write somthing like
:
: sscanf (sentence,"%s is %d",str,&i);
:
: If you don't know the format of the string, you will have to iterate it until you find a digit. There is no need for %* in any of these cases.
: It seems like a handy functionality to have, but I wonder if there ever is any use for it...?
:

Yes it can be useful. Suppose that you have a file to read like this:

25 Jhonny Bananas
57 Mary Apples
32 Jeff Pineaples
100 Todd Apples
22 Jimmy Bananas

You don't know what the second pattern might be, but you know the lines have a pattern. You just want to know how many of each fruit where sold, it doesn't mather whom you sold it. Would't %*s be useful?

Homero C. de Almeida

There's no dishonour in failure. For we aren't allowed to know wheter we'll achieve success or not. There is only one final shame, the cowardice of not trying.

: :
: : Seems I have forgotten about %*
: :
: : But... when parsing a string there are two cases: either you know the format of the string, or you don't. If you know the format of the string, you should write somthing like
: :
: : sscanf (sentence,"%s is %d",str,&i);
: :
: : If you don't know the format of the string, you will have to iterate it until you find a digit. There is no need for %* in any of these cases.
: : It seems like a handy functionality to have, but I wonder if there ever is any use for it...?
: :
:
: Yes it can be useful. Suppose that you have a file to read like this:
:
:

: 25 Jhonny Bananas
: 57 Mary Apples
: 32 Jeff Pineaples
: 100 Todd Apples
: 22 Jimmy Bananas
: 

:
: You don't know what the second pattern might be, but you know the lines have a pattern. You just want to know how many of each fruit where sold, it doesn't mather whom you sold it. Would't %*s be useful?
:
: Homero C. de Almeida
:
: There's no dishonour in failure. For we aren't allowed to know wheter we'll achieve success or not. There is only one final shame, the cowardice of not trying.
:
:



Alright, I yield

Though I would probably not use the scanf functions to read strings, since reading everything charater by character with fgets() is much safer and will detect corrupted data easier.

Hi Lundin & homerocda

So.. summing up your advices, sscanf plays a bit of role like strtok which to find delimination?

sscanf only picked up the first delimination which is Benny. But it doesn't pick up the WHOLE setence right?

And for the result above, %*s is playing a role.... correct?

But, WITHOUT %*s, Benny part was still printed out but 29 became 0. I thought the result would be Benny is 29 years old -> 29, but it wasn't.

OR, %*s part only affects %i (the latter formatted input but %s in sscanf still only prints out the first deliminator?

: Hi Lundin & homerocda
:
: So.. summing up your advices, sscanf plays a bit of role like strtok which to find delimination?
:
: sscanf only picked up the first delimination which is Benny. But it doesn't pick up the WHOLE setence right?
:
: And for the result above, %*s is playing a role.... correct?
:
: But, WITHOUT %*s, Benny part was still printed out but 29 became 0. I thought the result would be Benny is 29 years old -> 29, but it wasn't.
:
: OR, %*s part only affects %i (the latter formatted input but %s in sscanf still only prints out the first deliminator?
:

tokoG, have you read the explanation for sscanf on that page?
sscanf works just like scanf, but reads from a string not standard input.

%s means "read the next characters until a blank character is found". It would never read the whole sentence unless if it were just a word.

When it founds a match on the string it starts searching for the match for the next pattern "until it finds a blank character", but starting from where the first match stopped.

Without the %*s (which means "ignore the next string") it will try to set the next word to an int. But the next word found is not an integer is "is", which can't be translated to a numerical value, so it just sets the variable to 0.

source string = "Benny is 29 years old"
format string = "%s %*s %i"

1. Trying to match the first pattern as a string in the source string:

source string = "Benny is 29 years old"
                 +---+

Benny: string found
Expecting: %s -> string
Match! Store it on the first variable passed.

2. Trying to match the second pattern as a string in the source string:

source string = "Benny is 29 years old"
                       ++

is: string found
Expecting: %*s -> string
Match! Uh-oh, there is the * modifier here, don't store the string found.

3. Trying to match the third pattern as an integer in the source string:

source string = "Benny is 29 years old"
                          ++

29: string found
Expecting: %i -> integer
Match! 29 can be converted to an integer, so it matches and stores it on the second variable passed.

There are no more patterns on the format string, stop searching.

It is surprisingly that you have already used strtok but never used scanf.
Homero C. de Almeida

There's no dishonour in failure. For we aren't allowed to know wheter we'll achieve success or not. There is only one final shame, the cowardice of not trying.

: tokoG, have you read the explanation for sscanf on that page?
: sscanf works just like scanf, but reads from a string not standard input.
:
: %s means "read the next characters until a blank character is found". It would never read the whole sentence unless if it were just a word.
:
: When it founds a match on the string it starts searching for the match for the next pattern "until it finds a blank character", but starting from where the first match stopped.
:
: Without the %*s (which means "ignore the next string") it will try to set the next word to an int. But the next word found is not an integer is "is", which can't be translated to a numerical value, so it just sets the variable to 0.
:
:

: source string = "Benny is 29 years old"
: format string = "%s %*s %i"
: 
: 1. Trying to match the first pattern as a string in the source string:
: 
: source string = "Benny is 29 years old"
:                  +---+
: 
: Benny: string found
: Expecting: %s -> string
: Match! Store it on the first variable passed.
: 
: 2. Trying to match the second pattern as a string in the source string:
: 
: source string = "Benny is 29 years old"
:                        ++
: 
: is: string found
: Expecting: %*s -> string
: Match! Uh-oh, there is the * modifier here, don't store the string found.
: 
: 3. Trying to match the third pattern as an integer in the source string:
: 
: source string = "Benny is 29 years old"
:                           ++
: 
: 29: string found
: Expecting: %i -> integer
: Match! 29 can be converted to an integer, so it matches and stores it on the second variable passed.
: 
: There are no more patterns on the format string, stop searching.
: 

:
: It is surprisingly that you have already used strtok but never used scanf.
: Homero C. de Almeida
:
: There's no dishonour in failure. For we aren't allowed to know wheter we'll achieve success or not. There is only one final shame, the cowardice of not trying.
:
:


Thank you so much for the whole explanation of the sscanf use.
Including reminding me of hat scanf with string was... I didnt have enough practices to remember the function! But no I made weote some code to text scanf again.

Your above explanation is very good. Thank you again!