134 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
134 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
# ft_str_split: String Splitting Project in C
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## Project Overview
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This project-based learning assignment challenges you to implement a function that splits a string into an array of strings based on a specified delimiter character. The project will enhance your understanding of string manipulation, memory allocation, and pointer arithmetic in C.
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## Learning Objectives
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- Deepen understanding of string manipulation in C
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- Practice dynamic memory allocation and management
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- Implement robust error handling
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- Understand pointer arithmetic and array management
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- Develop efficient algorithms for string processing
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## Function Prototype
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```c
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char **ft_str_split(char const *s, char c);
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```
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### Parameters
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- `s`: The string to be split
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- `c`: The delimiter character used to identify where the string should be split
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### Return Value
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- An array of new strings resulting from the split
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- NULL if the allocation fails
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## Requirements
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1. **Function Behavior:**
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- The function must split the string `s` using the character `c` as a delimiter
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- The array must end with a NULL pointer
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- The resulting strings must not contain the delimiter character
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2. **Memory Management:**
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- You must allocate memory for the result array and each substring
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- All allocations must be properly handled with error checking
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- No memory leaks are allowed
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3. **Edge Cases:**
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- Handle empty strings properly
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- If `c` does not appear in `s`, the result should be an array with a single element containing the entire string
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- If `s` is NULL, return NULL
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- If multiple delimiters appear consecutively, they should result in empty substrings
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## Project Steps
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### Step 1: Planning the Algorithm
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Begin by designing your algorithm. Consider:
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- How to count the number of resulting substrings
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- How to allocate the right amount of memory
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- How to extract each substring efficiently
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### Step 2: Implementing Helper Functions
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Consider implementing these helper functions:
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- `count_words`: Count how many words will result from the split
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- `word_length`: Calculate the length of a word until the next delimiter
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- `extract_word`: Extract a single word from the source string
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### Step 3: Implementing the Main Function
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Implement the `ft_str_split` function using your helper functions.
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### Step 4: Testing
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Create a comprehensive test suite that covers:
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- Normal cases with various delimiters
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- Edge cases (empty strings, no delimiters, etc.)
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- Error cases (memory allocation failures)
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## Example Usage
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```c
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#include <stdio.h>
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#include <stdlib.h>
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char **ft_str_split(char const *s, char c);
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void print_result(char **result) {
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if (!result)
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return;
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for (int i = 0; result[i]; i++) {
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printf("'%s'\n", result[i]);
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}
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}
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void free_result(char **result) {
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if (!result)
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return;
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for (int i = 0; result[i]; i++) {
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free(result[i]);
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}
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free(result);
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}
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int main() {
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char *str = "Hello,world,this,is,a,test";
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char **result = ft_str_split(str, ',');
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printf("Original: '%s'\n", str);
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printf("Split by ',': \n");
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print_result(result);
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free_result(result);
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return 0;
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}
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```
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## Evaluation Criteria
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Your implementation will be evaluated based on:
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1. **Correctness**: Does it handle all required cases correctly?
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2. **Memory Management**: Are there any memory leaks?
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3. **Code Quality**: Is the code clean, well-organized, and properly commented?
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4. **Efficiency**: Is the algorithm efficient in terms of time and space complexity?
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## Advanced Challenges
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Once you've completed the basic implementation, consider these extensions:
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1. Modify your function to handle multiple delimiter characters
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2. Implement a version that uses a string as a delimiter instead of a single character
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3. Create a version that keeps empty substrings as separate entries in the result array
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4. Optimize your code for maximum performance with large strings
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## Resources
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- C string manipulation functions (`strlen`, `strcpy`, etc.)
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- Memory allocation functions (`malloc`, `free`)
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- Pointer arithmetic in C
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- String tokenization techniques
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## Conclusion
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This project will strengthen your C programming skills, particularly in the areas of string manipulation and memory management. The ability to split strings is a fundamental operation in many programming applications, making this a valuable skill to master.
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Good luck with your implementation! |