c++ help - infinite loop

[TechKnickle]

Do not get me wrong here, i am really no longer a complete noob at this language... But I am not intermediate yea either.

In our program, when someone enters a character where it should not be, the program goes into an infinite loop and we have to close it. How can I fix this?

#include <iostream>
#include <string.h>
#include <string>


using namespace std;

int main ()
{ 
	int suck=0,iVobularyIndex=0,iNumberOfVocabularies = 6;
	string strDictionary[]={"poncho","monster","tiger","geek","Derek","God"},strInput="";
	bool blnWrong=false;


		cout << "\t\t###############################################\n";
		cout << "\t\t#           Spell Program Version 1.1         #\n";
		cout << "\t\t#                Mystery Words!!              #\n";
		cout << "\t\t#                                             #\n";
		cout << "\t\t#                                             #\n";
		cout << "\t\t###############################################\n";
		cout << "\n";
		cout << "\n";
      
		

		while(suck < 4){

			cout << "What word would you like to spell? \n ";

			for (int i =0; i < iNumberOfVocabularies ; i++){
				
				cout << "\t" << i + 1 << ". " << strDictionary[i] << "\n";

			}

			cout << "Please enter your selection: ";
		
			cin >> iVobularyIndex;

			iVobularyIndex -= 1;


			cout << "YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO SPELL " << strDictionary[iVobularyIndex] << "\n";
			cout << "SPELL NOW: ";
			
			do{

				std::cin >> strInput;

				blnWrong = false;

				if (strInput.compare(strDictionary[iVobularyIndex])) blnWrong = true;
					
		
				if (blnWrong )
 
				{
					cout << "Spelling " << strDictionary[iVobularyIndex] << "......\n";
					cout << "\n";
					cout << "\n";
					cout << "WRONG SPELLING DETECTED!!!  IT IS SPELLED " << strDictionary[iVobularyIndex] << " YOU IDIOT!\n\n";
					cout <<"You Spelled: ";
					cout << strInput;
					cout << "\n";
					cout << "TRY SPELLING IT AGAIN! ";
					suck ++ ;

				}else
				{
					cout << "\n";
					cout << "\nGreat job!  You spelled: ";
					cout << strInput;
					cout << "\n"<<"\n";
					suck = 0;


				}
			}while(blnWrong);
	}

 return 0;
}

er... sorry about the tabs. My problem is like this:

if a person enters a char as an int then program goes into an infinite loop displaying cout from various inputs.

[SpookyEddy]

Not only does it loop but it reads random chunks of systems memory if you enter an unexpected value for iVobularyIndex. Validate your input and discard anything that doesn't explicitly match what you are interested in. I would probably hold the dictionary in a vector of strings and check that I was not trying to index it with anything stupid, but then I am something of a "complete noob"

Regards

ed

[SpookyEddy]

I was thinking of something like this...

#include<iostream>
#include<vector>
#include<string>

int main()
{
  using namespace std;

  vector<string> dictionary;

  dictionary.push_back("foo");
  dictionary.push_back("bar");

  cout << "Spelling Test v0.1" << endl << endl;
  
  for(int i=0; i < dictionary.size(); i++)
    cout << i << ") " << dictionary[i] << endl;
 
  cout << endl << "Make your choice... ";

  int choice = 0;
  
  if(cin >> choice)
  {
    if(choice < dictionary.size())
    {
      if(choice >= 0)
      {
        cout << endl << "You selected " << dictionary[choice] << endl;
        cout << "Spell: ";

        string spell;
        cin >> spell;

        if(spell == dictionary[choice])
          cout << endl << "Well done." << endl;
        else
          cout << endl << "Fool." << endl;
      }
      else
        exit(1);
    }
    else
      exit(1);
  }
  else
    exit(1);
  
  return 0;
}

Of course that may not even compile as I don't really know any C++

Regards

ed

[Stick32]

why are you using a do/while loop there? it's not really necessary just use a standard while

[Valentin]

hAVE YOU TRIED USING CHARACTER VALIDATORS (isalph or isnum) they validate whether the input is numeric

[Valentin]

you can use them in if statements and return false if theyre characters

[elmers]

"Of course that may not even compile as I don't really know any C++"

Ssupiciously enugh it compiles, and runs without causing general protection faults .

[elmers]

#include <iostream>
#include <string.h>
#include <string>


using namespace std;

int main (){int suck=0;
    string strDictionary[]={"poncho","monster","tiger","geek","Derek","God"};
    string input="";
    
    cout << "\t\t###############################################\n";
    cout << "\t\t#                                             #\n";
    cout << "\t\t#                                             #\n";
    cout << "\t\t#           Spell Program Version 1.2         #\n";
    cout << "\t\t#                Mystery Words!!              #\n";
    cout << "\t\t#                                             #\n";
    cout << "\t\t#                                             #\n";
    cout << "\t\t###############################################\n";
    cout << "\n \n";
    cout << "What word would you like to spell? \n ";
    
    for(int i=0; i<=5; i++){cout << "\t" << i + 1 << ". " << strDictionary[i] << "\n";};    
    
    cout << "Please enter your selection: ";   
    
    do{cin >> input;}while(!(isdigit(input[0]) and (input[0] <= '6') and (input[0] >= 1)));

    cout << (char)input[0] << ". Spell the word ";
    input[0] = input[0] - '0' - 1;
    cout << strDictionary[input[0]] << "\n\n";
    suck = input[0];
    
    while(input != strDictionary[suck])
    {
        cin >> input;
        if (input != strDictionary[suck])
        {cout << "Haha \nYou suck \nI will now exit :P";
        int i = 0;
        for(;;){strDictionary[i++]="You SUCK!!!";};
        } 
        else
        {return 0;};
    }

    

}

How do you guys get the cool code window?

edit: nevermind