CMSC216 Lab03: Basic File Input and Structs
- Due: 11:59pm Wed 18-Sep-2024 on Gradescope
- Approximately 1.00% of total grade
CODE DISTRIBUTION: lab03-code.zip
CHANGELOG: Empty
Table of Contents
1 Rationale
Reading basic data from a file is essential in any programming
environment. C provides the standard fscanf()
function to read
formatted data. This lab demonstrates its use and provides some
techniques to read simple, structured data from files in dynamically
allocated structures. This lab also demonstrates one type of struct
referring to an array of another type of struct which is a common
pattern that often appears in class projects. Mastering the syntax
associated with this situation is an essential C-programming skill.
Grading Policy
Credit for this exercise is earned by completing the code/asnwers here
and submitting a Zip of the work to Gradescope. Students are
responsible to check that the results produced locally via make test
are reflected on Gradescope after submitting their completed
Zip. Successful completion earns 1 Engagement Point.
Lab Exercises are open resource/open collaboration and students are encouraged to cooperate on labs. Students may submit work as groups of up to 5 to Gradescope: one person submits then adds the names of their group members to the submission.
See the full policies in the course syllabus.
2 Codepack
The codepack for this lab is linked at the top of this document. Always download it and unzip/unpack it. It should contain the following files which are briefly described.
File | Use | Description |
---|---|---|
QUESTIONS.txt |
EDIT | Questions to answer: fill in the multiple choice selections in this file. |
treasure_main.c |
EDIT | C file to edit and complete; TODO sections are marked in the code |
map1.tm |
Data | Data to read in treasure_main.c |
map2.tm |
Data | Data to read in treasure_main.c |
Makefile |
Build | Enables make test and make zip |
QUESTIONS.txt.bk |
Backup | Backup copy of the original file to help revert if needed |
QUESTIONS.md5 |
Testing | Checksum for answers in questions file |
test_quiz_filter |
Testing | Filter to extract answers from Questions file, used in testing |
test_lab03.org |
Testing | Tests for this lab |
testy |
Testing | Test running scripts |
3 QUESTIONS.txt File Contents
Below are the contents of the QUESTIONS.txt
file for the lab.
Follow the instructions in it to complete the QUIZ and CODE questions
for the lab.
_________________ LAB03 QUESTIONS _________________ Exercise Instructions ===================== Follow the instructions below to experiment with topics related to this exercise. - For sections marked QUIZ, fill in an (X) for the appropriate response in this file. Use the command `make test-quiz' to see if all of your answers are correct. - For sections marked CODE, complete the code indicated. Use the command `make test-code' to check if your code is complete. - DO NOT CHANGE any parts of this file except the QUIZ sections as it may interfere with the tests otherwise. - If your `QUESTIONS.txt' file seems corrupted, restore it by copying over the `QUESTIONS.txt.bk' backup file. - When you complete the exercises, check your answers with `make test' and if all is well, create a zip file with `make zip' and upload it to Gradescope. Ensure that the Autograder there reflects your local results. - IF YOU WORK IN A GROUP only one member needs to submit and then add the names of their group. Treasuremap Files ================= Staff will discuss some aspects of the provided treasure_main.c file. This file has some blanks marked with ???? which need to be filled in. It also demonstrates several important techniques that are common in C program. When the application is complete, it will run as shown below on the provided map1.tm and map2.tm files. ,---- | > make # compile | gcc -Wall -Werror -g -c treasure_main.c | gcc -Wall -Werror -g -o treasure_main treasure_main.o treasure.h | | > ./treasure_main # run with no file provided | usage: ./treasure_main <treasure_file.tm> | | > ./treasure_main map1.tm # run on first treasuremap | Loading treasure map from file 'map1.tm' | Reading map from file 'map1.tm' | Allocating map struct | Map is 7 by 5 | 3 treasures on the map | Allocating array of treasure locations | Reading treasures | Treasure at 0 2 called 'Death_Crystals' | Treasure at 4 1 called 'Mega_Seeds' | Treasure at 6 3 called 'Flurbo_stash' | Completed file, closing | Returning pointer to heap-allocated treasure_t | | ==TREASURE MAP== | ..A.. | ..... | ..... | ..... | .B... | ..... | ...C. | ================ | A: Death_Crystals | B: Mega_Seeds | C: Flurbo_stash | | Deallocating map | | | > ./treasure_main map2.tm # run on second treasuremap | Loading treasure map from file 'map2.tm' | Reading map from file 'map2.tm' | Allocating map struct | Map is 9 by 13 | 10 treasures on the map | Allocating array of treasure locations | Reading treasures | Treasure at 5 2 called 'Goblet_of_Fire' | Treasure at 3 8 called 'Invisibility_Cloak' | Treasure at 4 11 called 'Elder_Wand' | Treasure at 8 10 called 'Mirror_of_Erised' | Treasure at 1 12 called 'Philosophers_Stone' | Treasure at 7 9 called 'Marauders_Map' | Treasure at 8 2 called 'Pensieve' | Treasure at 3 9 called 'Sword_of_Gryffindor' | Treasure at 7 0 called 'Tom_Riddles_Diary' | Treasure at 0 11 called 'Time_Turner' | Completed file, closing | Returning pointer to heap-allocated treasure_t | | ==TREASURE MAP== | ...........J. | ............E | ............. | ........BH... | ...........C. | ..A.......... | ............. | I........F... | ..G.......D.. | ================ | A: Goblet_of_Fire | B: Invisibility_Cloak | C: Elder_Wand | D: Mirror_of_Erised | E: Philosophers_Stone | F: Marauders_Map | G: Pensieve | H: Sword_of_Gryffindor | I: Tom_Riddles_Diary | J: Time_Turner | | Deallocating map `---- QUIZ File Input in treasure_main.c ================================== Make sure to study the code and ask questions to resolve the following queries about the treasure map application. Command Line Arguments ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The `treasure_main.c' program is run with command line parameters like `> ./treasure_main map1.tm'. How is the file name `map1.tm' made available in the `main()' function? - ( ) The `fscanf()' function is used to read the command line as the user types it in. - ( ) The global variable `args' will be an array with `args[0]' as the string `map1.tm' - ( ) The `argc' parameter will have value 2 and `argv[1]' will be a pointer to the string `map1.tm' - ( ) The `getenv()' function is used to extract the command line arguments from the environment. Struct Definition ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The `treasuremap_t' struct is defined in the following location which shows its fields (parts): - ( ) In the c file `treasure_main.c' - ( ) In the header `treasure.h' - ( ) In the header `stdio.h' - ( ) Trick question: the definition is read from the user typing File Format ~~~~~~~~~~~ One important part of completing the `treasuremap_load()' function will be to understand the format of the treasuremap files. According to the documentation for the function and your observations of the `map1.tm' and `map2.tm' files, which of the best describes the format of these files. - ( ) The file looks like how treasure_main prints them, as something like ,---- | ..A.. | ..... | ..... | ..... | .B... | ..... | ...C. `---- and the application should just read the strings in the file into the struct. - ( ) The first line has the the size of the treasuremap AND the number of treasures in the map (N). There are N remaining lines which have treasure positions/descriptions in them. - ( ) The first line has the number of rows/columns in the map and each remaining line is a row/col/description position of a treasure. The number of treasures is not given and must be detected using EOF as a return from `fscanf()' - ( ) The file is stored in binary format and is not easily read by humans. However, it can be read directly into the struct via `fread()'. Nested Struct Syntax ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ During `treasuremap_load()' the following line of code is used to read in the row for an individual treasure's location. ,---- | fscanf(file_handle, "%d", &tmap->locations[i].row); `---- Which of the following best describes the syntax used based on the `treasuremap_t' type? - ( ) `tmap' is a pointer to a struct so `->' is used to dereference it to a field; the `locations' field is a pointer to an array so square braces are used to dereference it. `fscanf()' needs an address so `&' is used. - ( ) `tmap' is a normal struct so `->' is used to access its fields; the `locations' field is a normal array so square braces are used to dereference it. `fscanf()' needs an address so `&' is used. - ( ) `tmap' is a pointer so `&' is used to dereference it with `->' getting its field. The `locations' field is a normal array so square braces are used to dereference it. - ( ) Trick Question: The syntax for this line is actually incorrect and won't compile. It is a TODO item to fix its syntax. Character Tricks ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Locate the function `treasuremap_print()' and find the code with the comment ,---- | // an interesting line `---- Analyze what is happening with this line and select the answer below which best describes it. - ( ) It is accessing a character from an array such as A, B, C... to display on the treasure map for each treasure. - ( ) It is using pointer arithmetic to find the location of a character in memory to display for each treasure. - ( ) It is adding an integer onto character 'A' to get a new character to display on the treasure map for each treasure. - ( ) It is reading the character to display for the treasure from the input file. CODE Complete treasure_main.c ============================= Complete the TODO items in the `treasure_main.c' file so that the two functions marked REQUIRED compile and run successfully. Correct output will look like the demo shown at the top of this file. Test that the code behaves correctly via the command ,---- | make test-code `---- and verify that both code/quiz are correct via ,---- | make test `---- before using ,---- | make zip `---- to create a zip to submit.
4 Submission
Follow the instructions at the end of Lab01 if you need a refresher on how to upload your completed lab zip to Gradescope.