getline() Function and Character Array in C++
The C++ getline() is a standard library function that is used to read a string or a line from an input stream. It is a part of the <string> header. The getline() function extracts characters from the input stream and appends it to the string object until the delimiting character is encountered. Must read the article getline(string) in C++ for more details.
In C++, stream classes support line-oriented functions, getline() and write() to perform input and output functions respectively.
Getline Character Array: This function reads the whole line of text that ends with a new line or until the maximum limit is reached. getline() is the member function of istream class.
Syntax:
// (buffer, stream_size, delimiter)
istream& getline(char*, int size, char='\n')
// The delimiter character is considered as '\n'
istream& getline(char*, int size)
Parameters:
- char*: Character pointer that points to the array.
- Size: Acts as a delimiter that defines the size of the array.
The Function Does the Following Operations:
- Extracts character up to the delimiter.
- Stores the characters in the buffer.
- The maximum number of characters extracted is size – 1.
Note: that the terminator(or delimiter) character can be any character (like ‘ ‘, ‘, ‘ or any special character, etc.). The terminator character is read but not saved into a buffer, instead it is replaced by the null character.
For Example:
Input: Aditya Rakhecha
Output
Your Name is:: Aditya Rakhecha
Explanation: In the above program, the statement cin.getline(str, 20); reads a string until it encounters the new line character or the maximum number of characters (here 20). Try the function with different limits and see the output.
Last Updated :
17 Jan, 2022
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