unix c: switch choices

[cruel]

Hi, I am not a c programmer by training. So, the following must be some thing very basic to a lot fo you. I simply try to allow users to identify a list of variables between item A and item B. From the reference I have, in 'switch' the choice can only be integer. The following piece works OK if users enter 0-9. But, everything is messed if users type anything else. The "invalid reply" warning will be looping on the screen forever. Thanks

...
printf( "Mark the variable ('1 for item A, 0 for item B')? " );
scanf( "%i", &choice );

while ( !( choice == 1 || choice == 2 ) ) {
printf( "Invalid reply. Number '1' or '2' only. Re-enter: "
scanf( "%i", &choice );
}
switch ( choice ) {
case 1:
...

 

[Chapter11]

You'd be better off asking in this forum:

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=205&newpid=205

(and two things: if the user insists in putting in invalid input, the program *should* keep looping back to ask for valid input. second, you need to do much stronger input validation. that code as it is written is begging for buffer overflow abuse)

 

[cruel]

The loop for invalid input is what I need. Buffer overflow is the question. I switched to getchar and the issue is gone. Thanks!

 

[Chapter11]

Be sure to handle EOF.

 

[cruel]

EOF was handled in an outter While Loop, which I did not show here. D&D uses integer for choices a lot, without any obvious validation. Thanks much.