cs50 GetString()

cs50.c

// [...]

/*
 * string
 * GetString()
 *
 * Reads a line of text from standard input and returns it as a string,
 * sans trailing newline character.  (Ergo, if user inputs only "\n", 
 * returns "" not NULL.)  Leading and trailing whitespace is not ignored.
 * Returns NULL upon error or no input whatsoever (i.e., just EOF).
 */

string
GetString()
{
    // growable buffer for chars
    string buffer = NULL;

    // capacity of buffer
    unsigned int capacity = 0;

    // number of chars actually in buffer
    unsigned int n = 0;

    // character read or EOF
    int c;

    // iteratively get chars from standard input
    while ((c = fgetc(stdin)) != '\n' && c != EOF)
    {
        // grow buffer if necessary
        if (n + 1 > capacity)
        {
            // determine new capacity: start at CAPACITY then double
            if (capacity == 0)
                capacity = CAPACITY;
            else if (capacity <= (UINT_MAX / 2))
                capacity *= 2;
            else
            {
                free(buffer);
                return NULL;
            }

            // extend buffer's capacity
            string temp = realloc(buffer, capacity * sizeof(char));
            if (temp == NULL)
            {
                free(buffer);
                return NULL;
            }
            buffer = temp;
        }

        // append current character to buffer
        buffer[n++] = c;
    }

    // return NULL if user provided no input
    if (n == 0 && c == EOF)
        return NULL;

    // minimize buffer
    string minimal = malloc((n + 1) * sizeof(char));
    strncpy(minimal, buffer, n);
    free(buffer);

    // terminate string
    minimal[n] = '\0';

    // return string
    return minimal;
}