Read Text File

readTxtFile.c

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdbool.h>

bool isTerminator(char ch) {
	bool result = false;
	char terminators[5] = { ';', '.', '!' , '?'};
	for (int j = 0; j < sizeof(terminators) / sizeof(terminators[0]); j++) {
		if (ch == terminators[j]) {
			result = true;
			break;
		}
	}
	return result;
}



int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
	if (argc < 2) {
		printf("No arguments were provided, try again and kindly provide valid argument(s)");
		exit(0);
	}

	FILE* fptr;
	fptr = fopen(argv[1], "r");

	if (fptr == NULL) {
		printf("Cannot open file");
		exit(0);
	}
	char c;
	int i = 0;

	

	while ((c = fgetc(fptr)) != EOF) {
		
		if (c == '\n') {   //check if there is a new line
			printf(" ---- %d\n", i);
			i = 0;
			continue;
		}

		if (c == 32) {
			if (i == 0) {                //if the first character of the line is whitespace then skip to the part where we there is no longer a white space
				while ((c = fgetc(fptr)) == 32);
			}
			else {     //in the case the whitespace is between two words or before a terminator, period ,etc. 
				while ((c = fgetc(fptr)) == 32);  //skip all the whitespaces

				if (!isTerminator(c)) { //in case the character after all the whitespaces is not a terminator, persumably it's going to be between words
					printf(" ");
				}
			}
		}

		printf("%c", c);
		i++;
	}
	

	fclose(fptr);
	return 0;
}


//whenever you call fgetc() with the same filepointer, it gives you the next character found the file.

	

The Problem is As Follows:

1. Your program should get one input from user on command line. The argument should be the name of a file available on your PWD. Make sure that user has provided correct inputs. First argument must be name of a file available in the PWD. Any incorrect or invalid input should result the program to terminate with an appropriate message to the user.

2. Open the file in read mode. Ensure that file must exist in the PWD.

3. Your program should read the file character by character and display it on the console.

4. While reading the file, program should eliminate ALL unnecessary spaces encountered.

5. All single spaces that are there within the words in a line are considered as necessary spaces.

6. An unnecessary space can be defined as:

a. All space/s in the beginning of a line before any character. It also includes tabs.

b. Any space or spaces in the end of the line or before a semicolon, colon, comma or full stop.

c. If there are multiple spaces within the words, your program MUST eliminate all but one space.

Suppose the input file is as follows:

Hello there . How are you ?
This is a stateme nt. char myvar = ’a’ ;

and you compile the program as:

$ gcc lab3.c -o lab3
$ ./lab3 inFile

Output file is:
Hello there. How are you?
This is a stateme nt. char myvar = ’a’