Parse TSV data loaded as a C string (char*)

tsv_parse.c

// Compile: g++ -o tsv_parse tsv_parse.c
// Run:     ./tsv_parse
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
    // example TSV dataset as C string
    char* profile_data;
    profile_data = (char*)"a\t1\nb\t2.3\nc\thello\n";
    printf("%s\n", profile_data);

    // declare the variables I'll be reading from the TSV (equivalent to the struct)
    char a;
    float b;
    unsigned int c_len = 1024; // whatever string allocation you want
    char c[c_len];

    // parse TSV
    int profile_data_len = strlen(profile_data);
    unsigned int key_start;
    unsigned int key_len;
    unsigned int val_start;
    unsigned int val_len;
    unsigned int i, j; // i is for index in TSV data, and j is for handling string copying
    i = 0;
    while(i < profile_data_len-1) {
        // find start and end of key and value
        key_start = i; key_len = 0;
        while(profile_data[i++] != '\t') { ++key_len; }
        val_start = i; val_len = 0;
        while(profile_data[i++] != '\n') { ++val_len; }

        // extract new C strings (probably not necessary, but easier for string stuff)
        char key[key_len+1]; memcpy(key, &profile_data[key_start], key_len); key[key_len] = '\0';
        char val[val_len+1]; memcpy(val, &profile_data[val_start], val_len); val[val_len] = '\0';

        // parse to store variables
        if(strcmp(key, "a") == 0) {
            a = (char)strtol(val, NULL, 10);
        } else if(strcmp(key, "b") == 0) {
            b = (float)strtod(val, NULL);
        } else if(strcmp(key, "c") == 0) {
            memcpy(c, &val, val_len);
            for(j = val_len; j < c_len; ++j) { c[j] = '\0'; }
        }
        // put additional strcmp(key, "KEY_NAME") == 0) checks for each "KEY_NAME" the user can provide in the TSV
    }

    // print variables that were loaded
    printf("a = %d\n", a);
    printf("b = %f\n", b);
    printf("c = %s\n", c);
    return 0;
}