Re: Problem with using char* to return string by reference

From:
"Alex Blekhman" <tkfx.REMOVE@yahoo.com>
Newsgroups:
microsoft.public.vc.language
Date:
Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:28:45 +0300
Message-ID:
<OECjPcxyIHA.4896@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl>
<swtbase@gmail.com> wrote:

I have a problem using char* in C++.

[...]
DataSize = 256;
RegQueryValueEx(hKey, "Data0", 0, NULL, temp, &DataSize);
strcpy(a, (char*)temp);
[...]

The program displays values b, c and d correctly but displays
nothing in place of a (null value to be correct). On checking,
a[0 to 8] gives output ' n t e l L A N ' (String to be read is
'Intel LAN Adapter'. 'Cout'ing temp and a (local to func
ReadInitRegVal()) has correct values but the returned a (local
to main()) has corrupted. Why is this so?


Two questions.

1. What is the type of returned data? Pass a pointer to DWORD as
fourth parameger to figure it out.

2. What is the value that returned in `temp' buffer? Is it MBCS or
Unicode string? Is it string at all? Is it properly terminated
with 0 character?

Also, you may use more safe strcpy_s or strncpy:

DataSize = 256;
LONG ret = RegQueryValueEx(hKey, "Data0", 0, NULL, temp,
&DataSize);

if(ret == ERROR_SUCCESS)
{
    strncpy(a, (char*)temp, DataSize);
    a[DataSize] = '\0';
}

HTH
Alex

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