Unrequired input? Is this possible?

[chrisname]

This sounds a lot more elementary than it is, but due to the cin function requiring input before the rest of the program will continue, I can't get my program to do what it's supposed to.

The idea is that the program takes an inputted letter, then depending on the letter, turns it into a number and makes the number and subjects it to all kinds of edits (to encrypt the letter). I want the user to input a word as seperate characters (with spacing in between each character). I've already decided how I'm going to change it to a number (using #define), all I need is for the input not to be required. I have a char array with 100 elements, but if I use the cin function, they will have to enter 100 characters (they could input "t h e" and then 97 0s, but that would be ridiculous...) so I need a function which will allow them to enter as many letters (up to 100) as they want, and change them into numbers. Spaces will become zeros, A will become 19 (to make it seem more random), etc.

Is there such a function which will allow them to input characters through a DOS prompt so that I can store them in an array? I can't find it on the internet.

This is my code so far:

// give each letter seemingly random values
#define a 19
#define b 29
#define c 39
#define d 49
#define e 59
#define f 69
#define g 79
#define h 89
#define i 99
#define j 18
#define k 28
#define l 38
#define m 48
#define n 58
#define o 68
#define p 78
#define q 88
#define r 98
#define s 17
#define s 27
#define t 37
#define u 47
#define v 57
#define w 67
#define x 77
#define y 87
#define z 97
#define space 0 // 0 will become space, so that any values that are not inputted will be ignored


#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

void Decode [char alph[100]) {

}

void Encode(char alph[100]) {
// They will need to input values into the array...
}

[firedraco]

I would use an std::string instead of chars, that way you can use getline();

Read here for getline():
http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/articles/6046/

Then you can simply iterate over the string to get the individual characters.

[chrisname]

Thanks. I'll give that a go...

Looks good so far.

[zipuch]

and using of #define is no good style of programming, and I don`t think so that #define is thing that you need

[chrisname]

Hm, I was thinking it might be unnecessary... I think it might be better just to do this:

if (/*the letter is a*/) /*the found letter*/=99

or something. I'm reading a tutorial on the find() function at the moment, so I can hopefully find and convert all letters of the alphabet. I'm hoping I can place them back into the string properly... so I don't get input: "How do you do?", output: "odd of? wHo you "

[chrisname]

I've gotten this far:

#include <fstream>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

void Decode(string numbers) {
}

void Encode(string words) {
     
string::size_type
loca=words.find("A",0),
locb=words.find("B",0),
locc=words.find("C",0),
locd=words.find("D",0),
loce=words.find("E",0),
locf=words.find("F",0),
locg=words.find("G",0),
loch=words.find("H",0),
loci=words.find("I",0),
locj=words.find("J",0),
lock=words.find("K",0),
locl=words.find("L",0),
locm=words.find("M",0),
locn=words.find("N",0),
loco=words.find("O",0),
locp=words.find("P",0),
locq=words.find("Q",0),
locr=words.find("R",0),
locs=words.find("S",0),
loct=words.find("T",0),
locu=words.find("U",0),
locv=words.find("V",0),
locw=words.find("W",0),
locx=words.find("X",0),
locy=words.find("Y",0),
locz=words.find("Z",0),
loc_=words.find(" ",0);

if (loca!=string::npos) loca=19;
if (locb!=string::npos) locb=28;
if (locc!=string::npos) locc=37;
if (locd!=string::npos) locd=46;
if (loce!=string::npos) loce=55;
if (locf!=string::npos) locf=64;
if (locg!=string::npos) locg=73;
if (loch!=string::npos) loch=82;
if (loci!=string::npos) loci=91;
if (locj!=string::npos) locj=19;
if (lock!=string::npos) lock=28;
if (locl!=string::npos) locl=37;
if (locm!=string::npos) locm=46;
if (locn!=string::npos) locn=55;
if (loco!=string::npos) loco=64;
if (locp!=string::npos) locp=73;
if (locq!=string::npos) locq=82;
if (locr!=string::npos) locr=91;
if (locs!=string::npos) locs=19;
if (loct!=string::npos) loct=28;
if (locu!=string::npos) locu=37;
if (locv!=string::npos) locv=46;
if (locw!=string::npos) locw=55;
if (locx!=string::npos) locx=64;
if (locy!=string::npos) locy=73;
if (locz!=string::npos) locz=82;
if (loc_!=string::npos) loc_=0;

cout << words;
}

int main() {
string ende;
cout << "Encode or Decode? [En/De]\n";

getline(cin, ende);
cin.clear();

if (ende=="En" || ende=="en") {
  cout << "Enter a word or words to be encoded" << endl;
  cout << "A file will be created afterwards.\n";
  string words="";
  getline(cin, words);
  Encode(words);
}

else if (ende=="De" || ende=="de") {
  cout << "This function is to decode a sequence of numbers, or to play around\n";
  cin.clear();
  cout << "Please enter a sequence of numbers: ";
  string numbers;
  getline(cin, numbers);
}

cin.ignore();
cin.get();

return 0;
}

It does not work. It just outputs the word that was inputted, and I am unsure where to go from here (on my Encode function). Any suggestions? Am I doing this completely wrong? (Probably. This isn't important, but it'd feel good if I could say "Yeah, I wrote a program that turns letters into numbers, what did you do?").

EDIT: (return was missing for whatever reason...)

[zipuch]

you input variable "words" not change it and then output "words", try to change it in function Encode()

[zipuch]

or try to output by character

[chrisname]

Thats a good idea, I'll give it a go. Thanks.

[firedraco]

Strings also have a replace() as well, so you don't have to do the replacing manaually. Just mystring.replace(mystring.find('a'), 25); or something similar.

[chrisname]

Thanks!