C++ recursion vowel counter

[encoded]

stuck. not sure how to pass the char and int. I would love to keep it global since the program functions properly, BUT my professor highly frowns on global variables..frowning as in "it's wrong = 0;" Any ideas or help to pass the str and counter to get them out of global state?

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
	 
	int vowCount (int x);
	char str[101];
	int counter=0;
	 
int  main (){
	int vowel,x;
	 
	cout << "Enter a sentence and I'll count the  vowels: \n";
	cin.getline(str,101);
	 
	x = strlen (str); 
	vowel = vowCount(x);
	 
	cout <<  "\nThere were " <<  vowel <<  " vowels in that sentence.\n" << endl;
	
system("pause");
return 0;
} 
	int vowCount(int x){
		if (x == 0)
	    return counter;
		if(str[x-1] == 'a' 
			|| str[x-1] == 'e'
			|| str[x-1] == 'i' 
			|| str[x-1] == 'o' 
			|| str[x-1] == 'u' 
			|| str[x-1] == 'A' 
			|| str[x-1] == 'E' 
			|| str[x-1] == 'I' 
			|| str[x-1] == 'O' 
			|| str[x-1] == 'U'){
		
			counter++;
	    }
		counter = vowCount(x-1);
	    return counter;
	}
	  
	

[Kiana]

1. Pass a pointer to a char to your vowel-count function.
2. Keep a static variable in the vowel-count function to keep track of the count.

#include <iostream>

int CountVowels(char* szString, int X)
{
  static int nCount = 0;

  if (X == 0)
  {
    int nTemp = nCount;
    nCount = 0;
    return nTemp;
  }

  switch (szString[X - 1])
  {
    case 'a':
    case 'e':
    case 'i':
    case 'o':
    case 'u':
    case 'A':
    case 'E':
    case 'I':
    case 'O':
    case 'U':
      nCount++;
  }

  nCount = CountVowels(szString, X - 1);
  return nCount;
}

int main()
{
  const int MAXSTRING = 100;

  char  szBuffer[MAXSTRING];
  int   nCount;

  std::cout << "Enter a sentence & I'll count the vowels:" << std::endl;
  std::cin.getline(szBuffer, MAXSTRING);

  nCount = CountVowels(szBuffer, strlen(szBuffer));
  std::cout << std::endl << "There were " << nCount << " vowels in that sentence." << std::endl;
  std::cout << std::endl;

#if 0
  // system("pause") is bad
  system("pause");
#endif
  std::cin.sync();
  std::cin.peek();
  std::cin.sync();
}

Furthermore, your professor is right. Polluting the global scope is a programming evil.
http://bytes.com/topic/c/insights/737451-case-against-global-variables

[encoded]

Thank you very much! I have tried and tried with this one. Char/string recursion is quite difficult to me right now. And almost zero reference from class or book. I only use system("pause") while I'm trouble shooting code to pause it to see what the output is before it flashes away. I have never seen
[code]
#if 0
// system("pause") is bad
system("pause");
#endif

[/code

but I really like that. - Now that the coffee is wearing off and the 15 hrs of homework is kicking in, I need to review the nice code you have cleaned up.. and possible see how you are passing the input to the recursion function. (so I can cout the result of vowels.) it's either really obvious and I have a bad case of sleep deprivation, or I'm just not seeing it at all.

[encoded]

after looking up cin.peek() I'm guessing that is like the passing data? never used or noticed nor studied cin.peek() or cin.sync().. very interesting.

[encoded]

"Now that the coffee is wearing off and the 15 hrs of homework is kicking in, I need to review the nice code you have cleaned up.. and possible see how you are passing the input to the recursion function. (so I can cout the result of vowels.) it's either really obvious and I have a bad case of sleep deprivation, or I'm just not seeing it at all. "

WOW...complete disregard that. I am pasted tired. Again Kiana thanks SO much..you helped GREATLY !