Searching within multi-word strings for one word, and returning the whole string

[eyeswideorange]

I am creating a library database where I read the authors and titles in from a file and store the info in parallel arrays. Then, I am trying to search for specific pieces within that array. For instance, I am reading in the author "Ernest Hemingway" in and storing it in a spot in the author array.

Then I have to be able to search for "Hemingway" and have it pop up with his book that is in the parallel array. My problem is, even if I search for "Ernest", this search won't return "Ernest Hemingway".

Now, part of my code to read the titles and authors is such:

string bookTitle[1000];
string bookAuthor[1000];

//for loop that will save titles and authors in array
for (int i = 0; i < 1000; i++) 
{
    //while there are things left to get in file
    if(inFile)
    {
       getline(inFile, bookTitle[i]); 
       getline(inFile, bookAuthor[i]);
            
       //keep count of number of books
       count++;         
    }
}

And part of my code to search for the authors is:

string name;
cout << "Author's name: ";
getline(cin, name);

...

int loc = 0; //declare for loop variable

//while loop will continue through array until end of library
while (loc < count)
{
    if (bookAuthor[loc] == name)
    {
       cout << bookTitle[loc] << " (" << bookAuthor[loc] << ")"
            << endl
    }
    loc++;
}

I have a feeling that my problem is that I'm saving the titles and authors as strings. I think that strings are saved a certain way so you can't search within it. Thus, the name and bookAuthor[loc] will never be equal. What should I do though? What is possible way of coding up a solution to my problem?

Thanks for the help!!

[Tresky]

Unless I am understanding incorrectly you could simply search the actual array for the author name and then return what resides at that position in the array.

For example (not tested):

/// Function to determine the position in the authors array that the search resides and return the author
std::string FindAuthor(std::string authors[], int size, std::string search) {
    for (int i = 0; i < size; i++)
        if (authors[i].find(search) != std::string::npos)
            return authors[i];
}

[Duthomhas]

Use the string::find method.

#include <algorithm>
#include <cctype>
#include <functional>
#include <string> 

std::string toupper( const std::string& s )
  {
  std::string result( s.length(), '\0' );
  std::transform( s.begin(), s.end(), result.begin(), std::ptr_fun <int, int> ( std::toupper ) );
  return result;
  }

struct substring_search_predicate: std::unary_function <std::string, bool>
  {
  std::string pattern;
  substring_search_predicate( const std::string& pattern ):
    pattern( toupper( pattern ) )
    { }
  bool operator () ( const std::string& potential_match ) const
    {
    return (toupper( potential_match ).find( pattern ) != std::string::npos);
    }
  };

#include <iostream> 

substring_search_predicate( name ) p;
for (int n = 0; n < count; n++)
{
  if (p( bookAuthor[n] ))
  {
    cout << bookTitle[n] << " (" << bookAuthor[n] << ")\n";
  }
}

Hope this helps.

[Tresky]

Woah! What does it all mean? O.o Haha.

[eyeswideorange]

TRESKY! YOU'RE A LIFESAVER! I HAVE LITERALLY SPENT 3-4 HOURS TRYING TO GET THIS TO WORK, AND IT WAS WHAT FINISHED MY PROGRAM. I AM SO GRATEFUL TO YOU, AND WISH I COULD BUY YOU A DRINK! CHEERS!

[Tresky]

No problem. :D Glad I could help! I'll take a raincheck on that drink. ;D