[BUG REPORT] Using "s" to read in a string doesn't generate the proper C code

[Martianmellow12]

Describe the bug
When input is called with "s" as the input type, the generated C code doesn't work properly.

To Reproduce
Below is a simc program accompanied by the generated C program:

simc

MAIN
  var i = input("Enter a string: ", "s")
  print("You entered ")
  print(i)
  print("\n")
END_MAIN

Generated C

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
	char* i;
	printf("Enter a string: ");
	scanf("%s", i);
	printf("You entered ");
	printf("%s", i);
	printf("\n");

	return 0;
}

Expected behavior
It's expected that whatever string was entered would be printed out, however all that's printed is (null). Looking at the C code, it can be seen that the pointer we're trying to read a string into (char* i) is only able to hold a single character, which is likely causing the null issue. To properly read in a string, char* i should instead be something like char i[256], or something similar (the exact size would depend on the size of the string being read in, so this implementation would require a limit on the maximum number of characters that can be read into the string).

Desktop (please complete the following information):

• OS: Linux (Ubuntu)

[frankhart2018]

@Martianmellow12 it seems that the issue only appears when compiled in linux, in macOS and Windows it works fine. Still it needs to be changed. But the issue with a constant length of 256 is -

1. It cannot hold a string longer than 256 bytes.
2. If the string is small let's assume "abc" then also the string holding it will take up 256 bytes in memory.

I believe there should be some other option. If you get one do send it in this thread, if any of us get it we will send it here.

[Chasmiccoder]

I think this is because the C compiled code is using the scanf( ) statement incorrectly. Instead of
scanf( "%s", &i);
we are getting:
scanf("%s", i );

[frankhart2018]

You can take up this issue @Chasmiccoder.

[Chasmiccoder]

Okay. I will try. @frankhart2018

[frankhart2018]

Assigning this to you @Chasmiccoder.

[frankhart2018]

Merged.