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    Command Line Argument: 'Main' Prototype

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    Geay Peter
    Command line arguments allow a program's main function to receive input from the operating system or another program. The main function prototype int main(int argc, char* argv[]) defines argc as the number of arguments and argv as an array of string pointers containing the argument values. For example, if a program is run with "./program arg1 arg2", argv[0] would be "./program", argv[1] would be "arg1", and argv[2] would be "arg2". The atoi and atof functions can be used to convert command line arguments from strings to integer and float values.

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    Command Line Argument: 'Main' Prototype

    Uploaded by

    Geay Peter
    72 views2 pages
    Command line arguments allow a program's main function to receive input from the operating system or another program. The main function prototype int main(int argc, char* argv[]) defines argc as the number of arguments and argv as an array of string pointers containing the argument values. For example, if a program is run with "./program arg1 arg2", argv[0] would be "./program", argv[1] would be "arg1", and argv[2] would be "arg2". The atoi and atof functions can be used to convert command line arguments from strings to integer and float values.

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    commandLine

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    Command line arguments allow a program's main function to receive input from the operating system or another program. The main function prototype int main(int argc, char* argv[]) defines argc as the number of arguments and argv as an array of string pointers containing the argument values. For example, if a program is run with "./program arg1 arg2", argv[0] would be "./program", argv[1] would be "arg1", and argv[2] would be "arg2". The atoi and atof functions can be used to convert command line arguments from strings to integer and float values.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    72 views2 pages

    Command Line Argument: 'Main' Prototype

    Uploaded by

    Geay Peter
    Command line arguments allow a program's main function to receive input from the operating system or another program. The main function prototype int main(int argc, char* argv[]) defines argc as the number of arguments and argv as an array of string pointers containing the argument values. For example, if a program is run with "./program arg1 arg2", argv[0] would be "./program", argv[1] would be "arg1", and argv[2] would be "arg2". The atoi and atof functions can be used to convert command line arguments from strings to integer and float values.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 2

    Command Line Argument

    Command line arguments are arguments for the main function. main is basically a function
    It can receive arguments like other functions. The ‘calling function’ in this case is the operating
    system, or another program

    'main' prototype
    int main(int argc, char* argv[])
    When we want main to accept command line arguments, we must define it like this

    • argc holds the number of arguments that were entered by the caller
    • argv is an array of pointers to char – an array of strings – holding the text values of the
    arguments. The first argument is always the program’s name

    Consider the following program


    /* This program displays its command-line arguments */
    #include <stdio.h>

    int main(int argc, char *argv[])


    {
    int i;
    printf("The program's command line arguments are: \n");
    for (i = 0; i < argc; ++i) {
    printf("%s\n", argv[i]);}
    return 0;
    }

    If this program is compiled and run (using command prompt)

    $ gedit cmdProgram.c
    $ gcc -o cmdProgram cmdProgram.c
    $ ./cmdProgram I love C program

    ======output=========

    The program's command line arguments are:


    ./cmdProgram
    I
    love
    C
    program
    $

    So the first argument argv[ ], that is argv[0] is always the program name, the other
    arguments followed from argv[1], argv[2], etc, argc giving the total number of arguments

    In windows you can specify these arguments directly, by using the Windows console (Start
    Run…, then type ‘cmd’ and drag the executable into the window. Then type the arguments
    and <Enter>)

    Helper Functions: atoi/atof


    int atoi(char s[]);
    double atof(char s[]);
    Command line arguments are received in the form of strings
    These functions are used when we want to transform them into numbers
    For example – atof(“13.5”) returns the number 13.5. To use atoi you must include :
    #include <stdlib.h>

    Example
    Write a program that accepts two numbers as command line arguments, representing a
    rectangle’s height and width (as floating-point numbers). The program should display the
    rectangle’s area and perimeter

    Solution
    int main(int argc, char* argv[])
    {
    double width, height;

    if (argc != 3) {
    printf("Wrong number of arguments!\n");
    return 1;
    }

    width = atof(argv[1]);
    height = atof(argv[2]);

    printf("The rectangle's area is %g\n", width * height);


    printf("The rectangle's perimeter is %g\n",2 * (width + height));
    return 0;
    }

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