String Arrays in C

A string array can store several C strings. One common form is a two-dimensional character array where each row has space for one null-terminated string.

Store and Display Several Names Top ↑

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void) {
    char names[4][20] = {"Alex", "Roan", "Allen", "Roman"};

    for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
        printf("%s\n", names[i]);
    }

    return 0;
}

Output

Alex
Roan
Allen
Roman

Read Full Names Safely Top ↑

The old gets() function is unsafe and was removed from the C standard. Use fgets() with the size of each row.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

int main(void) {
    char names[4][40];

    for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
        printf("Enter name %d: ", i + 1);

        if (fgets(names[i], sizeof names[i], stdin) == NULL) {
            printf("Input error.\n");
            return 1;
        }

        names[i][strcspn(names[i], "\n")] = '\0';
    }

    printf("\nStored names:\n");
    for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
        printf("%s\n", names[i]);
    }

    return 0;
}

How the Dimensions Work Top ↑

char names[4][40];

• 4 = number of strings.
• 40 = maximum storage available for each string, including its null terminator.

Subhendu Mohapatra

Author & Instructor at plus2net

I write and maintain practical tutorials on Python, PHP, SQL, JavaScript, HTML, jQuery, and web development at plus2net. The tutorials focus on clear explanations, working examples, and code that readers can test and adapt while learning.

About the author   Watch on YouTube

Connect: