Description: Fgets is a function used to read a string from a file or standard input. It is part of the standard C library and is commonly used to obtain lines of text from files or standard input. The function allows specifying the maximum size of the string to read, which helps prevent buffer overflows, a common issue in C programming. Fgets is characterized by its ability to read up to a newline character or until the end of the file is reached, making it a versatile tool for text manipulation. Additionally, it includes the newline character in the read string, which can be useful in certain applications. Its use is fundamental in system programming and applications that require reading text data, and it is widely used in code examples and tutorials to illustrate data input and output in C.
Uses: Fgets is primarily used in C programming to read lines of text from files or standard input. It is especially useful in situations where text data needs to be handled, such as reading configuration files, processing user data, or creating applications that require user interaction. Its ability to limit the size of the read string makes it ideal for preventing buffer overflow errors, which is crucial in secure programming.
Examples: A practical example of using fgets is in a program that reads a text file line by line. For instance, one can open a file and use fgets to read each line and process it, as shown below:
FILE *file = fopen(“data.txt”, “r”);
char buffer[100];
while (fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), file) != NULL) {
printf(“%s”, buffer);
}
fclose(file);
