Little function

A.First Edition

This is the first edition of this simple function to delete first and last non-alphabetic char of a string.

1。 Basic idea: 

2。 Program design: 

3。 Major function：

     A.  

4。 Further improvement：

	A. I write it for fun with a couple of hours and  I am not interested in improving it.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

void removeMark(char* word);

void arrange(char* dictionary, const int arraySize, int wordSize);

//the testing data, make sure the total char including '\0' not exceeding the max length of 
//word length; otherwise you will make two word as one long word,
char* str[5] = {"$firsts", "$secon&", "&fully&", "normal&", "w*"};

int main()
{
	//this is a little test to show you the effect
	char dictionary[40];// this is your big array with 5 word, each 8bytes 

	//I now fill in with 5 word with punches
	for (int i =0; i<5; i++)
	{
		//use address of first char as a string to accept the words
		strcpy(&dictionary[i*8], str[i]);
	}

	//show you the word before "arrange"
	cout<<"\nNow is the word before arrange\n";
	for (int j =0; j<5; j++)
	{
		char* ptr;
		ptr = &dictionary[j*8];
		cout<<ptr<<endl;
	}

	//arrange with 5words, each 8bytes
	arrange(dictionary, 5, 8);

	//show you the effect after arrange
	cout<<"\nNow I show you the effect after arrange\n";
	for (j =0; j<5; j++)
	{
		char* ptr;
		ptr = &dictionary[j*8];
		cout<<ptr<<endl;
	}

	return 0;
}

void removeMark(char* word)
{
	char * ptrFirst, *ptrSecond;

	char ch;
	ch = word[0];  //I have to store the first char as it will be changing after copy
	ptrFirst = word;
	ptrSecond = ptrFirst +1;

	while (*ptrFirst!= '\0')
	{	
		//you need to seperate two situation:
		//this is the first char is not a alphabetic
		if (!isalpha(ch))
		{	
			//you copy each char from next to previous
			*ptrFirst = *ptrSecond;

			//and move to next char
			ptrFirst = ptrSecond;
			ptrSecond = ptrFirst + 1;

			//until you find out the last char is also not alphabetic
			//unless you notice the ptrSecond is '\0'
			if (*ptrSecond=='\0'&&(!isalpha(*ptrFirst)))
			{
				//it is the only way you should go back a position to write '\0' to 
				//over the non-alphabetic char
				ptrFirst--;
				*ptrFirst= '\0';
				break;
			}	
		}
		else
		{
			//this is the second situation that the first char is indeed alphabetic char
			ptrFirst ++;
			ptrSecond ++;
			//you just move to next without copy
			if (*ptrSecond=='\0'&&(!isalpha(*ptrFirst)))
			{
				//until you find the last char is non-alphabetic
				//you ten copy by over-writing '\0' to the non-alphabetic char
				*ptrFirst = *ptrSecond;
				break;
			}	
		}

	}
}

//dictionary is your big char array
//arraysize is how many word you stored in dictionary
//wordsize is the max length of each word 
void arrange(char* dictionary, const int arraySize, int wordSize)
{
	void removeMark(char* word);
	

	for (int i=0; i< arraySize; i++)
	{
		//actually you use the address of first char of word to make it as a string as paramenter
		removeMark(&dictionary[i * wordSize]);
	}
}