Description
Name: Static Libraries, Simple Classes, Command line arguments, Pointers, String
Parsing
References:
1. Building and linking to a Static Library lectures and projects
2. Pointers Memory lectures and projects
3. Classes, Objects lectures and projects
Sample Code:
See 3 starter projects on course website projects folder
Topics covered by this project;
Creating and using a static library
Using pointers to manipulate char data
Namespaces
Classes (intro)
Command Line Arguments
vectors
String Parser
A string parser is an application that takes a block of text and extracts the string residing between
2 user defined tags. If these tags occur multiple times in the text, then the parser extracts
multiple strings.
For instance assume TestData.txt contains the following data;
<note>
<to> Tove</to>
<to> bonney</to>
<from>Jani</from>
<heading>Reminder</heading>
<body>Don’t forget me this weekend!</body>
</note>
And my Start and End Tags are <to> and </to>. The StringParser library should find
Tove
bonney
A string parser design should be flexible in that it should be able to use any Start and
End Tag.
Library
The string parser is so versatile that it should be packaged in a library so that it can be
easily integrated into other applications. This approach has the following advantages;
1. Easy to integrate into multiple projects.
2. Easy to maintain. Any changes made to the parser library are made in a
single codebase regardless of the number of applications using it. (There
are not multiple copies of the parser source code embedded in client
applications, each requiring individual attention when integrating parser
changes.)
3. It makes it easier to divvy up projects in a team. The library is defined by its
interface, in this case a header file that describes the functionality it
provides. The header file is a contract describing library functions, how
they are accessed, what is returned, and what is expected. It completely
defines all communication possibilities between the library and its clients.
For these 3 reasons alone (there are more) much of the code produced in the world is
provided as a library.
What I gave you
On the course website, projects section, you will find 3 incomplete projects. The
following shows the solution as it appears in Eclipse. The includes directory should
be in a top level stand alone folder, but we are running up against a limitation of
eclipses’ ‘Workspace’ concept. So it’s located in the 327_proj3_test folder. Note that
FileIO.h and StringParserClass.h as well as constants.h are located there.
Assignment
This project links 327_proj3_fileIO Library correctly to the 327_proj3_Test
application. Please implement the 327_proj3_StringParser library and link it to the
327_proj3_Test application.
Please fill in all required content in;
FileIO.cpp
StringParserClass.cpp
327_proj3_test.cpp
Note that 327_proj3_test.cpp requires command line parameters to be passed in
when the program is invoked, there should be 4 of them;
the first is the filename to read data from
the second is the first tag to search for
the third is the second tag to search for
and the fourth is the output file to write all the found data to
see below for sample run
When finished StringParser_TEST will link 2 libraries StringParser.lib and
FileReader.lib
Requirements
Please submit just the following files:
FileIO.cpp
StringParserClass.cpp
327_proj3_test.cpp
Please ensure that you parse the text using char pointers, no algorithms or built
in string parsing are allowed. Raw pointers only. You may save the parsed
strings in a vector however.
Stuff to consider
Follow my project outline
Read ref 1
I have provided the header files that serve as library contracts. You cannot
change the header file at all! I will use my copy of this header file when linking
to your library. Please implement all functions defined in the header file. You
are of course able to implement other functions in the cpp file.
Tags cannot be embedded within tags
Read all the data from the file before you operate on it
Tags are case sensitive <To> != <TO>
What happens if no start or end tags are found?
What if tags are malformed and right at the end of the file? Will your app read
beyond the EOF and crash?
If you change the header file that will break the contract between my testapp
and your library, I may not be able to test it. Since I am using my copy of the
library header files your application may also not compile either.
See FileIO.h and StringParserClass.h (the contracts I’ve been going on about)
See 327_proj3_Test project and examine its linkage to 327_proj3_fileIO
How I will Test your Solution
I will compile and link your solution. I will probably use my own datasets to test
regular and edge conditions. This is exactly the way that your code will be tested in
industry BTW, with a primary eye to robust, stable operation under adverse
conditions. I will not use your test application.
