I tried to limit the number of n bytes copied to dest (here str1) by using strncpy(). The dest is big enough for the n bytes, but the output produced garbage when dest is smaller than the source (here argv[1]). This looks different, when i make dest large enough to hold the source.
Here's the code:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
/* // Works when str1[?] is 20:
char str1[20];
char str2[20]; */
// produces garbage, str1 is smaller than argv[1] but big enough for the 4 bytes copied
char str1[10];
char str2[10];
printf("argc = %i\n", argc);
if (argc <= 1 || argc > 2){
printf("Input Example:\n"
" %s SEGMENT:OFFSET\n"
" %s 0100:F00A\n", argv[0], argv[0]);
return 0;
}
printf("strlen(argv[1]) = %li, argv[1] = %s\n"
, strlen(argv[1]), argv[1]);
// str1
strncpy(str1, argv[1], 4); // copying 4 bytes to str1
printf("Copy only 4 Bytes -> sizeof(str1) = %li, "
"strlen(str1) = %li, str1 = %s\n", sizeof(str1), strlen(str1), str1);
// str2
strncpy(str2, argv[1], 3); // copying 3 bytes to str2
printf("Copy only 3 Bytes -> sizeof(str2) = %li, "
"strlen(str2) = %li, str2 = %s\n", sizeof(str2), strlen(str2), str2);
return 0;
}
The input of 0100:F00A produces:
./test.bin 0100:F00A
argc = 2
strlen(argv[1]) = 9, argv[1] = 0100:F00A
Copy only 4 Bytes -> sizeof(str1) = 10, strlen(str1) = 8, str1 = 0100�U
Copy only 3 Bytes -> sizeof(str2) = 10, strlen(str2) = 3, str2 = 010
Expected was just str1 = 0100.
I also do wonder why str2 is correct, its initial array size is as small as str1.
When i change
char str1[10]
to
char str1[20]
and by doing so make it larger than the input of argv[1], then the output is correct:
./test.bin 0100:F00A
argc = 2
strlen(argv[1]) = 9, argv[1] = 0100:F00A
Copy only 4 Bytes -> sizeof(str1) = 20, strlen(str1) = 4, str1 = 0100
Copy only 3 Bytes -> sizeof(str2) = 20, strlen(str2) = 3, str2 = 010
It seems like strncpy is first copying everything to dest and then cutting away the rest after it. But is that the way how strncpy works? I assumed it is only copying what is need, the 4 bytes.
from man page https://linux.die.net/man/3/strncpy
The strncpy() function is similar, except that at most n bytes of src are copied. Warning: If there is no null byte among the first n bytes of src, the string placed in dest will not be null-terminated.
ie in your case no null is placed in dest