C++ gets()

gets() prototype

char* gets(char* str);

The gets() function reads characters from stdin and stores them in str until a newline character or end of file is found.

The difference between gets() and fgets() is that gets() uses stdin stream. The gets() function provides no support to prevent buffer overflow if large input string are provided.

It is defined in <cstdio> header file.

Note: Avoid using the gets() function as it can be dangerous for the program. This function was deprecated in C++11 and removed from C++14.

gets() Parameters

str: Pointer to a character array that stores the characters from stdin.

gets() Return value

• On success, the gets() function returns str
• On failure, it returns NULL.
  • If the failure is caused due to end of file condition, it sets the eof indicator on stdin.
  • If the failure is caused due to some other error, it sets the error indicator on stdin.

Example: How gets() function works

#include <iostream>
#include <cstdio>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    char str[100];
    cout << "Enter a string: ";
    gets(str);
    cout << "You entered: " << str;
    
    return 0;
}

When you run the program, a possible output will be:

Enter a string: Have a great day!
You entered: Have a great day!