4
[Beginner] Call all functions from main() or jump to functions from within functions?
(piefed.blahaj.zone)
Context\
I have been learning C as a hobby since autum 2025 because I am intrigued by computers. I have mainly been using Bro Code's tutorial and PDF The C Programming Language (Second Edition), although I'm too much of a beginner to understand all of the latter material. There's not really much more to it. I don't really have any concrete goals with learning C, but I thought it could be a good first step into the world of programming and for now, I just really enjoy coding. In the future, I'd like to learn assembly language and then finally (?) program some CPU.
Background\
When I realized how I can use for loops to go through strings and how I can then manipulate certain portions of said string, I realized that I can play around with it to allow a user to modify (here, "trim") any given text. Good fun!
In this particular case, I focused on practicing separating the program into as specific and small functions as possible.
Questions\
-
Should I or could I call the next function from within the previously called function, as opposed to listing them all in
main()as I have done below? My guess is that listing them all inmain()gives the reader a better overview of the flow, as opposed to having to look into each separate function to find out what's connecting to what? -
I believe that the only variable that really needs to be global is the "input", since so many functions need to be able to access it. What are the pros and cons of using local variables where possible?
CODE
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
//Function declarations
void promptchoice_main(void);
void promptchoice_main_again(void);
void promptinput(void);
void promptchoice_trim(void);
void executechoice(char choice_trim);
void trimnumbers(void);
void trimwhitespace(void);
void trimletters(void);
void trimspecial(void);
void specifyspecial(void);
void printresult(char input[]);
//Global variables
char choice_main = 0x00;
char choice_trim = 0x00;
char choice_detail = 0x00;
char choice_special = 0x00;
char input[1000] = "";
char previous_input[1000] = "";
//Remove specific numbers, letters, punctuation or whitespace characters from input.
int main() {
printf("\nWelcome! This program trims text by removing unwanted characters.\n");
while (1) {
if (strlen(previous_input) == 0) { // Check for previously trimmed text in memory.
promptchoice_main();
if (choice_main == 'E') { break; }
if (choice_main == 'T') {
promptinput();
promptchoice_trim();
executechoice(choice_trim);
printresult(input);
}
}
else {
promptchoice_main_again();
if (choice_main == 'E') { break; }
if (choice_main == 'T') {
promptinput();
promptchoice_trim();
executechoice(choice_trim);
printresult(input);
}
else if (choice_main == 'P') {
sprintf(input, "%s", previous_input);
printf("\nYou are trimming previously trimmed text: %s\n", input);
promptchoice_trim();
executechoice(choice_trim);
printresult(input);
}
}
}
printf("\nGoodbye!\n");
return 0;
}
//Function definitions
void promptchoice_main(void) {
while (1) {
printf("\nPress T and ENTER to trim text or E and ENTER to exit: ");
scanf("%c", &choice_main);
while (getchar() != '\n') {}
if (choice_main == 'T' || choice_main == 'E') { break; }
else { printf("\nInvalid input!\n"); }
}
return;
}
void promptchoice_main_again(void) {
while (1) {
printf("\nPress T and ENTER to trim new text, P and ENTER to trim previously trimmed text or E and ENTER to exit: ");
scanf("%c", &choice_main);
while (getchar() != '\n') {}
if (choice_main == 'T' || choice_main == 'P' || choice_main == 'E') { break; }
else { printf("\nInvalid input!\n"); }
}
return;
}
void promptinput(void) {
printf("\nEnter the text that you would like to trim and press ENTER: ");
fgets(input, sizeof input, stdin);
input[strlen(input) - 1] = '\0';
return;
}
void promptchoice_trim(void) {
while (1) {
printf("\nWhat would you like to trim?\n1) Numbers (1, 2, 3...)\n2) Whitespace (space, tab or newline) \n3) Letters (A,B,C... a,b,c...)\n4) Special characters (!,?, . , ...)\nType one of the above numbers and press ENTER: ");
scanf("%c", &choice_trim);
while (getchar() != '\n') {}
if (choice_trim >= 0x31 && choice_trim <= 0x34) { break; } // Only accept 1 through 4.
else { printf("\nInvalid choice!\n"); }
}
return;
}
void executechoice(char choice_trim) {
switch (choice_trim) {
case 0x31: trimnumbers(); // 123 etc
break;
case 0x32: trimwhitespace(); // space, tab, newline
break;
case 0x33: trimletters(); // ABC..., abc...
break;
case 0x34: trimspecial(); // ! ? , . etc.
break;
}
return;
}
void trimnumbers(void) {
int n = 0;
for (n = strlen(input) - 1; n >= 0; n--) {
if (input[n] >= 0x30 && input[n] <= 0x39) { input[n] = 0x18; }
}
return;
}
void trimwhitespace(void) {
while (1) {
printf("\nType S to trim SPACE, T to trim TAB, N to trim NEWLINE or A to trim all whitespace: ");
scanf("%c", &choice_detail);
while (getchar() != '\n') {}
if (choice_detail == 'S' || choice_detail == 'T' || choice_detail == 'A') { break; }
else { printf("\nInvalid input!\n"); }
}
int n = 0;
for (n = strlen(input) - 1; n >= 0; n--) {
if (choice_detail == 'S') { if (input[n] == 0x20) { input[n] = 0x18; } } // space
else if (choice_detail == 'T') { if (input[n] == 0x09) { input[n] = 0x18; } } // tab
else if (choice_detail == 'N') { if (input[n] == 0x0A) { input[n] = 0x18; } } // newline
else if (choice_detail == 'A') { if (input[n] == 0x20 || input[n] == 0x09 || input[n] == 0x0A) { input[n] = 0x18; } }
}
return;
}
void trimletters(void) {
while (1) {
printf("\nType U to trim uppercase letters, L to trim lowercase letters or A to trim all letters: ");
scanf("%c", &choice_detail);
while (getchar() != '\n') {}
if (choice_detail == 'U' || choice_detail == 'L' || choice_detail == 'A') { break; }
else { printf("\nInvalid input!\n"); }
}
int n = 0;
for (n = strlen(input) - 1; n >= 0; n--) {
if (choice_detail == 'U') { if (input[n] >= 0x41 && input[n] <= 0x5A) { input[n] = 0x18; } } // Uppercase
else if (choice_detail == 'L') { if (input[n] >= 0x61 && input[n] <= 0x7A ) { input[n] = 0x18; } } // Lowercase
else if (choice_detail == 'A') { if (input[n] >= 0x41 && input[n] <= 0x5A || input[n] >= 0x61 && input[n] <= 0x7A ) { input[n] = 0x18; } }
}
return;
}
void trimspecial(void) {
while (1) {
printf("\nType A to trim all special characters or S to specify which character to remove: ");
scanf("%c", &choice_detail);
while (getchar() != '\n') {}
if (choice_detail == 'A' || choice_detail == 'S') { break; }
else { printf("\nInvalid input!\n"); }
}
int n = 0;
for (n = strlen(input) - 1; n >= 0; n--) {
if (choice_detail == 'A') { if (input[n] >= 0x21 && input[n] <= 0x2F || input[n] >= 0x3A && input[n] <= 0x40 || input[n] >= 0x5B && input[n] <= 0x60 || input[n] >= 0x7B && input[n] <= 0x7E) { input[n] = 0x18; } } // All whitespace
}
if (choice_detail == 'S') { specifyspecial(); } // Let user specify character.
return;
}
void specifyspecial(void) {
while (1) {
printf("\nEnter special character to trim and press ENTER: ");
scanf("%c", &choice_special);
while (getchar() != '\n') {}
if (choice_special >= 0x21 && choice_special <= 0x2F || choice_special >= 0x3A && choice_special <= 0x40 || choice_special >= 0x5B && choice_special <= 0x60 || choice_special >= 0x7B && choice_special <= 0x7E) { break; }
else { printf("\nNot a special character!\n"); }
}
int n = 0;
for (n = strlen(input) - 1; n >= 0; n--) { if (input[n] == choice_special) { input[n] = 0x18; } }
return;
}
void printresult(char input[]) {
printf("\nTrimmed text:\n\n%s\n", input);
sprintf(previous_input, "%s", input); // Save trimmed text for reuse.
return;
}
//TODO
//Create error handling when trimming non existing characters.
//Replace characters (uppercase/lowercase, user selected, etc).
I'd recommend not to alias compilers like that. Rather, if you're interested, you could just use a simple Makefile like shown below and get it over with. Save it into a file called
Makefile(yes, uppercase M followed byakefileall lowercase) in the same directory as yourprogram.cfile.Note, I have used
-std=c89but you can delete that line or maybe even use a more modern standard such as-std=c23if you like. If you delete, both gcc and clang will default to the latest ISO standard supported by that version of compiler.Also since you're compiling only a single file, I have used
program.cas input producingprogramexecutable on UNIX. To run thisMakefileyou need to invokemakefrom the same directory asMakefileon command-line as:to enable all the warnings and compile. If you set
W=0it will not warn or even print any diagnostic unless compiler really cannot generate the executable. You can also passD=0for optimised/release build,D=1for debug build so you can backtrack ingdb. You can also passA=1if you want address sanitisers enabled. It will report if your program is touching or even looking at pointers/memory regions the wrong way, leaking memory or just generally doing operations that cannot guarantee correct behaviour. PassingV=1will display the exact command executed to compile, otherwise it will silently compile.Here's the full
MakefileI use: