Homework 3 Solution
UCR CS10: Introduction to Computer Science
Winter Quarter 2004, Lecturer: Kris Miller

Due Thursday, January 29 before 2:00pm by web turnin.

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Note: Collaboration policy for this homework assignment

Collaboration on this homework is strongly ENCOURAGED. The homework is intended
for practice, not assessment -- most people who turn in decent work should get
most if not all points for this assignment. Forming study groups is strongly 
encouraged. You shouldn't simply copy answers from any source -- each other,
the book, the web, other books, previous solutions, etc. But you can certainly
discuss how to solve the problems, look over each others solutions and help
"debug" them, compare answers and redo problems if you determine your answer is
wrong, and most importantly, explain concepts related to the problems and
solutions.
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Solutions for the Self-test Exercises are in the back of each chapter.


6. Write a program that reads in characters from the user. The program should
   continue to read in characters one at a time until it reads in the 
   character, z. (Hint: Use a while loop that reads in one character. The 
   program should break out of the while loop when it reads in a 'z').


#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
   const char STOP_CHAR = 'z';
   char next_char;

   cout << "Enter as many characters as you want.\n"
        << "Hit return when you want to send those characters to the program."
        << "\nWhen you want to stop, enter the character "
        << STOP_CHAR << endl;

   do
   {
      cin >> next_char;
   }while (next_char != STOP_CHAR);

   return 0;
}


This program doesn't do a whole lot. But, for example, if you wanted to count
how many characters the user typed up to and including the z, you could just 
add one to a counter variable in the do-while loop and then output the 
counter's value after the loop ends. Then the program would look something
like:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
   const char STOP_CHAR = 'z';
   char next_char;
   int cnt = 0;

   cout << "Enter as many characters as you want.\n"
        << "Hit return when you want to send those characters to the program."
        << "\nWhen you want to stop, enter the character "
        << STOP_CHAR << endl;

   do
   {
      cin >> next_char;
      cnt++;
   }while (next_char != STOP_CHAR);

   cout << "You entered " << cnt << " characters up to and including the "
        << STOP_CHAR << endl;

   return 0;
}