Using printf to output the contents of a struct

[benn]

I need to output the contents of a struct variable (which internally
has a bunch of ints, strings, other structs, etc) onto the screen
(then ultimately out the com port). I don't mind a raw binary hex
dump of the entire memory space that the variable occupies. I can
then parse it on the other end.

Whats the best way to do this? I can do a sizeof the struct variable
and for-loop to print a hex character for every byte until all the
memory that the variable occupies is cycled through, but I'm thinking
theres gotta be a cleaner approach, no?

[Vladimir Oka]

Re: Using printf to output the contents of a struct

benn wrote:

I need to output the contents of a struct variable (which internally
has a bunch of ints, strings, other structs, etc) onto the screen
(then ultimately out the com port). I don't mind a raw binary hex
dump of the entire memory space that the variable occupies. I can
then parse it on the other end.
>
Whats the best way to do this? I can do a sizeof the struct variable
and for-loop to print a hex character for every byte until all the
memory that the variable occupies is cycled through, but I'm thinking
theres gotta be a cleaner approach, no?

A cleaner approach is to use standard format specifiers and
standard text output functions to produce data as well-defined
and structured text that can then be similarly parsed "at the
other end". That way you can make both programs, and the
intermediate file portable. Internal representation of the
structure is not.

--
My e-mail address is real, and I read it.

[santosh]

Re: Using printf to output the contents of a struct

Vladimir Oka wrote:

benn wrote:

>I need to output the contents of a struct variable (which internally
>has a bunch of ints, strings, other structs, etc) onto the screen
>(then ultimately out the com port). I don't mind a raw binary hex
>dump of the entire memory space that the variable occupies. I can
>then parse it on the other end.
>>
>Whats the best way to do this? I can do a sizeof the struct variable
>and for-loop to print a hex character for every byte until all the
>memory that the variable occupies is cycled through, but I'm thinking
>theres gotta be a cleaner approach, no?

>
A cleaner approach is to use standard format specifiers and
standard text output functions to produce data as well-defined
and structured text that can then be similarly parsed "at the
other end". That way you can make both programs, and the
intermediate file portable. Internal representation of the
structure is not.

You'd still have problems with pointer members. There's also the
question of whether to output what those pointers point to or not.