The following C code shows that : format '%c' expects argument of type 'int', but argument 3 has type char*

Question

The following code shows that format '%c' expects argument of type 'int', but argument 3 has type 'int'. I don't see any mistakes in variable types. This issue is present at the printf, line 155 at the void list() section. I have no idea why it's expecting it as type int. Isn't it suppose to be char? This seems different from the other warnings. I ask if someone can please kindly assist?

This is the struct:

struct employee
{
    char name[50];
    char sex[7];
    char adrs[50];
    char dsgn[25];
    int age,empID;
    float slry;
};

Problem:

while(fread(&e,recsize,1,fptr)==1)///read the file and fetch the record one record per fetch
{
    printf("\n\n%s \t\t%c \t%s \t%s \t%d \t%.2f \t%d",e.name, e.sex,
           e.adrs, e.dsgn, e.age, e.slry, e.empID);
}
getch();

Entire code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <ctype.h>
#include <stdbool.h>
#include <windows.h>
#include "struct.h"

void insert();
void list();
void edit();
void del();
void exit();
int tolower();

FILE * fptr, *ftemp;
struct employee e;
long int recsize;
char empname[50];

int main()
{
    int choice;
    fptr = fopen("ems.txt", "r+");


    if (fptr == NULL)
    {
        printf("Can't find file! Attempting to create file... \n");

        fptr = fopen("ems.txt","w+");
        if(fptr == NULL)
        {
            printf("Can't create file. Exiting...");
         exit(1);
        }
    }

    //Explain the reason for this?
    //recsize = (long int) sizeof(e);//


    while(1)
    {
        printf("*******************************\n");
        printf("\nEmployee management system");
        printf("\n1. Insert employee information");
        printf("\n2. List all employee information");
        printf("\n3. Edit employee information");
        printf("\n4. Delete employee information");
        printf("\n5. Exit");
        printf("\n\n*****************************\n");
        printf("\n\n Enter your choice: ");
        scanf("%d", &choice);
        int ch;  while( ( ch = getchar() ) != EOF && ch != '\n' ){;}

        switch(choice)
        {
            case 1:
                puts("Insert was chosen");
                insert();

                break;
            case 2:
                puts("List was chosen");
                list();
                break;
            case 3:
                puts("Edit was chosen");
                edit();
                break;
            case 4:
                puts("Delete was chosen");
                del();
                break;
            case 5:
                puts("Exit was chosen");
                exit(1);
                break;
            default:
                puts("Choice is incorrect!!");
                break;
        }
    }

    return 0;
}


void insert()
{
    char next;

    do
    {
        printf("********************************************************** \n");
        printf("\nEnter the name of the employee: ");
        fgets(e.name, sizeof(e.name), stdin);
        printf("\nEnter the sex of the employee (M/m or F/f): ");
        scanf("%c",e.sex);

        switch(*e.sex)
        {
            case 'M':
            case 'm':
                printf("\nMale.\n");
                break;
            case 'F':
            case 'f':
                printf("\nFemale.\n  ");
                break;
            default:
                printf("Unspecified Sex.");
        }

        printf("\nEnter the address of the employee: ");

        fseek(stdin, 0, SEEK_END); // ADD THIS TO AVOID SKIP

        fgets(e.adrs, sizeof(e.adrs), stdin); // this
        printf("\nEnter designation of the employee: ");
        fgets(e.dsgn, sizeof(e.dsgn), stdin); // this

        printf("\nEnter age of the employee: ");
        scanf("%d", &e.age);
        printf("\nEnter basic salary of the employee: ");
        scanf("%f", &e.slry);
        printf("\nEnter the employee's ID: ");
        scanf("%d", &e.empID);
        fputs(e.name, fptr);
        fputs(e.sex, fptr);
        fputs(e.adrs, fptr);
        fputs(e.dsgn, fptr);
        fprintf(fptr, "%d \n%f \n%d \n", e.age, e.slry, e.empID);
       // fwrite(&e,recsize,1,fptr);
        int ch;  while( ( ch = getchar() ) != EOF && ch != '\n' ){;}
        //fflush(stdin);//
        printf("\nDo you want to input more? (y/n): ");
        next = getche();
        printf("\n");
    }
    while( tolower(next) != 'n' );

    fclose(fptr);
}

void list ()
{
     printf("-------------------------------");
     printf("\nEmployee Details: \n---------------------------------\n");
     rewind(fptr);///moves file to start of the file
     while(fread(&e,recsize,1,fptr)==1)///read the file and fetch the record one record per fetch
     {
         printf("\n\n%s \t\t%c \t%s \t%s \t%d \t%.2f \t%d",e.name, e.sex, e.adrs, e.dsgn, e.age, e.slry, e.empID);
     }
     getch();

     /*printf("Name        : %s\n",e.name);
     printf("Address     : %s\n",e.adrs);
     printf("Sex         : %c\n",e.sex);
     printf("Designation : %s\n",e.dsgn);
     printf("Age         : %d\n",e.age);
     printf("Salary      : %.2f\n",e.slry);
     printf("Employee-ID : %d\n",e.empID);*/
}

void edit ()
{
    char next;
    do
    {
        printf("Enter the employee's name to be edited: ");
        scanf("%49[^\n]", empname);
        rewind(fptr);
        while(fread(&e, recsize, 1, fptr)==1)///fetch all records from file
        {
            if(strcmp(e.name,empname) == 0) ///if entered name matches with that in file
                printf("\nEnter new name, sex, address, designation, age, salary and employee ID: ");
                scanf("%s%c%s%s%d%f%d", e.name, e.sex, e.adrs, e.dsgn, &e.age, &e.slry, &e.empID);
                fseek(fptr, -recsize, SEEK_CUR);/// move cursor 1 step back from current position
                fwrite(&e, recsize,1,fptr); ///override the record
                break;
        }

        printf("\nEdit another record(y/n)");
        next = getche();
        int ch;  while( ( ch = getchar() ) != EOF && ch != '\n' ){;}

    }
    while(next != 'n');

    return ;
}

void del()
{
    char next;
    do
    {
        printf("\nEnter name of employee to delete: ");
        scanf("%s",empname);
        ftemp = fopen("Temp.dat","wb"); ///create a intermediate file for temporary storage
        rewind(fptr); ///move record to starting of file
        while(fread(&e,recsize,1,fptr) == 1)  ///read all records from file
        {
            if(strcmp(e.name,empname) != 0)  ///if the entered record match
            {
                fwrite(&e,recsize,1,ftemp); ///move all records except the one which is to be deleted to temp file
            }
        }

        fclose(fptr);
        fclose(ftemp);
        remove("ems.txt"); ///remove original file
        rename("Temp.dat","ems.txt"); ///rename temp file to original file name
        fptr = fopen("ems.txt", "rb+");
        printf("Delete another record(y/n)");
        int ch;  while( ( ch = getchar() ) != EOF && ch != '\n' ){;}
        next = getche();


    }while( tolower(next) != 'n' );
    fclose(fptr);
    exit(0);
}

Answer 1

The main problem with the code is:

scanf("%c",e.sex); 

e.sex is a char array, but by using the %c specifier you should provide the address of a single char variable, i.e. replacing char sex[7]; with char sex; .

The same with:

 scanf("%s%c%s%s%d%f%d", e.name, e.sex, e.adrs, e.dsgn, &e.age, &e.slry, &e.empID);
          ^^                     ^^^^^

Since you are using this variable in a switch statement you may want to consider making struct employee member variable sex a single char.

Or if it's really a char array you need:

scanf("%6s",e.sex); //6 char limit for a 7 char container

The same goes for the code that produces the error you describe.

printf("\n\n%s \t\t%c \t%s ... e.sex, e.adrs, e.dsgn, e.age, e.slry, e.empID);
                   ^^          ^^^^^  

In this case a simple %s specifier is enough.

---

But you cannot then use e.sex or any char array, for that matter, in a switch.

That leads you dereference e.sex in switch(*e.sex), which means that you are using the first character of e.sex char array, if it is intentional, ok, it's legal, though not usual, but be aware of this.