how do i print multiple arrays side by side in c?

Question

I need to print multiple arrays side by side. how do I do that in c? like I have these arrays

const char* intel[18];
intel[0] = "i9-9900K = 599$";
intel[1] = "i9-9900 = 549$";
intel[2] = "i7-9700K = 499$";
intel[3] = "i7-9700 = 399$";
intel[4] = "i5-9600K = 329$";
intel[5] = "i5-9600KF = 259$";
intel[6] = "i5-9600 = 249$";
intel[7] = "i5-9400F = 200$";
intel[8] = "i5-9400 = 219$";
intel[9] = "i3-9100";
intel[10] = "i9-10900K";
intel[11] = "i9-10900F";
intel[12] = "i7-10700K";
intel[13] = "i7-10700"; 
intel[14] = "i5-10600K";
intel[15] = "i5-10400";
intel[16] = "i5-10400F";
intel[17] = "i3-10100";

const char* AMD[12];
AMD[0] = "Ryzen-5950X";
AMD[1] = "Ryzen-5900X";
AMD[2] = "Ryzen-5700X";
AMD[3] = "Ryzen-5600X";
AMD[4] = "Ryzen-3950X";
AMD[5] = "Ryzen-3900x";
AMD[6] = "Ryzen-3800x";
AMD[7] = "Ryzen-3700x";
AMD[8] = "Ryzen-3600x";
AMD[9] = "Ryzen-3600";
AMD[10] = "Ryzen-3400G";
AMD[11] = "Ryzen-3200G";

how should i print them side by side in the console

Answer 1

I suggest the following:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

#define GREATEST(x, y) ((x) > (y) ? (x) : (y))
#define ARRAY_COUNT(array_var) (sizeof(array_var)/sizeof(array_var[0]))
#define FIND_MAX_STRLEN_IN_ARRAY(array_var, index_var, maxlen_var) \
  maxlen_var = 0; \
  for(index_var = 0 ; index_var < ARRAY_COUNT(array_var) ; ++index_var) \
    maxlen_var = GREATEST(maxlen_var, strlen(array_var[index_var]))
    
int main(int argc, char **argv)
  {
  int i, max_intel_length, max_AMD_length;
  const char* intel[] = {"i9-9900K = 599$", "i9-9900 = 549$",  "i7-9700K = 499$",
                         "i7-9700 = 399$",  "i5-9600K = 329$", "i5-9600KF = 259$",
                         "i5-9600 = 249$",  "i5-9400F = 200$", "i5-9400 = 219$",
                         "i3-9100",         "i9-10900K",       "i9-10900F",
                         "i7-10700K",       "i7-10700",        "i5-10600K",
                         "i5-10400",        "i5-10400F",       "i3-10100"};

  const char* AMD[] = {"Ryzen-5950X",       "Ryzen-5900X",     "Ryzen-5700X",
                       "Ryzen-5600X",       "Ryzen-3950X",     "Ryzen-3900x",
                       "Ryzen-3800x",       "Ryzen-3700x",     "Ryzen-3600x",
                       "Ryzen-3600",        "Ryzen-3400G",     "Ryzen-3200G"};

  FIND_MAX_STRLEN_IN_ARRAY(intel, i, max_intel_length);

  FIND_MAX_STRLEN_IN_ARRAY(AMD, i, max_AMD_length);

  for(i = 0 ; i < GREATEST(ARRAY_COUNT(intel), ARRAY_COUNT(AMD)) ; ++i)
    printf("%-*s\t%-*s\n",
            max_intel_length, (i < ARRAY_COUNT(intel) ? intel[i] : ""),
            max_AMD_length,   (i < ARRAY_COUNT(AMD)   ? AMD[i]   : ""));

  return 0;
  }

This outputs

i9-9900K = 599$     Ryzen-5950X
i9-9900 = 549$      Ryzen-5900X
i7-9700K = 499$     Ryzen-5700X
i7-9700 = 399$      Ryzen-5600X
i5-9600K = 329$     Ryzen-3950X
i5-9600KF = 259$    Ryzen-3900x
i5-9600 = 249$      Ryzen-3800x
i5-9400F = 200$     Ryzen-3700x
i5-9400 = 219$      Ryzen-3600x
i3-9100             Ryzen-3600 
i9-10900K           Ryzen-3400G
i9-10900F           Ryzen-3200G
i7-10700K                      
i7-10700                       
i5-10600K                      
i5-10400                       
i5-10400F                      
i3-10100                       

Done this way there are no hard-coded values for the array sizes which makes it easier and safer to add or remove elements as needed.

See it at OnlineGDB here

Answer 2

According to your needs, as I understand you need to allow user choose CPU and print it side by side.

1. It prints available CPU list
2. Ask the user to choose a manufacturer
3. Ask the user to choose a model.

I think it will be a good starting point to achieve want you to want.

There is no error handling you need to figure out how to do it, also you need to print equal-width columns because right now they are shifted a little bit.

#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

#define INTEL_SIZE 18
#define AMD_SIZE 12
#define BUFF_SZ 128

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
    char buff[BUFF_SZ];
    int user_num = 0;

    const char* intel[INTEL_SIZE];
    intel[0] = "i9-9900K = 599$";
    intel[1] = "i9-9900 = 549$";
    intel[2] = "i7-9700K = 499$";
    intel[3] = "i7-9700 = 399$";
    intel[4] = "i5-9600K = 329$";
    intel[5] = "i5-9600KF = 259$";
    intel[6] = "i5-9600 = 249$";
    intel[7] = "i5-9400F = 200$";
    intel[8] = "i5-9400 = 219$";
    intel[9] = "i3-9100";
    intel[10] = "i9-10900K";
    intel[11] = "i9-10900F";
    intel[12] = "i7-10700K";
    intel[13] = "i7-10700";
    intel[14] = "i5-10600K";
    intel[15] = "i5-10400";
    intel[16] = "i5-10400F";
    intel[17] = "i3-10100";

    const char* AMD[AMD_SIZE];
    AMD[0] = "Ryzen-5950X";
    AMD[1] = "Ryzen-5900X";
    AMD[2] = "Ryzen-5700X";
    AMD[3] = "Ryzen-5600X";
    AMD[4] = "Ryzen-3950X";
    AMD[5] = "Ryzen-3900x";
    AMD[6] = "Ryzen-3800x";
    AMD[7] = "Ryzen-3700x";
    AMD[8] = "Ryzen-3600x";
    AMD[9] = "Ryzen-3600";
    AMD[10] = "Ryzen-3400G";
    AMD[11] = "Ryzen-3200G";

    printf("Avaliable CPU list: \n");
    for (int i = 0; i < INTEL_SIZE; i++) {

        printf("%d) Intel CPU %-20s %s", i + 1, intel[i], i < AMD_SIZE ? " " : "\n");
        if (i < AMD_SIZE) {
            printf("%d) AMD CPU %s\n", i + 1, AMD[i]);
        }
    }

    printf("Choose manufacturer AMD | intel\n");
    fgets(buff, BUFF_SZ, stdin);
    /* fgets leave '\n' character in the end we need to delete it */
    buff[strcspn(buff, "\n")] = 0;

    if (!strcmp(buff, "intel")) {
        printf("Select CPU model from the list above\n");
        memset(buff, 0, sizeof(buff));

        fgets(buff, BUFF_SZ, stdin);
        user_num = atoi(buff);

        printf("intel [%s]\n", intel[user_num - 1]);

    } else if (!strcmp(buff, "AMD")) {
        printf("Select CPU model from the list above\n");
        memset(buff, 0, sizeof(buff));

        fgets(buff, BUFF_SZ, stdin);
        user_num = atoi(buff);

        printf("AMD [%s]\n", AMD[user_num - 1]);
    } else {
        printf("Unknown manufacturer\n");
        exit(0);
    }

    return 0;
}

Answer 3

for(int i = 0; i < 18; i++) {

    printf("%18s", intel[i]);

    if( i < 12 ) {

        printf("%s", amd[i]);
    }

    puts("");
}

Where the for should run till i < lengthOfLongerArray . if condition is i < lengthOfShorterArray. And %18s means printing the array in a 18 characters width. I choose 18 cause the longest text in the first array counts 15 characters.