CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++binary-searchlinear-search
Chad Loos
Chad Loos

Reputation: 31

Binary search giving me error saying forcing value to bool 'true' or 'false'

My program is complete the only errors I'm getting are from my binary search and my linear search. They are the same error so I'm only going to post one.

bool searchByDescriptionBinary(char desc[][DESC_SIZE],
                             const int NUM_ROWS,
                             char searchValue[DESC_SIZE],
                             int& foundPosition)

 {
 int first = 0,
     last = NUM_ROWS - 1,
     middle,
     position = -1;
 bool found = false;

 while (!found && first <= last)
 {
     middle = (first + last) / 2;
     if (desc[middle] == searchValue)
     {
         found = true;
         position = middle;
     }
     else if (desc[middle] > searchValue)
         last = middle - 1;
     else
         first = middle + 1;
 }
 return position;
 }

Upvotes: 2

Views: 190

Answers (4)

Taha
Taha

Reputation: 1106

You are supposed to return found; instead of return postion;

Upvotes: 0

AnT stands with Russia
AnT stands with Russia

Reputation: 320719

Firstly, it is highly unlikely that you are getting the error you are saying you are getting. The source of the issue is the fact that you attempt to return position, where position is an int, from a function declared to return bool. What are you trying to do by this? Why are you trying to return an int from a bool function?

In any case, this is not illegal, meaning that int will be implicitly converted to bool in accordance with boolean conversion rules of C++ language. Some compilers will issue a warning in such cases, but not an error. In any case, most certainly this is not what you wanted.

Secondly, from your function declaration it is pretty obvious that you intended to return the index through the foundPosition parameter (declared as an int &). The return statement at the end of the function was apparently supposed to do return found, not return position. Yet in your code you completely ignore the existence of foundPosition. Why? Why are you trying to return the position instead of sending it out through foundPosition parameter, as was originally intended? Is this your code?

Thirdly (as @Blastfurnace already noted in comments), your == and > comparisons are not doing what you think they are doing. You cannot compare C-style strings using the built-in comparison operators. You have to use strcmp instead.

Upvotes: 0

Ken White
Ken White

Reputation: 125749

Your function is defined as returning bool, but you're trying to return position, which is declared as int.

You want to return found (which will be true or false), and if found == true set foundPosition = position.

Upvotes: 1

Gian
Gian

Reputation: 13955

Your function is defined with bool as the return type, but it returns an int (in the form of the return position statement at the end). This is a type error. Change one type or the other until they agree, and it should compile.

Upvotes: 3

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