Convert from an infix expression to postfix (C++) using Stacks
My lecturer gave me an assignment to create a program to convert and infix expression to postfix using Stacks. I've made the stack classes and some functions to read the infix expression.
But this one function, called convertToPostfix(char * const inFix, char * const postFix) which is responsible to convert the inFix expression in the array inFix to the post fix expression in the array postFix using stacks, is not doing what it suppose to do. Can you guys help me out and tell me what I'm doing wrong?
The following is code where the functions to convert from inFix to postFix is and convertToPostfix(char * const inFix, char * const postFix) is what I need help fixing:
void ArithmeticExpression::inputAndConvertToPostfix()
{
char inputChar; //declaring inputChar
int i = 0; //inizalize i to 0
cout << "Enter the Arithmetic Expression(No Spaces): ";
while( ( inputChar = static_cast<char>( cin.get() ) ) != '\n' )
{
if (i >= MAXSIZE) break; //exits program if i is greater than or equal to 100
if(isdigit(inputChar) || isOperator(inputChar))
{
inFix[i] = inputChar; //copies each char to inFix array
cout << inFix[i] << endl;
}
else
cout << "You entered an invalid Arithmetic Expression\n\n" ;
}
// increment i;
i++;
convertToPostfix(inFix, postFix);
}
bool ArithmeticExpression::isOperator(char currentChar)
{
if(currentChar == '+')
return true;
else if(currentChar == '-')
return true;
else if(currentChar == '*')
return true;
else if(currentChar == '/')
return true;
else if(currentChar == '^')
return true;
else if(currentChar == '%')
return true;
else
return false;
}
bool ArithmeticExpression::precedence(char operator1, char operator2)
{
if ( operator1 == '^' )
return true;
else if ( operator2 == '^' )
return false;
else if ( operator1 == '*' || operator1 == '/' )
return true;
else if ( operator1 == '+' || operator1 == '-' )
if ( operator2 == '*' || operator2 == '/' )
return false;
else
return true;
return false;
}
void ArithmeticExpression::convertToPostfix(char * const inFix, char * const postFix)
{
Stack2<char> stack;
const char lp = '(';
stack.push(lp); //Push a left parenthesis ‘(‘ onto the stack.
strcat(inFix,")");//Appends a right parenthesis ‘)’ to the end of infix.
// int i = 0;
int j = 0;
if(!stack.isEmpty())
{
for(int i = 0;i < 100;){
if(isdigit(inFix[i]))
{
postFix[j] = inFix[i];
cout << "This is Post Fix for the first If: " << postFix[j] << endl;
i++;
j++;
}
if(inFix[i] == '(')
{
stack.push(inFix[i]);
cout << "The InFix was a (" << endl;
i++;
//j++;
}
if(isOperator(inFix[i]))
{
char operator1 = inFix[i];
cout << "CUrrent inFix is a operator" << endl;
if(isOperator(stack.getTopPtr()->getData()))
{
cout << "The stack top ptr is a operator1" << endl;
char operator2 = stack.getTopPtr()->getData();
if(precedence(operator1,operator2))
{
//if(isOperator(stack.getTopPtr()->getData())){
cout << "The stack top ptr is a operato2" << endl;
postFix[j] = stack.pop();
cout << "this is post fix " << postFix[j] << endl;
i++;
j++;
// }
}
}
else
stack.push(inFix[i]);
// cout << "Top Ptr is a: "<< stack.getTopPtr()->getData() << endl;
}
for(int r = 0;r != '\0';r++)
cout << postFix[r] << " ";
if(inFix[i] == ')')
{
while(stack.stackTop()!= '(')
{
postFix[j] = stack.pop();
i++;
j++;
}
stack.pop();
}
}
}
}
Note the function convertToPostfix was made using this algorithm:
- Push a left parenthesis ‘(‘ onto the stack.
- Append a right parenthesis ‘)’ to the end of infix.
While the stack is not empty, read infix from left to right and do the following:
- If the current character in infix is a digit, copy it to the next element of postfix.
- If the current character in infix is a left parenthesis, push it onto the stack.
If the current character in infix is an operator,
- Pop operator(s) (if there are any) at the top of the stack while they have equal or higher precedence than the current operator, and insert the popped operators in postfix.
- Push the current character in infix onto the stack.
- If the current character in infix is a right parenthesis
- Pop operators from the top of the stack and insert them in postfix until a left parenthesis is at the top of the stack.
- Pop (and discard) the left parenthesis from the stack.
Answer
This is basically a comment to the answer from Yuushi.
- The outer while(!stack.empty()) loop is wrong. just remove it. (keep the loop body ofc). At the end of the function, check that the stack is empty, else the expression had syntax errors.
- As Yuushi already said the precedence function looks bogus. First you should give the parameters better names: one is the operator to the left, and the other to the right. (Right now you call it
precedence(rightOp, leftOp)). Then you should document what the result means - right now you return true ifa rOp b lOp c == (a rOp b) lOp c(yes, the operator order doesn't match what you call - "+" and "-" are not the same in both orders for example). - If you find a new operator you need to loop over the old operators on the stack, for example after reading
a - b * cyour output isa b cand the stack is[- *]. now you read a+, and you need to pop both operators, resulting ina b c * -. I.e., the inputa - b * c + dshould result ina b c * - d +
Update: appended complete solution (based on Yuushi's answer):
bool isOperator(char currentChar)
{
switch (currentChar) {
case '+':
case '-':
case '*':
case '/':
case '^':
case '%':
return true;
default:
return false;
}
}
// returns whether a `lOp` b `rOp` c == (a `lOp` b) `rOp` c
bool precedence(char leftOperator, char rightOperator)
{
if ( leftOperator == '^' ) {
return true;
} else if ( rightOperator == '^' ) {
return false;
} else if ( leftOperator == '*' || leftOperator == '/' || leftOperator == '%' ) {
return true;
} else if ( rightOperator == '*' || rightOperator == '/' || rightOperator == '%' ) {
return false;
}
return true;
}
#include <stdexcept>
#include <cctype>
#include <sstream>
#include <stack>
std::string convertToPostfix(const std::string& infix)
{
std::stringstream postfix; // Our return string
std::stack<char> stack;
stack.push('('); // Push a left parenthesis ‘(‘ onto the stack.
for(std::size_t i = 0, l = infix.size(); i < l; ++i) {
const char current = infix[i];
if (isspace(current)) {
// ignore
}
// If it's a digit or '.' or a letter ("variables"), add it to the output
else if(isalnum(current) || '.' == current) {
postfix << current;
}
else if('(' == current) {
stack.push(current);
}
else if(isOperator(current)) {
char rightOperator = current;
while(!stack.empty() && isOperator(stack.top()) && precedence(stack.top(), rightOperator)) {
postfix << ' ' << stack.top();
stack.pop();
}
postfix << ' ';
stack.push(rightOperator);
}
// We've hit a right parens
else if(')' == current) {
// While top of stack is not a left parens
while(!stack.empty() && '(' != stack.top()) {
postfix << ' ' << stack.top();
stack.pop();
}
if (stack.empty()) {
throw std::runtime_error("missing left paren");
}
// Discard the left paren
stack.pop();
postfix << ' ';
} else {
throw std::runtime_error("invalid input character");
}
}
// Started with a left paren, now close it:
// While top of stack is not a left paren
while(!stack.empty() && '(' != stack.top()) {
postfix << ' ' << stack.top();
stack.pop();
}
if (stack.empty()) {
throw std::runtime_error("missing left paren");
}
// Discard the left paren
stack.pop();
// all open parens should be closed now -> empty stack
if (!stack.empty()) {
throw std::runtime_error("missing right paren");
}
return postfix.str();
}
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
int main()
{
for (;;) {
if (!std::cout.good()) break;
std::cout << "Enter the Arithmetic Expression: ";
std::string infix;
std::getline(std::cin, infix);
if (infix.empty()) break;
std::cout << "Postfix: '" << convertToPostfix(infix) << "'\n";
}
return 0;
}