Why Does `getline()` in C Sometimes Skip User Input, and How Can I Fix It?

getline() in C : Handling Line Buffering

In C , getline() is used to read input from the standard input stream cin until a newline character is encountered. However, when used in a program where user input is requested, it can lead to unexpected behavior.

Consider the following code snippet:

int number;
string str;
int accountNumber;

cout << "Enter number:";
cin >> number;
cout << "Enter name:";
getline(cin, str);
cout << "Enter account number:";
cin >> accountNumber;

When this program is executed, you may notice that after entering the first number, the program immediately prompts you for the account number without waiting for you to enter your name. This is because getline() reads the remaining newline character from the input buffer.

To avoid this issue, you can use std::ws (whitespace) before getline() to skip all whitespace and newline characters from the input stream. This ensures that getline() reads the input from the next non-whitespace character:

cout << "Enter number:";
cin >> number;
cout << "Enter name:";
cin >> ws;
getline(cin, str);
...

By incorporating this step, the program will correctly prompt you for your name before moving on to the next input.

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