c - Parse string into argv/argc -

is there way in c parse piece of text , obtain values argv , argc, if text had been passed application on command line?

this doesn't have work on windows, linux - don't care quoting of arguments.

if glib solution overkill case may consider coding 1 yourself.

then can:

• scan string , count how many arguments there (and argc)
• allocate array of char * (for argv)
• rescan string, assign pointers in allocated array , replace spaces '\0' (if can't modify string containing arguments, should duplicate it).
• don't forget free have allocated!

the diagram below should clarify (hopefully):

             aa bbb ccc "dd d" ee         <- original string               aa0bbb0ccc00dd d00ee0        <- transformed string              |  |   |    |     |    argv[0] __/  /   /    /     /    argv[1] ____/   /    /     /    argv[2] _______/    /     /    argv[3] ___________/     /    argv[4] ________________/  

a possible api be:

    char **parseargs(char *arguments, int *argc);     void   freeparsedargs(char **argv); 

you need additional considerations implement freeparsedargs() safely.

if string long , don't want scan twice may consider alteranatives allocating more elements argv arrays (and reallocating if needed).

edit: proposed solution (desn't handle quoted argument).

    #include <stdio.h>      static int setargs(char *args, char **argv)     {        int count = 0;         while (isspace(*args)) ++args;        while (*args) {          if (argv) argv[count] = args;          while (*args && !isspace(*args)) ++args;          if (argv && *args) *args++ = '\0';          while (isspace(*args)) ++args;          count++;        }        return count;     }      char **parsedargs(char *args, int *argc)     {        char **argv = null;        int    argn = 0;         if (args && *args         && (args = strdup(args))         && (argn = setargs(args,null))         && (argv = malloc((argn+1) * sizeof(char *)))) {           *argv++ = args;           argn = setargs(args,argv);        }         if (args && !argv) free(args);         *argc = argn;        return argv;     }      void freeparsedargs(char **argv)     {       if (argv) {         free(argv[-1]);         free(argv-1);       }      }      int main(int argc, char *argv[])     {       int i;       char **av;       int ac;       char *as = null;        if (argc > 1) = argv[1];        av = parsedargs(as,&ac);       printf("== %d\n",ac);       (i = 0; < ac; i++)         printf("[%s]\n",av[i]);        freeparsedargs(av);       exit(0);     }