Wrapping text to a width in C

Emitting words until the column runs out, then starting a line.

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

void wrap(const char *words[], size_t n, size_t width) {
    size_t column = 0;
    for (size_t i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        size_t len = strlen(words[i]);
        if (column > 0 && column + 1 + len > width) {
            printf("\n");
            column = 0;
        } else if (column > 0) {
            printf(" ");
            column++;
        }
        printf("%s", words[i]);
        column += len;
    }
    printf("\n");
}

How it works

1. The column counter decides when to break.
2. A break resets the counter and emits a newline.
3. The separator is only written between words, never before the first.

Keywords and builtins used here

• char
• const
• else
• for
• if
• size_t
• void
• wrap

The run, in numbers

Lines

19

Characters to type

358

Tokens

128

Three-star pace

100 tpm

At the three-star pace of 100 tokens a minute, this run takes about 77 seconds.

Type this snippet

Step 2 of 2 in Transforming, step 12 of 13 in Strings & text.

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