How to test for a blank line using cin

Question

Below is the code for a function i'm using to input student data into an array of student structures. I want the loop to terminate when i has reached the limit (n) which is fine OR, and this is what i'm having trouble with, when a blank line is typed for a student name? Does anybody have any suggestions? The current method i'm using doesn't work (the if statement below ' cin.getline(pa[i].fullname, SLEN - 1); ')

int getinfo(student pa[], int n)
{
    cout << "\nPlease enter student details:\n\n";

    int i;
    for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
    {
        cout << "Student " << (i + 1) << ": \n";
        cout << "  > Full name: ";
        cin.getline(pa[i].fullname, SLEN - 1);
        if (pa[i].fullname == NULL)
            continue;
        cout << "  > Hobby: ";
        cin.getline(pa[i].hobby, SLEN - 1);
        cout << "  > OOP Level: ";
        cin >> pa[i].ooplevel;;
        cin.get();

        cout << endl;
    }

    cout << "--------------------------------------" << endl;

    return i;
}

Answer 1

Better with string and with an atomic loop:

std::string name, hobby, oop;

std::cout << "Name: ";
if (!(std::getline(std::cin, name)) { break; }

std::cout << "Hobby: ";
if (!(std::getline(std::cin, hobby)) { break; }

std::cout << "OOP: ";
if (!(std::getline(std::cin, oop)) { break; }

// if we got here, everything succeeded.
pa[i].name = name; pa[i].hobby = hobby; pa[i].oop = oop;

// or better, pass a `std::vector<student> &`:
pa.push_back(student(name, hobby, oop));