stupid question in c++ (user input)

[sigmend]

I am a nub at C++, and I have a stupid question. Let me say that I have also googled, but that managed to confuse me more.
In the simple program I am trying to get to work, I want to ask the person their name, then print a response.

Where I need help is, is how to let variable A be a string of text, I have no idea how to do this, or if I should be even using a variable.
hep?

#include <iostream>

int main (int argc, char * const argv[]) {
	char a;
	std::cout << "what is your name?\n";
	std::cin >> a;
	std::cout << a;
	std::cout << " is a nub\n";
    return 0;
}

outputs

what is your name?
matt
m is a nub

Is it because I touch myself at night?

 

[Anarchonixx]

Why not make "a" a string instead of a char? Don't have a compiler on this comp handy, but it shouldn't be a problem. Of course, you'd have to #include <string> to do so. And can't you just use "using namespace std;" below the includes to not have to use "std::"
on all those instructions?


EDIT: To be more helpful:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

int main () {
	string a;
	cout << "what is your name?" << endl;
	cin >> a;
	cout << a << " is a nub" << endl;
    return 0;
}

 

[sigmend]

Thanks, that worked great.
I am teaching myself C++ by examples. Thats how I learned PHP, HTML, and bash scripting

 

[BillLeeLee]

The reason why the input 'matt' didn't work is because it was a char type. The char type will hold only one character, which is why m, the first character of 'matt' was displayed.

Also, if you're going to be entering strings, the <string> header file is much better than using say, char or a char string (C-style strings).

The other way you could have done this (using the C way if you really wanted, would have been:

#include <iostream>
using std::cout;
using std::cin;
using std::endl;

int main()
{
    char myString[10];
    cout << "What is your name?" << endl;
    cin >> myString;
    cout << myString << " is a nub" << endl;

    return 0;
}

However, whenever possible, you should favor C++'s <string> instead of C-style srings.

Also, like Anarchonixx says, you should put the line 'using namespace std' so you don't have to do std:: everytime you access a standard library function. In my code though, you see that I use 'using std::cout' and such. This is just to import those functions from the std namespace so I can use cout, cin, and endl without using the std::, but with other standrd namespace names, I'd still have to use std::.

 

[Shadow2531]

In addition, the preferred c++ string method example

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

int main () {
    cout << endl << "What is your name? ";
    string name;
    getline(cin,name);
    cout << endl << name << " is a n00b!" << endl;
}