Seeking Quick Answer

[Mephisto]

nevermind, fixed

[Kp]

Where to begin?  It's silly to dynamically allocate, then immediately free, a fixed size buffer.  Make it an automatic variable instead.  Also, you're deleting it wrong.  An allocation with scalar new requires a release with scalar delete (delete [] buf;).  Finally, don't use sprintf.  It's ok here (your buffer's big enough), but be very wary of getting into the habit of using unsafe string manipulation functions.

[Mephisto]

Where to begin?  It's silly to dynamically allocate, then immediately free, a fixed size buffer.  Make it an automatic variable instead.  Also, you're deleting it wrong.  An allocation with scalar new requires a release with scalar delete (delete [] buf;).  Finally, don't use sprintf.  It's ok here (your buffer's big enough), but be very wary of getting into the habit of using unsafe string manipulation functions.

Thank you for the coding tips (it's been quite a long time since I've programmed and my coding habits then weren't even very good!).  I can't believe I forgot the requirement of delete [] buf; for deleting arrays, silly..

What do you recommend for an alternative to sprintf() when you want to have variables easily inserted into the buffer in specific places?

[MyndFyre]

nevermind, fixed

Please don't do things like this.  It destroys any chance of other people learning from your question.

[Mephisto]

nevermind, fixed

Please don't do things like this.  It destroys any chance of other people learning from your question.

There was nothing to learn from.  Was stupid, really.  If there was any though, Kp mentioned it.

[Kp]

What do you recommend for an alternative to sprintf() when you want to have variables easily inserted into the buffer in specific places?

snprintf (Unix only).  Microsoft provides a similar function (_snprintf), but their implementation is not compatible with traditional semantics.  Specifically, it fails to perform one of the major tasks of a length-limited string function: ensuring the buffer is null terminated!