KITFORMA · EDITORIAL GUIDE
Why must getchar be stored in int rather than char?
KitForma editorial guide. The result must represent both byte values and the separate EOF sentinel. Narrowing it to char before comparison can lose that distinction and cause premature stopping or an endless read loop.
Step-by-step guidance
The result must represent both byte values and the separate EOF sentinel. Narrowing it to char before comparison can lose that distinction and cause premature stopping or an endless read loop.
Use
int ch; while ((ch = getchar()) != EOF) { ... }. Convert to unsigned char only after the EOF check when passing a byte to another function. After termination, distinguish end-of-file from an input error where the application needs different reporting.
Test an empty stream and a binary fixture containing high-bit bytes. This is a byte-reading pattern, not Unicode character iteration. Text mode may translate input according to the platform’s stream rules.Sources and verification
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