Question

This is just a partial C++ code. I am having a problem with the getline(cin, variable) statement of my code. Please run the code for yourself and see that it doesn't let you enter the full name. It skips the prompt to enter the name and goes straight to the next cout statement. I can't use cin alone because I need to capture and store both the first name followed by space followed by last name. I was trying to use getline for that but it doesn't seem to be working. Please debug it and provide an explanation of where I am wrong here.

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

struct Node
{
   string patientName;
   int SSN, age, smoker, HBP, HFD, points = 0;
   Node* link;
};

Node* head = NULL;
//Function Prototypes
void displayMenu();
void createNewNode(Node* newNode);
void createPatient();
void displayPatient();
void exitProgram();

int main()
{
   int choice;
   while (true)
   {
       displayMenu();
       cout << "Enter a choice from 1 to 3: ";
       cin >> choice;

       switch (choice)
       {
       case 1:
           createPatient();
           break;
       case 2:
           displayPatient();
           break;
       case 3:
           exitProgram();
           break;
       default:
           cout << "Invalid entry. Enter a number between 1 and 7." << endl;
       }
   }
   return 0;
}

void displayMenu()
{
   cout << " Patient Records Manager " << endl << endl;
   cout << "What would you like to do? " << endl << endl;
   cout << "[1] Add a new patient." << endl <<
           "[2] Display Patient data." << endl <<
           "[3] Exit." << endl << endl;
}

void createNewNode(Node *newNode)
{
   //cin.clear();
   cout << "Enter the patient's name: "<< endl;
   getline (cin, newNode->patientName);
   cout << "Enter the last 4 digits of the patient's SSN: ";
   cin >> newNode->SSN;
   cout << "Enter the patient's age: ";
   cin >> newNode->age;
   cout << "Enter patient's smoker status (Type 1 for Smoker and 0 for Non-Smoker): ";
   cin >> newNode->smoker;
   cout << "Enter patient's HBP status (Type 1 for HBP and 0 for NO HBP): ";
   cin >> newNode->HBP;
   cout << "Enter patient's HFD status (Type 1 for HFD and 0 for NO HFD): ";
   cin >> newNode->HFD;
   newNode->link = NULL;
}

void createPatient()
{
   Node* newNode = new Node;
   //If list is empty, create the very 1st Node and point the Head pointer to this 1st node
   if (head == NULL)
   {
       createNewNode(newNode);
       head = newNode;
       newNode->link = NULL;
   }
   else //If list is not empty, create an additional node and insert it at the end of the list
   {
       createNewNode(newNode);
       Node* temp = head;
       while (temp->link != NULL)
           temp = temp->link;
       temp->link = newNode;
       newNode->link = NULL;
   }

   int choice;
   cout << "Would you like to add another patient? (Type 1 for Yes and 0 for No): ";
   cin >> choice;
   if (choice == 1)
       createPatient();
}

void displayPatient()
{
  
}

void exitProgram()
{
  
}

Answer 1

//debugged c++ code (use cin.ignore())

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

struct Node
{
   string patientName;
   int SSN, age, smoker, HBP, HFD, points = 0;
   Node* link;
};

Node* head = NULL;
//Function Prototypes
void displayMenu();
void createNewNode(Node* newNode);
void createPatient();
void displayPatient();
void exitProgram();

int main()
{
   int choice;
   while (true)
   {
       displayMenu();
       cout << "Enter a choice from 1 to 3: ";
       cin >> choice;

       switch (choice)
       {
       case 1:
           createPatient();
           break;
       case 2:
           displayPatient();
           break;
       case 3:
           exitProgram();
           break;
       default:
           cout << "Invalid entry. Enter a number between 1 and 7." << endl;
       }
       if (choice == 3)
           break;
   }//while ends here
   return 0;
}

void displayMenu()
{
   cout << " Patient Records Manager " << endl << endl;
   cout << "What would you like to do? " << endl << endl;
   cout << "[1] Add a new patient." << endl <<
       "[2] Display Patient data." << endl <<
       "[3] Exit." << endl << endl;
}

void createNewNode(Node* newNode)
{
   cin.ignore();
   cout << "Enter the patient's name: " << endl;
   getline(cin, newNode->patientName);
   cout << "Enter the last 4 digits of the patient's SSN: ";
   cin >> newNode->SSN;
   cout << "Enter the patient's age: ";
   cin >> newNode->age;
   cout << "Enter patient's smoker status (Type 1 for Smoker and 0 for Non-Smoker): ";
   cin >> newNode->smoker;
   cout << "Enter patient's HBP status (Type 1 for HBP and 0 for NO HBP): ";
   cin >> newNode->HBP;
   cout << "Enter patient's HFD status (Type 1 for HFD and 0 for NO HFD): ";
   cin >> newNode->HFD;
   newNode->link = NULL;
}

void createPatient()
{
   Node* newNode = new Node;
   //If list is empty, create the very 1st Node and point the Head pointer to this 1st node
   if (head == NULL)
   {
       createNewNode(newNode);
       head = newNode;
       newNode->link = NULL;
   }
   else //If list is not empty, create an additional node and insert it at the end of the list
   {
       createNewNode(newNode);
       Node* temp = head;
       while (temp->link != NULL)
           temp = temp->link;
       temp->link = newNode;
       newNode->link = NULL;
   }

   int choice;
   cout << "Would you like to add another patient? (Type 1 for Yes and 0 for No): ";
   cin >> choice;
   if (choice == 1)
       createPatient();
}

void displayPatient()
{
   if (head == NULL)
       cout << "No reecord...." << endl;
   else
   {
       Node* temp = head;
       while (temp !=NULL)
       {
           cout << "Patient's Name: "<<temp->patientName<<"\nAge: "<<temp->age<<"\nSSN: "<<temp->SSN<<endl;
           temp = temp->link;
       }
   }
}

void exitProgram()
{
   cout << "Thanks for using this app.\nExisting....\n";
   exit(0);
}

//Output

//If you need any help regarding this solution ......... please leave a comment ..... thanks