Write copy_string that copies source into destination when capacity is non-zero, always terminates the destination, and reports failure if the source will not fit.
cat, capacity 41Write down the input contract and the failure cases before coding.
Use your C runtime locally, then compare with solution.c.
The destination needs room for every source byte plus the terminator, so the fit check is length < capacity. Copying through index <= length deliberately includes '\0'; writing an empty string on failure leaves a predictable destination state.
your-solution.c.solution.c only after a real attempt.This intermediate C exercise focuses on Buffer capacity, Size-bounded copying, API return contracts. Its requirements define the exact behavior to implement before you write code.
Start with the displayed example input and expected output, then test a boundary case suggested by the requirements. Write and compile the starter in your local C environment, exercise the example and edge cases, then compare your approach with solution.c.
Attempt Copy a string with a capacity contract first. Then open the read-only solution file to compare the contract, edge-case handling, and implementation choices—not simply to copy the final code.