Passing & Returning variables using char*

[StaticX]

Hi all, im wondering if someone could offer a solution to my current problem which is passing and return information using pointer notation.

I have created a small program using the class Person, who has a first and last name and methods to add and retrieve this information which looks as follows:

#ifndef PERSON_H
#define PERSON_H

class Person {
    
    private:
        
        char* firstName;
        
        char* surname;

    public:
        
        Person();

        void addFirstName(char* firstName);
    
        void addSurname(char* surname);

        char* viewFirstName();
    
        char* viewSurname();
};
#endif

#include "Person.hpp"
#include <string>

Person::Person() {
}


void Person::addFirstName(char* firstName){
    strcpy(this->firstName, firstName);
}

void Person::addSurname(char* surname){
    strcpy(this->surname, surname);
}

char* Person::viewFirstName() {
    return firstName;
}

char* Person::viewSurname() {
    return surname;
}

My problem occurs when I retrieve the information back from the object. If i enter the name Jane Doe as firstname and surname,
when I call the methods to get the name back,something like this is returned:

first name: DoeJ

surname: Doe

Here is my test program:

#include "Person.cpp"
#include <iostream>
#define SIZE 100
using namespace std;

main() {
    
    char fname[SIZE];
    char sname[SIZE];
    Person* p = new Person();
    
    
    
    cout << "Enter Person first name: ";
    cin.getline(fname, 100);
    
    cout << "\nEnter Person surname: ";
    cin.getline(sname, 100);
    
    p->addFirstName(fname);
    p->addSurname(sname);
    
    cout << "\nRetrieving details..." << endl;
    
    cout << "Fname: " << p->viewFirstName();
    cout << "Sname: " << p->viewSurname();
}

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Jiwe]

Instead of using

strcpy(this->firstName, firstName);

use instead

this->firstName = firstName

strcpy is more suited to pass from string to char *

[StaticX]

This solved my problem perfectly thanks Jiwe.

My understanding now is that

this->firstname = firstname

is more suited because I am working with pointers which are addresses, so string copy is of no real use?

[Jiwe]

Exactly. Working with pointers has it's advantages has you only need to know the first element adress to get to the others.