I am a C++ dev trying to solve problems in C to practice it:

You are given two strings word1 and word2. Merge the strings by adding letters in alternating order, starting with word1. If a string is longer than the other, append the additional letters onto the end of the merged string.

Return the merged string.

Here is my code. I am looking for critiques from experienced folks out there.

char *mergeAlternately(char *word1, char *word2) {
  int len = strlen(word1) + strlen(word2);
  bool skip_p1 = false;
  bool skip_p2 = false;
  char *result =
      (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * (strlen(word1) + strlen(word2) + 1));
  char *p1 = word1;
  char *p2 = word2;
  for (int i;;) {
    if (*p1 == '\0') {
      skip_p1 = 1;
    }
    if (*p2 == '\0') {
      skip_p2 = 1;
    }

    if (skip_p1 && skip_p2) {
      result[i] = '\0';
      return result;
    } else if (skip_p1) {
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    } else if (skip_p2) {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
    } else {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    }
  }
  return "SHOULD NEVER REACH HERE";
}

int main() {
  char *word1 = "abc";
  char *word2 = "pqr";
  char *result = mergeAlternately(word1, word2);
  printf("Result: %s\n", result);
  return 0;
}

I am a C++ dev trying to solve problems in C to practice it, specifically the LeetCode Merge Strings Alternately problem:

You are given two strings word1 and word2. Merge the strings by adding letters in alternating order, starting with word1. If a string is longer than the other, append the additional letters onto the end of the merged string.

Return the merged string.

Here is my code. I am looking for critiques from experienced folks out there.

char *mergeAlternately(char *word1, char *word2) {
  int len = strlen(word1) + strlen(word2);
  bool skip_p1 = false;
  bool skip_p2 = false;
  char *result =
      (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * (strlen(word1) + strlen(word2) + 1));
  char *p1 = word1;
  char *p2 = word2;
  for (int i;;) {
    if (*p1 == '\0') {
      skip_p1 = 1;
    }
    if (*p2 == '\0') {
      skip_p2 = 1;
    }

    if (skip_p1 && skip_p2) {
      result[i] = '\0';
      return result;
    } else if (skip_p1) {
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    } else if (skip_p2) {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
    } else {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    }
  }
  return "SHOULD NEVER REACH HERE";
}

int main() {
  char *word1 = "abc";
  char *word2 = "pqr";
  char *result = mergeAlternately(word1, word2);
  printf("Result: %s\n", result);
  return 0;
}

I am a C++ dev trying to solve problems in C to practice it:

You are given two strings word1 and word2. Merge the strings by adding letters in alternating order, starting with word1. If a string is longer than the other, append the additional letters onto the end of the merged string.

Return the merged string.

Here is my code. I am looking for critiques from experienced folks out there. Thanks in advance!

char *mergeAlternately(char *word1, char *word2) {
  int len = strlen(word1) + strlen(word2);
  bool skip_p1 = false;
  bool skip_p2 = false;
  char *result =
      (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * (strlen(word1) + strlen(word2) + 1));
  char *p1 = word1;
  char *p2 = word2;
  for (int i;;) {
    if (*p1 == '\0') {
      skip_p1 = 1;
    }
    if (*p2 == '\0') {
      skip_p2 = 1;
    }

    if (skip_p1 && skip_p2) {
      result[i] = '\0';
      return result;
    } else if (skip_p1) {
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    } else if (skip_p2) {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
    } else {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    }
  }
  return "SHOULD NEVER REACH HERE";
}

int main() {
  char *word1 = "abc";
  char *word2 = "pqr";
  char *result = mergeAlternately(word1, word2);
  printf("Result: %s\n", result);
  return 0;
}

I am a C++ dev trying to solve problems in C to practice it:

You are given two strings word1 and word2. Merge the strings by adding letters in alternating order, starting with word1. If a string is longer than the other, append the additional letters onto the end of the merged string.

Return the merged string.

Here is my code. I am looking for critiques from experienced folks out there.

char *mergeAlternately(char *word1, char *word2) {
  int len = strlen(word1) + strlen(word2);
  bool skip_p1 = false;
  bool skip_p2 = false;
  char *result =
      (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * (strlen(word1) + strlen(word2) + 1));
  char *p1 = word1;
  char *p2 = word2;
  for (int i;;) {
    if (*p1 == '\0') {
      skip_p1 = 1;
    }
    if (*p2 == '\0') {
      skip_p2 = 1;
    }

    if (skip_p1 && skip_p2) {
      result[i] = '\0';
      return result;
    } else if (skip_p1) {
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    } else if (skip_p2) {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
    } else {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    }
  }
  return "SHOULD NEVER REACH HERE";
}

int main() {
  char *word1 = "abc";
  char *word2 = "pqr";
  char *result = mergeAlternately(word1, word2);
  printf("Result: %s\n", result);
  return 0;
}

I am a C++ dev trying to solve problems in C to practice it:

You are given two strings word1 and word2. Merge the strings by adding letters in alternating order, starting with word1. If a string is longer than the other, append the additional letters onto the end of the merged string.

Return the merged string.

Here is my code. I am looking for critiques from experienced folks out there. Thanks in advance!

char *mergeAlternately(char *word1, char *word2) {
  int len = strlen(word1) + strlen(word2);
  bool skip_p1 = false;
  bool skip_p2 = false;
  char *result =
      (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * (strlen(word1) + strlen(word2) + 1));
  char *p1 = word1;
  char *p2 = word2;
  for (int i;;) {
    if (*p1 == '\0') {
      skip_p1 = 1;
    }
    if (*p2 == '\0') {
      skip_p2 = 1;
    }

    if (skip_p1 && skip_p2) {
      result[i] = '\0';
      return result;
    } else if (skip_p1) {
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    } else if (skip_p2) {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
    } else {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    }
  }
  return "SHOULD NEVER REACH HERE";
}

int main() {
  char *word1 = "abc";
  char *word2 = "pqr";
  char *result = mergeAlternately(word1, word2);
  printf("Result: %s\n", result);
  return 0;
}

I am a C++ dev trying to solve problems in C to practice it:

You are given two strings word1 and word2. Merge the strings by adding letters in alternating order, starting with word1. If a string is longer than the other, append the additional letters onto the end of the merged string.

Return the merged string.

Here is my code. I am looking for critiques from experienced folks out there. Thanks in advance!

char *mergeAlternately(char *word1, char *word2) {
  int len = strlen(word1) + strlen(word2);
  bool skip_p1 = false;
  bool skip_p2 = false;
  char *result =
      (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * (strlen(word1) + strlen(word2) + 1));
  char *p1 = word1;
  char *p2 = word2;
  for (int i;;) {
    if (*p1 == '\0') {
      skip_p1 = 1;
    }
    if (*p2 == '\0') {
      skip_p2 = 1;
    }

    if (skip_p1 && skip_p2) {
      result[i] = '\0';
      return result;
    } else if (skip_p1) {
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    } else if (skip_p2) {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
    } else {
      result[i++] = *p1;
      p1++;
      result[i++] = *p2;
      p2++;
    }
  }
  return "SHOULD NEVER REACH HERE";
}

int main() {
  char *word1 = "abc";
  char *word2 = "pqr";
  char *result = mergeAlternately(word1, word2);
  printf("Result: %s\n", result);
  return 0;
}