C PROGRAMMING PROGRAM • STRINGS

Remove Duplicate Characters from a String

Learn how to remove duplicate characters from a string using a clear C program.

IntermediateStringsSeen tableIn-place filtering

PROBLEM UNDERSTANDING

Input and expected output

Sample input
programming
Sample output
Unique characters: progamin

COMPLETE C PROGRAM

Complete C implementation

remove-duplicate-characters-string.c
Open in compiler
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

int main(void)
{
    char text[300];
    int seen[256] = {0}, write = 0;

    fgets(text, sizeof text, stdin);
    text[strcspn(text, "\n")] = '\0';
    for (int read = 0; text[read] != '\0'; read++) {
        unsigned char value = (unsigned char) text[read];
        if (!seen[value]) {
            seen[value] = 1;
            text[write++] = text[read];
        }
    }
    text[write] = '\0';
    printf("Unique characters: %s\n", text);
    return 0;
}

GUIDED CODE TOUR • NOT LIVE EXECUTION

Study the program line by line

Use the real compiler button above to run and debug with different inputs.

CURRENT STEP

Select Start to walk through the important lines.

SELECTED LINE

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EXPECTED OUTPUT FOR THE SAMPLE

Unique characters: progamin
0%Step 0 of 0

PROGRAM EXPLANATION

Algorithm and explanation

  1. Read the required input values.
  2. Keep the first occurrence of each character using a fixed seen table.
  3. Display the computed result.

Keep the first occurrence of each character using a fixed seen table.

EFFICIENCY

Time and space complexity

Time complexity

O(n)

Auxiliary space

O(1)

DEBUGGING CHECKLIST

Common mistakes

Check this

Use the correct format specifier for every variable.

Check this

Initialize variables before using their values.

Check this

Check braces, semicolons and input order carefully.

Try it yourself

Practice: Run the program with the sample input, predict its output, and then test one boundary case of your own.