Suggested improvement to SmaugFUSS

void new_dam_message( CHAR_DATA * ch, CHAR_DATA * victim, int dam, unsigned int dt, OBJ_DATA * obj )
{
   char buf1[256], buf2[256], buf3[256];

... (and further on) ...

      snprintf( buf1, 256, "$n %s $N%c", vp, punct );
      snprintf( buf2, 256, "You %s $N%c", vs, punct );
      snprintf( buf3, 256, "$n %s you%c", vp, punct );

      snprintf( buf1, sizeof buf1, "$n %s $N%c", vp, punct );
      snprintf( buf2, sizeof buf2, "You %s $N%c", vs, punct );
      snprintf( buf3, sizeof buf3, "$n %s you%c", vp, punct );

   snprintf( buf + strlen( buf ), MAX_STRING_LENGTH,
             ... blah blah ...

   snprintf( buf + strlen( buf ), MAX_STRING_LENGTH - strlen ( buf ),

-- file paths, amend as required
olddir = "C:\\smaugfuss\\src\\"
newdir = "C:\\smaugfuss\\src_fixed\\"

-->> see below for improvements to this bit
standard_replace = "snprintf( %1, sizeof (%1),"

replacements = {
    { find = "snprintf%s*%(%s*([A-Za-z0-9_]+)%s*,%s*[0-9]+%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace
    },

    { find = "snprintf%s*%(%s*([A-Za-z0-9_]+)%s*,%s*MAX_[A-Z]+_LENGTH%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace
    },

    { find = "snprintf%s*%(%s*([A-Za-z0-9_]+)%s*,%s*SMST%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace
    },

    { find = "snprintf%s*%(%s*([A-Za-z0-9_]+)%s*,%s*LGST%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace
    },

    { find = "snprintf%s*%(%s*([A-Za-z0-9_]+)%s*,%s*IMC_BUFF_SIZE%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace
    },
    
  }  -- end replacements table

-->> end of part that has been improved (copy from below)

function process_file (name)
  local f, s
  local total = 0

  print ("Processing: " .. name)
  f = assert (io.open (olddir .. name, "rb"))  -- open input
  s = f:read ("*a")  -- read all of it
  f:close ()  -- close it

  -- apply a series of changes
  for k, v in ipairs (replacements) do
     local count
     s, count = string.gsub (s, v.find, v.repl)
     total = total + count
  end -- for each replacement

  if total > 0 then
    print (" -- " .. total .. " changes made.")
    f = assert (io.open (newdir .. name, "wb")) -- open output
    f:write (s) -- write to it
    f:close ()  -- close that file now
  end -- changes made
 
  return total
end -- process_file 

-- START HERE --

local grand_total = 0

local t = assert (utils.readdir (olddir .. "*.c"))
local k

for k in pairs (t) do
  grand_total = grand_total + process_file (k)
end -- for

print ("** Total of " .. grand_total .. " changes made.")

snprintf1 = "snprintf%s*%(%s*([%a%d_]+)%s*,%s*"
snprintf2 = "snprintf%s*%(%s*([%a%d_]+)%s*%+%s*strlen%s*%(%s*%1%s*%)%s*,%s*"

standard_replace1 = "snprintf( %1, sizeof ( %1 ),"
standard_replace2 = "snprintf( %1 + strlen( %1 ), sizeof ( %1 ) - strlen( %1 ),"

replacements = {
    { find = snprintf1 .. "%d+%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace1
    },

    { find = snprintf1 .. "MAX_%u+_LENGTH%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace1
    },

    { find = snprintf1 .. "SMST%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace1
    },

    { find = snprintf1 .. "LGST%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace1
    },

    { find = snprintf1 .. "IMC_BUFF_SIZE%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace1
    },

    { find = snprintf2 .. "IMC_BUFF_SIZE%s*%-%s*strlen%s*%(%s*%1%s*%)%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace2
    },

    { find = snprintf2 .. "%(?%s*MAX_%u+_LENGTH%s*%-%s*strlen%s*%(%s*%1%s*%)%s*%)?%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace2
    },

    { find = snprintf2 .. "LGST%s*%-%s*strlen%s*%(%s*%1%s*%)%s*,",
      repl = standard_replace2
    },
    
  }  -- end replacements table

vsnprintf( buf, MAX_STRING_LENGTH * 2, fmt, args );

#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
    char buf[256];

    printf("%d %d\n", sizeof int, sizeof(int));
    printf("%d %d\n", sizeof buf, sizeof(buf));

    return 0;
}

#include <stdio.h>

int main ()
  {
  char buf [1000];
  char * buf2 = (char *) malloc (1000);
  printf ("buf is %i bytes.\n", sizeof (buf));
  printf ("buf2 is %i bytes.\n", sizeof (buf2));
  return 0;

 }

         char lbuf[MAX_INPUT_LENGTH + 4]; /* invis level string + buf */

... and later ...

            snprintf( lbuf, MAX_STRING_LENGTH, "(%d) ", ( !IS_NPC( ch ) ) ? ch->pcdata->wizinvis : ch->mobinvis );

            snprintf( lbuf, sizeof ( lbuf ), "(%d) ", ( !IS_NPC( ch ) ) ? ch->pcdata->wizinvis : ch->mobinvis );

-- pattern to detect a function declaration
pat = "[%a_]+%s+%*?%s*([%a%d_]+)%s*%b().-(%b{})"

olddir = "C:\\smaugfuss\\src\\"

snprintf1 = "snprintf%s*%(%s*([%a%d_]+)%s*,%s*("
snprintf2 = "snprintf%s*%(%s*([%a%d_]+)%s*%+%s*strlen%s*%(%s*%1%s*%)%s*,%s*("

found = 0
not_found = 0

replacements = {
    { find = snprintf1 .. "%d+)%s*,",
    },

    { find = snprintf1 .. "MAX_%u+_LENGTH)%s*,",
    },

    { find = snprintf1 .. "SMST)%s*,",
    },

    { find = snprintf1 .. "LGST)%s*,",
    },

    { find = snprintf1 .. "IMC_BUFF_SIZE)%s*,",
    },

    { find = snprintf2 .. "IMC_BUFF_SIZE)%s*%-%s*strlen%s*%(%s*%1%s*%)%s*,",
    },

    { find = snprintf2 .. "%(?%s*MAX_%u+_LENGTH)%s*%-%s*strlen%s*%(%s*%1%s*%)%s*%)?%s*,",
    },

    { find = snprintf2 .. "LGST)%s*%-%s*strlen%s*%(%s*%1%s*%)%s*,",
    },
    
  }  -- end replacements table


function check_arg (s, size)
  match = string.find (saved_body,
                       "char%s+" .. s .. "%s*%[%s*" ..
                       size .. "%s*%]")
  if match then
    found = found + 1
  else
    not_found = not_found + 1
    key = s .. ":" .. size
    if not reported [key] then
      reported [key] = true
      ColourNote ("white", "red", 
                  "Cannot find declaration for " .. s .. " (size " .. size ..
                  ") in function " .. saved_name
                 )
    end -- if not already reported it
  end -- if

end -- check_arg

function process_function (name, body)
--  Note (" +++ function: " .. name)
  reported = {}
  saved_name = name -- in case we need to report it
  saved_body = body -- move to global scope for check_arg

  -- check each change
  for k, v in ipairs (replacements) do
     s, count = string.gsub (body, v.find, check_arg)
     file_count = file_count + count
  end -- for each replacement

end -- process_function

function process_file (name)
  local f, s
  file_count = 0

  print ("Processing: " .. name)
  f = assert (io.open (olddir .. name, "rb"))  -- open input
  s = f:read ("*a")  -- read all of it
  f:close ()  -- close it

  -- fix up imc strange function defs

  s = string.gsub (s, "PFUN%( ([%a%d_]+) %)",
                   "void %1( IMC_PACKET *q, char *packet )")
  s = string.gsub (s, "IMC_CMD%( ([%a%d_]+) %)",
                   "void %1( CHAR_DATA *ch, char *argument )")

  s = string.gsub (s, "'}'", "")  -- confuses function finding

  string.gsub (s, pat, process_function)
 
  print (" -- " .. file_count .. " changes found")
end -- process_file 

print (string.rep ("-", 60))

local t = assert (utils.readdir (olddir .. "*.c"))
local k

for k in pairs (t) do
  process_file (k)
end -- for

Note ("Matches found = ", found)
Note ("No declaration found = ", not_found)