C++ srand function looping - visual-studio-2010

Question

I have the following method as part of a password generating program to generate a random password which is then validated.
My problem is that the srand function never meets the validation requirements and keeps looping back to create a new password.
Im posting the code below to ask if anyone has a more efficient way to create the random password so that it will meet validation requirements instead of looping back continously.Thanks.
static bool verifyThat(bool condition, const char* error) {
if(!condition) printf("%s", error);
return !condition;
}
//method to generate a random password for user following password guidelines.
void generatePass()
{
FILE *fptr;//file pointer
int iChar,iUpper,iLower,iSymbol,iNumber,iTotal;
printf("\n\n\t\tGenerate Password selected ");
get_user_password:
printf("\n\n\t\tPassword creation in progress... ");
int i,iResult,iCount;
char password[10 + 1];
char strLower[59+1] = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRTUVWXYZ!£$%^&*";
srand(time (0));
for(i = 0; i < 10;i++)
{
password[i] = strLower[(rand() % 52)];
}
password[i] = '\0';
iChar = countLetters(password,&iUpper,&iLower,&iSymbol,&iNumber,&iTotal);
//folowing statements used to validate password
iChar = countLetters(password,&iUpper,&iLower,&iSymbol,&iNumber,&iTotal);
iUpper = countLetters(password,&iUpper,&iLower,&iSymbol,&iNumber,&iTotal);
iLower =countLetters(password,&iUpper,&iLower,&iSymbol,&iNumber,&iTotal);
iSymbol =countLetters(password,&iUpper,&iLower,&iSymbol,&iNumber,&iTotal);
iNumber = countLetters(password,&iUpper,&iLower,&iSymbol,&iNumber,&iTotal);
iTotal = countLetters(password,&iUpper,&iLower,&iSymbol,&iNumber,&iTotal);
if(verifyThat(iUpper >= 2, "Not enough uppercase letters!!!\n")
|| verifyThat(iLower >= 2, "Not enough lowercase letters!!!\n")
|| verifyThat(iSymbol >= 1, "Not enough symbols!!!\n")
|| verifyThat(iNumber >= 2, "Not enough numbers!!!\n")
|| verifyThat(iTotal >= 9, "Not enough characters!!!\n")
|| verifyThat(iTotal <= 15, "Too many characters!!!\n"))
goto get_user_password;
iResult = checkWordInFile("dictionary.txt", password);
if(verifyThat(iResult != gC_FOUND, "Password contains small common 3 letter word/s."))
goto get_user_password;
iResult = checkWordInFile("passHistory.txt",password);
if(verifyThat(iResult != gC_FOUND, "Password contains previously used password."))
goto get_user_password;
printf("\n\n\n Your new password is verified ");
printf(password);
//writing password to passHistroy file.
fptr = fopen("passHistory.txt", "w"); // create or open the file
for( iCount = 0; iCount < 8; iCount++)
{
fprintf(fptr, "%s\n", password[iCount]);
}
fclose(fptr);
printf("\n\n\n");
system("pause");
}//end of generatePass method.

Answer 1

I looked at your code at glance and I think I have found the reasons inspite of which validation requirements aren`t meet.
I suggest you to pay attention to the following parts of your code:
1) char strLower[59+1] = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRTUVWXYZ!£$%^&*";
here you should add numbers 0..9, this is one of the reasons why requirements could not be met, because how number can be picked if it isn`t in the set of numbers from which you pick?!
replace it for ex. with:
char strLower[] = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRTUVWXYZ!£$%^&*0123456789";
2) password[i] = strLower[(rand() % 52)]; - and in this part of the code, replace 52 with total number of symbols in string from which you randomly pick numbers.
I recommend you to replace it with the following code:
password[i] = strLower[(rand() % (sizeof(strLower) / sizeof(char) - 1))];

Answer 2

you could alter your algorithm.
choose at random a number of Upper characeters that is above 2.
choose at random a number of Lower character that is above 2.
choose at random a number of Sybmol character that is above 1.
choose at random a number of Number characters that is above 2.
and then recompose your password with the random items, re-ordered at random. Fill with whatever character you want to pas the verifyThat predicates: >=9 and <= 15.
And please: don't use goto. Make function calls instead.