I cant get my sort array to work !  All it does is print out garbage.
The grade.txt file I use is this.  The program reads the array/removes
the withdrawals just fine.  It just wont sort for some reason.

11 5
Gupta Anil
96 90 85 90 80  
Jeffers Jose
60 0 70 50 30
Evans Rudy
80 60 70 50 75
Williams Jason
50 40 0 0 70
Ball Adam
90 80 60 55 60
Arnold Joshua
0 0 0 0 0
Scot Michael
80 70 0 0 60
Cook Bret
95 80 80 70 60
Davis Ronald
0 0 0 0 0
Fox Brian
70 60 60 40 50
Hale Frank
60 50 60 30 40


#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

#define MAX_NAME_LENGTH 30

struct students {
	char firstname[MAX_NAME_LENGTH];
	char lastname[MAX_NAME_LENGTH];
	int totalgrades[5];
	double overall;	};

struct students* fread(char fname[], int *numstudents, int *numgrades);
struct students* sortarray(int *numstudents);

int main() {

	struct students *cprogramming;
	int numstudents, numgrades;
	char fname[20];

  	// Prompt for the filename
	printf("Enter the name of the file containing the grades.\n");
	scanf("%s",fname);
	
	// Read the file in, eliminating the withdrawals
	cprogramming = fread(fname, &numstudents, &numgrades);
	puts("The original list of names are:");     
	for (int i = 0; i < numstudents; i++)
		puts(cprogramming[i].lastname);
  
	puts("The sorted list of names are:");
	cprogramming = sortarray(&numstudents);
	for (i = 0; i < numstudents; i++)
		puts(cprogramming[i].lastname);
  

  return 0;
}


// Reads the file and removes all the withdrawal students
struct students* fread(char fname[], int *numstudents, int *numgrades)
{
	FILE *ifp;
	struct students *mylist;
	
	ifp = fopen(fname, "r");
	if(!ifp) {  /* check to see if there were errors */
		printf("Error: file not found\n");
		return 0;
	}

	fscanf(ifp, "%d", numstudents);
	fscanf(ifp, "%d", numgrades);
	
	// creates a temp array called mylist that will be used to hold the struct data
	mylist = (struct students *)malloc((*numstudents)*sizeof(struct students));
	
	//the loop reads in the names and the grades for the class
	for (int i = 0; i < *numstudents; i++) {
		int withdrawal = 0;
		fscanf(ifp, "%s", mylist[i].lastname);
		fscanf(ifp, "%s", mylist[i].firstname);
		
		for (int j = 0; j < *numgrades; j++) {
			fscanf(ifp, "%d", &(mylist[i].totalgrades[j]));
			if(mylist[i].totalgrades[j] != 0)
				withdrawal++; }

		 if(withdrawal == 0) {
			 i--;
			 *numstudents = *numstudents - 1; }
	}

	//returns array after withdrawals
	return mylist;
}

// Sort the array in alphabetical order
struct students* sortarray(int *numstudents)
{
	int r;
	char temp[30];
	struct students *mylist;
	mylist = (struct students *)malloc((*numstudents)*sizeof(struct students));
	
	for(int a = 0; a < *numstudents; a++)
    {
        for(int b= a + 1; b < *numstudents; b++)
        {
            r = strcmp(mylist[a].lastname,mylist[b].lastname);
            if(r > 0)
            {
                strcpy(temp,mylist[a].lastname);
                strcpy(mylist[a].lastname,mylist[b].lastname);
                strcpy(mylist[b].lastname,temp);		
			}
        }
    }
	return mylist;
}

Hello Fikal,

What you provided is very close to a correct solution. The comment by
maximumprophet is basically correct as well. Let me summarize the
changes between the version you provided and the one that follows at
the end of the answer.

[1] Renamed fread to readfile. With gcc, the original name causes an
error since your declaration of fread conflicts with the standard
version. The following is from the fread(3) man file. Changed the
declaration, definition, and call.

     #include <stdio.h>

     size_t
     fread(void *ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb, FILE *stream);

[2] Added a second parameter named "mylist" to the sortarray function.
This passes the array generated by readfile to sortarray. Changed the
declaration, definition, call, and removed mylist definition / malloc
call in sortarray.

[3] Moved declarations of loop variables. In several places, you used
  for (int i=0; i < numstudents; i++)
[or something similar]. In most cases, use was in the loop but in a
single case the code used that variable i after the end of the loop.
Depending on your C compiler, this is or is not supported. In gcc, it
causes a warning or error, depending on settings of -std=. It is more
portable to move the declarations to the scope of the function. Added
/ removed declarations in several locations.

After these changes, the program now does the following:

maniac% ./a
Enter the name of the file containing the grades.
a.txt
The original list of names are:
Gupta
Jeffers
Evans
Williams
Ball
Scot
Cook
Fox
Hale
The sorted list of names are:
Ball
Cook
Evans
Fox
Gupta
Hale
Jeffers
Scot
Williams

which appears to do what you wanted.

If you have any further questions related to how the new code works,
do not hesitate to make a clarification request.

  --Maniac

Revised code follows [I hope it formats OK in the answer...]
[fix long lines as needed when you copy / paste]

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

#define MAX_NAME_LENGTH 30

struct students {
	char firstname[MAX_NAME_LENGTH];
	char lastname[MAX_NAME_LENGTH];
	int totalgrades[5];
	double overall;	};

struct students* readfile(char fname[], int *numstudents, int *numgrades);
struct students* sortarray(int *numstudents, struct students* mylist);

int main() {

	struct students *cprogramming;
	int numstudents, numgrades;
	char fname[20];
	int i;

  	// Prompt for the filename
	printf("Enter the name of the file containing the grades.\n");
	scanf("%s",fname);
	
	// Read the file in, eliminating the withdrawals
	cprogramming = readfile(fname, &numstudents, &numgrades);
	puts("The original list of names are:");     
	for (i = 0; i < numstudents; i++)
		puts(cprogramming[i].lastname);
  
	puts("The sorted list of names are:");
	cprogramming = sortarray(&numstudents, cprogramming);
	for (i = 0; i < numstudents; i++)
		puts(cprogramming[i].lastname);
  

  return 0;
}


// Reads the file and removes all the withdrawal students
struct students* readfile(char fname[], int *numstudents, int *numgrades)
{
	FILE *ifp;
	struct students *mylist;
	int i, j;

	ifp = fopen(fname, "r");
	if(!ifp) {  /* check to see if there were errors */
		printf("Error: file not found\n");
		return 0;
	}

	fscanf(ifp, "%d", numstudents);
	fscanf(ifp, "%d", numgrades);
	
	// creates a temp array called mylist that will be used to hold the struct data
	mylist = (struct students *)malloc((*numstudents)*sizeof(struct students));
	
	//the loop reads in the names and the grades for the class
	for (i = 0; i < *numstudents; i++) {
		int withdrawal = 0;
		fscanf(ifp, "%s", mylist[i].lastname);
		fscanf(ifp, "%s", mylist[i].firstname);
		
		for (j = 0; j < *numgrades; j++) {
			fscanf(ifp, "%d", &(mylist[i].totalgrades[j]));
			if(mylist[i].totalgrades[j] != 0)
				withdrawal++; }

		 if(withdrawal == 0) {
			 i--;
			 *numstudents = *numstudents - 1; }
	}

	//returns array after withdrawals
	return mylist;
}

// Sort the array in alphabetical order
struct students* sortarray(int *numstudents, struct students *mylist)
{
	int r;
	char temp[30];
	// struct students *mylist;
	int a, b;

	// mylist = (struct students *)malloc((*numstudents)*sizeof(struct students));
	
	for(a = 0; a < *numstudents; a++)
    {
        for(b= a + 1; b < *numstudents; b++)
        {
            r = strcmp(mylist[a].lastname,mylist[b].lastname);
            if(r > 0)
            {
                strcpy(temp,mylist[a].lastname);
                strcpy(mylist[a].lastname,mylist[b].lastname);
                strcpy(mylist[b].lastname,temp);		
			}
        }
    }
	return mylist;
}

Very Nice!  Google answers saves me hours once again.

You're not actually passing the array to be sorted to the sort
routine.  malloc just allocates space for the array.

You shouldn't use the name fread() for one of your functions.  It's a
standard function.

how do I pass it ? I seem to be confused on something