#include <stdio.h>

char name[27];

int ReadLine( char* buffer , int maxLen )
{
    int len;

    //read up to maxlen+1 chars (including the '\n')
    fgets(buffer,maxLen+1,stdin);
    len = strlen(buffer);

    //there is a '\n' at the end?
    if(buffer[len-1] == '\n')
    {    //yes... so <= maxlen
        (buffer[len-1] = '\0'; //turn \n into ending...
    }
    else //no... so > maxlen (will return maxlen+1 as size)
    {
        // read the rest of the line...
        while ( !strchr( buffer , '\n') ) { fgets(buffer,maxLen+1,stdin); }
    }

    return len;

}