I have the below code which in theory works aside form the fact it complains about my converting the string variable to a char variable, which I only did cause it bitched even worse about just run the string variable through the "if" loop. Please somebody help me.

Code:
 
#include <iostream> 
#include <fstream>
#include <string>
#include <cstdio>
#include <cstdlib>

using namespace std;
#ifdef _WIN32
    const char CLRSCR[] = {"cls"};
    const char PAUSE[] = {"pause"};
#else
    const char CLRSCR[] = {"clear"};
    const char PAUSE[] = {"sleep(20)"};
#endif

int main(void)
{

    string name;
    
    cout << "Welcome\n" << endl;
    cout << "This program will allow you to enter any size paragraph and will return the number of characters in that paragraph.\n You will enter a paragraph and when finished, press enter.\n" << endl;
    system(PAUSE);
    system(CLRSCR);
    
		string name; //string will hold the input from the user
		cout << "Enter your name and press enter when done: " << endl;
		cout << "\n"; 
		cin.get(name);
		cout << endl;
       
      
    char next;
    int characters = 0;
    int digits = 0;
    int upper = 0;
    int lower = 0;
    int space = 0;
    int eospm = 0;
    int others = 0;
     name=next;


          //calculate total numbers of characters including space    
          if(isalnum(next))
            characters++;
          
          //calculate total numbers of digits  
          if(isdigit(next))
            ++digits;
          
          //calculate total numbers of uppercase   
          if(isupper(next))
           ++upper;
          
          //calculate total numbers of lowercase  
          if(islower(next))
           ++lower;
          
          //calculate total numbers of space   
          if(isspace(next))
          ++space;
          
          //calculate total numbers of punctuation  
          if(ispunct(next)){
              ++others;
              switch(next){
                  case '?':
                  case '.':
                  case '!':
                      ++eospm;
                      break;
                  default:
                      break;
              }
          }

    // Print out what is counted.
    cout << "Total Number of Characters: " << space+digits+upper+lower+others << endl; 
    cout << "" << endl;
    cout << "Total Number of Uppercase: " << upper << endl; 
    cout << "Total Number of Lowercase: " << lower << endl; 
    cout << "Total Number of Digits: " << digits << endl; 
    cout << "Total Number of Space: " << space << endl; 
    cout << "Total Number of End-of-Sentence Punctuation Marks: " << eospm << endl; 
    cout << "Total Number of Other Characters: " << others << endl;      
    cout << "" << endl;

       
       system(PAUSE);
       
    return 0;
}