Skipping records to text file and storing data.

Mr. Deeds · 09-09-2007, 06:35 PM

Hello,

I am completely new to C programming and
I have a simple question that is giving me problems. This is my first time working with text files so I was hoping to get some support to quicken the learning process because I can't find much documentation on it. It seems everything is C++ on google.

Anyways I have a .fil file that was created in notepad. It is lined up like a table with records. I have opened the file ok but I can't use fscanf properly to store the data into variables.

I'm needing to skip the first line so I can get to the data. It seems no newline is processed??
I tried adding \n to the document in hopes that the stream would recognize them and jump the pointer down to the next record. It seems to be processing all the reading all the white space instead? Here's a sample of the file:

Code:

First Name	Last Name   Sale Day	Length	  Width	       Height	State    Cost	Area 

Sam 		Smith          N    12.5000     13.5000      8.00    GA    15.75	300  
Sam 		Collins        N    15.0000     11.2500      8.00    AL    12.00	300

How can I skip records or get the pointer where I need it?
How can I get the data and store it into variables? Everything I have tried with the fscanf function has failed me. Can anyone help??? Much thanks to much appreciated help...

Mr. Deeds

Mr. Deeds · 09-09-2007, 08:20 PM

Well I broke it down even simpler with this and I still am getting strange results full of zeros.

Code:

Sam Smith           N         12.5000   13.5000   8.00      GA        15.75     300       \n
Sam Collins         N         15.0000   11.2500   8.00      AL        12.00     300       \n
Cathy Smith         Y         10.5000   14.0000   9.00      SC        15.99     300       \n
EOF

and here's the code I've been using and trying to fix.

Code:

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


int main(void){

	char ch;
	float l;
	float w;
	float h;
	int area;
	char sDay;
	char state[3];
	char cName[21];
	char line[94];
	char buffer[94];

	FILE *fp;
	fp = fopen("txTDsale.fil", "r");
	if(fp == NULL)
		printf("could not open file\n");
	setvbuf(fp, buffer, _IOLBF, 94);
	//while((ch = getc(fp)) != '\n');
        //this one works fine for printing to screen but can't store data
        //fgets(line, sizeof(line), fp);
	
	//fscanf(fp, "%20[^\n]%10c%10f%10f%10f%10s%%10f%10d)", cName, &sDay, &l, &w, &h, &state, &area);
	fscanf(fp, " %20[^\n] %c %f %f %f %s %f %d [^\n]", cName, &sDay, &l, &w, &h, &state, &area);
	printf("%s %c %f %f %f %s %d %f %d\n", cName, sDay, l, w, h, state, area);
	printf("%s\n", line);
	//fgets(line, sizeof(line), fp);
        //printf("%s \n", line);
	return 0;
	}

I have been having a terrible time getting scanf and fscanf functions to work.
I don't know if I'm misinterpreting the syntax or what I'm doing wrong.
Can anyone help?

Mr. Deeds

cas · 09-09-2007, 08:27 PM

I'm not entirely certain what you've tried because you didn't provide code [at the time I started writing this].

If you want to skip a line of text, you can do so with something along the lines of:

Code:

int c;
while( (c = getc(fp)) != EOF && c != '\n' ) ;

Where fp is your FILE*. This reads from the file until EOF or newline is encountered. If c is EOF after the loop, no newline was found. What you want to do in such a case is up to you.

Anyway, once that's done, I'd really recommend reading in lines with fgets() and parsing them after that. You can use sscanf(), paying attention to its return value. Alternatively you can split each line up with strtok(), converting numbers with strtol() and strtod() (or similar). This has the advantage of precise error checking; if a number can't be converted, the strto functions tell you why. And you can allocate as much memory as is needed for strings; or, alternatively, safely detect that the string is too long.

The scanf() family of functions works best with rigidly formatted input (hence the `f' in the name). Invalid input can really throw them (and you) for a loop. If you have complete control over your input file, sscanf() can be pretty safely used.

Mr. Deeds · 09-09-2007, 08:38 PM

Well I've gotten fgets() to work but how can I store my data in variables from that???

vart · 09-09-2007, 11:30 PM

using sscanf for example

Mr. Deeds · 09-10-2007, 11:24 PM

EHHH....

Thanks a lot for all that helped me. For some reason I got lost thinking my strings were being read in binary and not accepting the \n\r. I was in a frenzy trying to get some last minute code to work for a project. I normally don't post such shrimpy problems but I'll be on here continuing to learn. Once again thanks for the replies...

Mr. Deeds

09-09-2007, 06:35 PM	#1
Mr. Deeds Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4	Skipping records to text file and storing data. Hello, I am completely new to C programming and I have a simple question that is giving me problems. This is my first time working with text files so I was hoping to get some support to quicken the learning process because I can't find much documentation on it. It seems everything is C++ on google. Anyways I have a .fil file that was created in notepad. It is lined up like a table with records. I have opened the file ok but I can't use fscanf properly to store the data into variables. I'm needing to skip the first line so I can get to the data. It seems no newline is processed?? I tried adding \n to the document in hopes that the stream would recognize them and jump the pointer down to the next record. It seems to be processing all the reading all the white space instead? Here's a sample of the file: Code: First Name Last Name Sale Day Length Width Height State Cost Area Sam Smith N 12.5000 13.5000 8.00 GA 15.75 300 Sam Collins N 15.0000 11.2500 8.00 AL 12.00 300 How can I skip records or get the pointer where I need it? How can I get the data and store it into variables? Everything I have tried with the fscanf function has failed me. Can anyone help??? Much thanks to much appreciated help... Mr. Deeds
Mr. Deeds is offline

09-09-2007, 08:27 PM	#3
cas Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 452	I'm not entirely certain what you've tried because you didn't provide code [at the time I started writing this]. If you want to skip a line of text, you can do so with something along the lines of: Code: int c; while( (c = getc(fp)) != EOF && c != '\n' ) ; Where fp is your FILE. This reads from the file until EOF or newline is encountered. If c is EOF after the loop, no newline was found. What you want to do in such a case is up to you. Anyway, once that's done, I'd really recommend reading in lines with fgets() and parsing them after that. You can use sscanf(), paying attention to its return value. Alternatively you can split each line up with strtok(), converting numbers with strtol() and strtod() (or similar). This has the advantage of precise error checking; if a number can't be converted, the strto functions tell you why. And you can allocate as much memory as is needed for strings; or, alternatively, safely detect that the string is too long. The scanf() family of functions works best with rigidly formatted input (hence the `f' in the name). Invalid input can really throw them (and you) for a loop. If you have complete control over your input file, sscanf() can be pretty safely used. Last edited by cas; 09-09-2007 at 08:29 PM. Reason: Code was posted while I was replying*
cas is offline

09-09-2007, 08:38 PM	#4
Mr. Deeds Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4	Well I've gotten fgets() to work but how can I store my data in variables from that???
Mr. Deeds is offline

09-09-2007, 11:30 PM	#5
vart CSharpener Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5,336	using sscanf for example __________________ If I have eight hours for cutting wood, I spend six sharpening my axe.
vart is offline

09-10-2007, 11:24 PM	#6
Mr. Deeds Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4	EHHH.... Thanks a lot for all that helped me. For some reason I got lost thinking my strings were being read in binary and not accepting the \n\r. I was in a frenzy trying to get some last minute code to work for a project. I normally don't post such shrimpy problems but I'll be on here continuing to learn. Once again thanks for the replies... Mr. Deeds
Mr. Deeds is offline

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