fopen with std::string

Im trying to find a way to open several files with different names.
My first problem creating this program is, how come that 'fopen()' which is a C++ function takes a C const char* argument?
I thought we were supposed to use strings with C++.

This is what i have so far, trying to figure out how to use strings.

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;


int main ()
{
  FILE * pFile;
  int i = 0;
  char ch[5] = {0,1,2,3,4};
  string str = "file.txt", str2;
  pFile = fopen (str,"w");
  while (i<5)
  {
    cout << "Enter word: "; cin >> str2;
    str.append(ch[i]);
    fprintf(pFile, str2);
    fclose (pFile);
    i++;
  }
  return 0;
}

Originally Posted by Ducky

My first problem creating this program is, how come that 'fopen()' which is a C++ function takes a C const char* argument?
I thought we were supposed to use strings with C++.

Well, fopen() is actually inherited from the C standard library. That said, the C++ standard file streams also use a const char* parameter. The solution lies with the c_str() member function, e.g.,

Code:

pFile = fopen(str.c_str(), "w");

By the way, it looks like you are closing the file in the loop. Also, you should #include <cstdio> for std::fopen().

>> My first problem creating this program is, how come that 'fopen()' which is a C++ function takes a C const char* argument?

fopen is a C function (but still valid for C++, of course). Incidentally, fstreams also take a const char*, which I've always found a bit odd. Anyway, you just need to invoke the std::string::c_str( ) function to get a pointer to the bytes.

>> Incidentally, fstreams also take a const char*, which I've always found a bit odd.

I agree. I'm pretty sure it's fixed in the next standard.

Thank you Laserlight and Sebastiani!

"By the way, it looks like you are closing the file in the loop."
Yes you are right thanks for recalling me but on second thoughts if i wanna open a new file every time i think i would have to close the precedent.

I corrected the code. Now i just need to find out how to append a number each time to the filename.
For a reason 'strcpy' wont accept the first arg.

Code:

#include <cstdio>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;


int main ()
{
 FILE * pFile;
  int i = 0;
  char ch[5] = {0,1,2,3,4};
  string filename = "file.txt", str2;
  pFile = fopen (filename.c_str(),"w");
  while (i<5)
  {
    cout << "Enter word: "; cin >> str2;
    strcpy(filename.c_str(), ch[i]);
    pFile = fopen (filename.c_str(),"w");
    fprintf(pFile, str2.c_str());
    fclose (pFile);
    i++;
  }
  return 0;
}

Originally Posted by Ducky

Now i just need to find out how to append a number each time to the filename.

You can use a stringstream. Here is the idea expressed as an example program:

Code:

#include <sstream>
#include <string>
#include <iostream>

int main()
{
    using namespace std;

    const string filename = "file";
    const string extension = ".txt";
    for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i)
    {
        stringstream ss;
        ss << filename << i << extension;
        cout << ss.str() << endl;
    }
}

Speaking of which, is there a reason why you are not using std::fstream?

>> strcpy(filename.c_str(), ch[i]);

>> For a reason 'strcpy' wont accept the first arg.

You should never alter an std::string like that - any function that potentially transforms the size of the bytes (with respect to the null terminator) will lead to undefined behaviour. Furthermore, character transforms are safe, of course, unless the resulting character is itself the null terminator for that character type. The correct way would be simply:

filename = ch[i];

EDIT:
I hadn't noticed the type of ch. Yes, use Laserlight's suggestion.

Thank you very much again both of you!

Of course, i forgot how easy it was to concatenate with strings, i just went complicating things again.

"is there a reason why you are not using std::fstream?"

No there isn't. Actually i just found this comparison between the two and it looks like std::fstream is faster.
So im gonna use std::fstream instead. Thank you!

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/For...2-36248f86a8ce

Ok, have a good day or night everybody, whatever is it over there, its already night here.

Originally Posted by Ducky

Actually i just found this comparison between the two and it looks like std::fstream is faster.

Read it again. The buffering is intensive.

"The buffering is intensive."

Is it a bad thing?

>> Is it a bad thing?

fstreams do have a bit more overhead, but you get what you pay for, and I think most would agree that the benefits outweigh the the drawbacks.

Just the fact that they use RAII is enough for me! And not to mention << and >>.

Ok, thanks Tux0r for your help!
I dont understand right now what you're saying but i will look after it later when i'll have the time.

For now i got Laserlight and Sebastiani telling me to prefer fstream so i rewrote the program with fstream.

For a reason 'cout' accepts stringstream ss.str() but 'filestr.open()' won't.

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <sstream>
#include <fstream>

using namespace std;


int main ()
{
    fstream filestr;
    filestr.open ("test.txt", fstream::in | fstream::out | fstream::app);

    const string filename  = "file";
    const string extension = ".txt";
    stringstream ss;
    string word;

    for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i)
    {
        cout << "Enter word: "; cin >> word;
        ss << filename << i << extension;
        filestr.open (ss.str(), fstream::in | fstream::out | fstream::app);
        filestr << word.c_str() << endl;
        filestr.close();
    }


     return 0;
}

Should be:

Code:

filestr.open (ss.str().c_str(), fstream::in | fstream::out | fstream::app);

Thank you!