Thread: File streams

I'm trying to write a function that will accept any given handle for a stream, e.g

Code:

void OpenFile(ifstream [name], char FileName[256]);

#include <iostream.h>

int main()
{
  const char FILE_STREAM[]="InFile", FILE_NAME[]="Test.txt";

  OpenFile(FILE_STREAM,FILE_NAME);

  getchar();
 
  return 0;
}

void OpenFile(ifstream [name], char FileName[256])
{
  ifstream name;

  name.open(FileName);

  if(!name)
    cout << "Could not open the file.";
}

Any ideas?

Include fstream.

Why do you need the stream name (not file but the ifstream name) to be decided by the user? It will have no effect on the program.

i just want to write a genric function that can have multiple handles passed. I don't want to be declaring streams in other functions.

would some one be able to help me on this, i would be v.greatful