c++ tutorial 14 - argc and argv

The code I was looking at was here
Command Line Arguments in C++ - Cprogramming.com
(copied and pasted to the bottom of this post for your viewing pleasure)

I pretty much wrote it out just replacing agrv[1] with a file i created (creatively called file.txt)
however, I couldn't get it to work. i told it to print out argc and it outputted 1, rather than 2.
when i changed the first if to give it the logic to continue as though argc was ==1 eg

Code:

if (argc>2)

it then works fine.

i don't get why since tutorial this tells me it should be 2!

any help much appreciated.
tyia

Code:

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

int main ( int argc, char *argv[] )
{
  if ( argc != 2 ) // argc should be 2 for correct execution
    // We print argv[0] assuming it is the program name
    cout<<"usage: "<< argv[0] <<" <filename>\n";
  else {
    // We assume argv[1] is a filename to open
    ifstream the_file ( argv[1] );
    // Always check to see if file opening succeeded
    if ( !the_file.is_open() )
      cout<<"Could not open file\n";
    else {
      char x;
      // the_file.get ( x ) returns false if the end of the file
      //  is reached or an error occurs
      while ( the_file.get ( x ) )
        cout<< x;
    }
    // the_file is closed implicitly here
  }
}

Perhaps you did not actually provide a command line argument?

You're supposed to type in something like
myprog.exe file.txt

Or if you're using an IDE to compile and run programs, there should be a dialog somewhere where you can specify "command line parameters".

thanks for the rapid replies although i don't fully understand them!

i think the command line argument would be the myprog.exe in the second reply?

when i have the wrong value for argc, the error message from the code appears with

Code:

usage: C:\Users\.....\argc and argv tutorial

i assumed that the "argc and argv tutorial.exe" is what i should put in where argv[0] lies in the main body, but this still outputs argc = 1 so i still don't understand this concept.

and i'm using a compiler (codeblocks) although i don't understand why specifying command line parameters can/would be done from somewhere else?

Originally Posted by thankyoukindly

i think the command line argument would be the myprog.exe in the second reply?

No, that is the program name. The command line argument is file.txt

Originally Posted by thankyoukindly

and i'm using a compiler (codeblocks) although i don't understand why specifying command line parameters can/would be done from somewhere else?

CodeBlocks is not a compiler; CodeBlocks is an IDE. When you run your program from within CodeBlocks, no command line arguments are supplied unless you go to Project -> Set program's arguments to set them.

thanks for that info, very clear! it's much appreciated.

and that sorted it.

is it correct to say without adding any manually through the ide, argc will always be 1?
lastly, is there anywhere you know of that explains the argc/argv basic concepts as i couldn't find anything via google or other tutorials (and my book on c++ is in the post)

Originally Posted by thankyoukindly

is it correct to say without adding any manually through the ide, argc will always be 1?

Yes. Well, it might be 0, but I think you don't have to worry about that.

Originally Posted by thankyoukindly

lastly, is there anywhere you know of that explains the argc/argv basic concepts as i couldn't find anything via google or other tutorials (and my book on c++ is in the post)

You found the tutorial.