Putting Data into a 2D array

I really went wrong with this one.

I have a .txt file with the contents:

1, 2, zz
1, 9, ccc
2, 3, lll
2, 13, aaaaa
3, 3, mmm
3, 11, oo

Just so you know the info in the file represents LINE#, COLUM#, text. This .txt file is also the output from another part of this program...but that part works.

Anyways I will be sorting the data by the alpha characters. I have been looking at example and it seems that I must first put this data into an array so that I can use pointers and then use the qsort() function. I am however stuck as to how to put the data into a 2D array. My code is messed up, what am I doing wrong (besides everything)?

Code:

using namespace std;

int main()
{
	ifstream inData;
	ofstream outData;
	char ch;
	char lineData[BUFSIZ][50];							
	int index6 = 0;
	int lineCount = 1;
		
	inData.open("text.txt");										
	if(!inData)
		cout << "ERROR in opening " << "text.txt" << endl;

	else
		if(inData)
		{
			cout << "Opening file: " << "text.txt" << endl << endl;
			ch = inData.get();

			while(ch != EOF)
			{
				if(ch == '\n')
				{
					lineCount++;
					index6 = 0;
				}



				lineData[lineCount][index6] = ch;
				ch = inData.get();
				index6++;
				cout << lineData << endl;
			}


			outData.close();
		}



		return 0;
}

Here, I'll do what I proboly should have done to begin with...I'll post the program. I suppose it is best to see just what I did. Maybe there is a better way of putting the data into the file for me to retrive it. I'm pretty sure that I have found enough examples on these boards to sort the data with qsort(), but getting the data from the file in a way that it can be sorted is driving me crazy. I belive that I must place it into a 2D array to do this.

Also I have no clue as to why mode code gets so indented when I post it...sorry if that bugs you.

Code:

using namespace std;

#define OPEN	'['
#define CLOSE   ']'

int main()
{
	ifstream inData;
	ofstream outData;
	char fileNameIn[50];
	char fileNameOut[50];
	char lineOfText[50];
	char ch;
	char ch1;
	char word[50];
	char lineData[BUFSIZ][50];
	int bLen = 1;
	int line;
	int index;
	int index1;
	int index2 = 0;
	int index3 = 0;
	int index4 = 0;
	int index5 = 0;
	int index6 = 0;
	int loc[3];
	int lineCount = 1;
	int nLineCount = 1;
	int colum = 0;
	int openFlag = 0;
	int closeFlag = 0;

	cout << "Enter filename to read DATA from: ";
	cin >> fileNameIn;
	cout << endl;
	inData.open(fileNameIn);
	cout << "Enter filename to write DATA to: ";
	cin >> fileNameOut;
	cout << endl;
	outData.open(fileNameOut);

	if(!inData)
		cout << "ERROR in opening " << fileNameIn << endl;

	else
		if(inData)
		{
			cout << "Opening file: " << fileNameIn << endl << endl;
			ch = inData.get();

			while(ch != EOF)
			{
				if(ch == '\n')
				{
					cout << endl;
					colum = 0;
					lineCount++;

					for(index4 = 0; index4 < 50; index4++)
						lineOfText[index4] = ' ';

					index4 = 0;
				}

				if(isspace(ch))
				{
					lineOfText[colum] = putchar(' ');
					openFlag = 0;
					closeFlag = 0;
				}
				else
					if(ch == OPEN && openFlag == 0)
						openFlag = colum + 1;

					else
						if((ch == CLOSE && closeFlag == 0) && openFlag == 0)
							closeFlag = 0;

							else
								if(ch == CLOSE && closeFlag == 0)
									closeFlag = colum - 1;

								else
									if(closeFlag != 0)        
									{
										for(index1 = openFlag; index1 <= closeFlag; index1++)
										{
											word[index2] = lineOfText[index1];
											index2 = index2 + 1;
										}
									
									
										word[index2] = NULL;
										line = lineCount;
										index = openFlag;
									
										loc[0] = line;
										loc[1] = openFlag;
										
										////////////////////////////////////////////
										//here is where I put the data into the file
										////////////////////////////////////////////
									
										outData << loc[0] << ", " << loc[1] << ", " << word << endl << endl;
										
										for(index3 = 0; index3 < strlen(word); index3++)
											word[index3] = ' ';
									
										index3 = 0;
									
										for(index3 = 0; index3 < 10; index3++)
											loc[index] = ' ';
									
										index2 = 0;
										index3 = 0;
										openFlag = 0;		
										closeFlag = 0;		
									}

				lineOfText[colum] = ch;
				cout << ch;
				ch = inData.get();
				colum++;
			}

			cout << endl << endl;
		}

		inData.close();
		outData.close();

/*
Everything above here works as I want it to. Now I am trying to get the
data from the new file into a form that I can use to sort it with
*/

	    inData.open(fileNameOut);

		if(!inData)
			cout << "ERROR in opening " << "text.txt" << endl;

		else
			if(inData)
			{
				cout << "Opening file: " << "text.txt" << endl << endl;
				ch1 = inData.get();

				while(ch1 != EOF)
				{
					if(ch1 == '\n')
					{
						nLineCount++;
						index6 = 0;
						cout << lineData << endl;
					}

					lineData[nLineCount][index6] = ch1;
					ch1 = inData.get();
					index6++;
				}


			/*
			This is where I will put the sorting code once I figure out for to
			correctly read the data from the file in a form that will allow me to sort it.
			Until I can get the data into a form that I can sort Im just dead in the water.
			*/


				outData.close();
			}

	return 0;
}

> Also I have no clue as to why mode code gets so indented when I post it
Your code editor is using real tabs for indentation
Switch it to using say 4 spaces for each indentation level, then it will look better posted here

This...

Code:

        while(ch1 != EOF)
        {
            if(ch1 == '\n')
            {
                nLineCount++;
                index6 = 0;
                cout << lineData << endl;
            }

            lineData[nLineCount][index6] = ch1;
            ch1 = inData.get( );
            index6++;
            lineData[nLineCount][index6] = '\0';  //!! you need this!!
        }

So the aim of this is to get lineData looking something like
lineData[0] = "1, 2, zz"
lineData[1] = "1, 9, ccc"

Though it would seem to me to be a lot easier to read a whole line using this,

Code:

inData.getline( lineData[nLineCount] );
nLineCount++;

Rather than reading each character at a time.



Here's a short example showing how to sort such data based on the text field at the end of the line

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <cstring>
#include <cstdio>
#include <cstdlib>
using namespace std;

// define a type for each line of text
// it saves more complicated casts later on
typedef char    line[50];

// find the 2nd comma in a string
const char *find2ndComma ( const char *p ) {
    for ( int i = 0 ; i < 2 && p != NULL ; i++ ) {
        p = strchr( p, ',' );
        if ( p != NULL ) p++;
    }
    return p;
}

// compare two strings from the lineData array
// starting at the 2nd comma in each one
int compare ( const void *a, const void *b ) {
    const line *pa = (const line*)a;
    const line *pb = (const line*)b;
    const char *comma1 = find2ndComma((const char*)pa);
    const char *comma2 = find2ndComma((const char*)pb);
    return strcmp( comma1, comma2 );
}

int main ( ) {
    line lineData[6] = {
        "1, 2, zz",
        "1, 9, ccc",
        "2, 3, lll",
        "2, 13, aaaaa",
        "3, 3, mmm",
        "3, 11, oo"
    };
    qsort( lineData, 6, sizeof(line), compare );
    for ( int i = 0 ; i < 6 ; i++ ) {
        cout << lineData[i] << endl;
    }
    return 0;
}

I have never done a typedef before. I'll try it out. It seems much easier to do it that way. Thanks.