Thread: Reading external files, (not!!)

Hello all,

I am a complete newbie trying to learn this stuff. I actually have two questions;

1) I have been looking through a few of the recent threads and I have noticed some differences to my programming, (I'm using MicroSoft Visual Studio 6.0 by the way).

On this site's programs the header files are:-

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

On my programming I have to add .h to the header files. Why?

I'll post the second question on a different message.

I apologise for blathering on but I am really stuck on this problem.

I have an external file called "test.dat" from a write program. This bit actually works and the following code is supposed to read from it, but it doesn't. Why, please???

Code:

#include <iostream.h>
#include <fstream.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

const int max = 80;

int main ()
{
ifstream input_file;
char film[max];

input_file.open("test.dat",ios::in|ios::nocreate);

if (input_file.fail())
{
cout << "File does not already exist." << endl;
exit(1);
}

while (input_file.peek() != EOF)
{
input_file.getline (film, max);
cout << film <<endl;
}
cout << endl;

input_file.close();
return 0;
}

The program compiles OK but when it runs, the result is
"File does not already exist."

I am frustrated and confused.

Thanks very much. I'll try that.

Thanks ammar.

I tried that but got 2 probs.

1. The compiler didn't recognise <stdlib>
2. When I deleted <stdlib> the compiler didn't recognise
ios::nocreate. It viewed it as an identifier.

Sorry fella, I am a REAL newbie here!

Salem,

if you read my reply to Ammar, you know I'm new to this.

What's "Threads merged" mean?

I tried adding the test.dat file to the project thinking that it would then be in the right directory. Still the same problem.

If you put the data file in the project folder, then you can use just the file name, otherwise use the complete path to your data file with double back slashes:

ifstream inFile("C:\\DataFolder\\test_data.txt")

Originally posted by 7stud
If you put the data file in the project folder, then you can use just the file name, otherwise use the complete path to your data file with double back slashes:

ifstream inFile("C:\\DataFolder\\test_data.txt")

Hi 7stud.

Thanks for your reply. I tried it but got the same old result---

"File does not already exist."

Getting a bit fed up, failing at the first hurdle!!