Opening file using ifstream...[Urgent]

i'm opening this file in my program (called astar) and the filename is an argument to the main function...so when i write out this on unix prompt (using gcc)...:

Code:

astar inputfile.txt

it works fine...but my assignment says that i don't have to give the extension...cause it can be anything.... (.in, .txt etc)...so i should be able to do this:

Code:

astar inputfile

however using my code the above does not work and hangs the prompt...any ideas what i should do...i'm using:

Code:

\\readfile function:
void readFile (char *file)
{
   ifstream fin (file);

   \\then i use fin e.g. fin >> smth;
}

\\main function:

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{

   readFile (argv[1]);

}

plz help!

Farooq

Are checking to make sure that you actually opened the file before you try to read from it?

If the file on disk has an extension, then you must specify that extension when you open the file. That should probably be on the command line. It doesn't really make sense to specify a filename on the command line without the extension when the actual file to be opened does have an extension.

If that is actually what the instructor wants, you'd have to search all available files in the directory for one with that name regarless of extension... that would take a lot of work. I suggest changing the actual filename to inputfile for your input file, or changing the commandline to inputfile.txt.