reading and writing unsigned chars from a file

I'm writing an unsigned char with a value of three to a file and when I read it it's returned as 255.

Code:

ofstream fout;

fout.open("cdb.dat", ios::out | ios::binary);
	
unsigned char c = 3;
fout << c;

fout.close();

fin.open("cdb.dat", ios::in | ios::binary);

unsigned char 
c = fin.get(),
cout << static_cast<int>(c) << endl;

fin.close();

Can anyone please tell me what I've done wrong? Thank you for your time.

Please show the exact code you use. It almost appears as if you are reading the EOF (-1) and printing that.

Yes, because minus the syntax errors, that code works perfectly on my set-up.

Code:

void write_breeds() // writes the file i'm reading
{
	ofstream fout;

	fout.open("cdb.dat", ios::out | ios::binary);
	
	unsigned char c = 3;
	fout << c;

	// warrior
	c = 0;
	c |= 8 << 4 | 15;
	fout << c;
	
	c = 0;
	c |= 4 << 4 | 2;
	fout << c;
	
	c = 0;
	c |= 3 << 4 | 1;
	fout << c;
	
	c = 0;
	c |= 1 << 4 | 0;
	fout << c;

	unsigned int p = 0;
	p |= (PROF_CS | PROF_CTS | PROF_CA | PROF_CTA | PROF_CM | PROF_CTM | PROF_CP | PROF_CST | PROF_CD | PROF_CSH | PROF_CC | PROF_CH | PROF_CL | PROF_HS | PROF_HM | PROF_HSH | PROF_HC | PROF_HH);
	bin_write_4bytes(&fout, p);
	
	// priest
	c = 0;
	c |= 4 << 4 | 6;
	fout << c;
	
	c = 0;
	c |= 1 << 4 | 1;
	fout << c;
	
	c = 0;
	c |= 2 << 4 | 3;
	fout << c;
	
	c = 0;
	c |= 3 << 4 | 1;
	fout << c;

	p = 0;
	p |= (PROF_CM | PROF_CST | PROF_CW | PROF_CC | PROF_HM | PROF_HC);
	bin_write_4bytes(&fout, p);
	
	// mage
	c = 0;
	c |= 3 << 4 | 8;
	fout << c;
	
	c = 0;
	c |= 1 << 4 | 1;
	fout << c;
	
	c = 0;
	c |= 2 << 4 | 4;
	fout << c;
	
	c = 0;
	c |= 3 << 4 | 2;
	fout << c;
	
	p = 0;
	p |= (PROF_CS | PROF_CM | PROF_CST | PROF_CW | PROF_CC | PROF_HST | PROF_HW | PROF_HC);
	bin_write_4bytes(&fout, p);

	fout.close();
}

void load_breeds(ifstream *file, vector <breed*>*breedVector) // problem
{
	char c = file->get();

	cout << static_cast<int>(c) << endl;
}

ifstream fin;

fin.open("cdb.dat", ios::in | ios::binary); // starts it all
load_breeds(&fin, &engine::breedVector);
fin.close();

Code:

void load_breeds(ifstream &fin);  // Function prototype

load_breeds(fin); // Function call

Code:

enum PROF_MASK
{
	PROF_CNO = (1 << 0),
	PROF_CS  = (1 << 1),
	PROF_CTS = (1 << 2),
	PROF_CA  = (1 << 3),
	PROF_CTA = (1 << 4),
	PROF_CM  = (1 << 5),
	PROF_CTM = (1 << 6),
	PROF_CP  = (1 << 7),
	PROF_CST = (1 << 8),
	PROF_CD  = (1 << 9),
	PROF_CB  = (1 << 10),
	PROF_CSH = (1 << 11),
	PROF_CW  = (1 << 12),
	PROF_CC  = (1 << 13),
	PROF_CH  = (1 << 14),
	PROF_CL  = (1 << 15),
	PROF_HNO = (1 << 16),
	PROF_HS  = (1 << 17),
	PROF_HTS = (1 << 18),
	PROF_HA  = (1 << 19),
	PROF_HTA = (1 << 20),
	PROF_HM  = (1 << 21),
	PROF_HTM = (1 << 22),
	PROF_HP  = (1 << 23),
	PROF_HST = (1 << 24),
	PROF_HD  = (1 << 25),
	PROF_HB  = (1 << 26),
	PROF_HSH = (1 << 27),
	PROF_HW  = (1 << 28),
	PROF_HC  = (1 << 29),
	PROF_HH  = (1 << 30),
	PROF_HL  = (1 << 31),
};

Yes, I answered your question. Didn't see it right away. You aren't passing your ifstream correctly. Your other option is just to use the value of operator when you reference the stream.

Code:

*fin >> c;

Though, I'll tell your that I wasn't able to compile the code you posted again, without making these changes. If you're saying you did compile it, you may be having a different problem. Regardless, you're referencing an incorrect stream and that may be cause you to read in an EOF.

Wait, are you reading this file before you write to this? Exact code. I believe you can pass ifstreams by pointer or by reference, just not by value.

Its still not working for me. If I see your post correctly you're telling me to pass it as a reference and not a pointer. I did that and it still won't work. And how would that change how it works anyways?

No I am not writing to this file at all, I was simply showing the code that at one point wrote that file.

*fin >> c does not work either. That reads a 0 and not a negitive 1.

Compile this:

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

using namespace std;

void write() // writes the file i'm reading
{
   ofstream fout;
   fout.open("cdb.dat", ios::out | ios::binary);
	
   unsigned char c = 3;
   fout << c;

   fout.close();
}

void load(ifstream &fin)
{
   unsigned char c;
   fin >> c;
   cout << static_cast<int>(c) << endl;
}

int main() 
{
   ifstream fin;

   fin.open("cdb.dat", ios::in | ios::binary);

   write();
   load(fin);

   fin.close();
   
   return 0;
};

That works. Is it possibly because I am using the ifstream previous to when I open it?

Well, then there must have been something about "Post your exact code" that you didn't understand.

So then do I need to use a seperate ifstream for every time I open a file?

Code:

ifstream fin;

fin.open("cdb.dat", ios::in | ios::binary); // starts it all
load_breeds(&fin, &engine::breedVector);
fin.close();

Where is that code placed??

In a function thats called by a function in main.

Code:

int engine_init()
{
	sock_init();

	ifstream fin;

	engine::sock_listen = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
	engine::sock_accept = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);

	// <-- start set fdset
	FD_ZERO(&engine::playerSockets);

	FD_SET(engine::sock_listen, &engine::playerSockets);
	//FD_SET(engine::sock_accept, &engine::playerSockets);

	engine::selectTime.tv_sec  = 0;
	engine::selectTime.tv_usec = 0;
	// end set fdset -->

	// <-- start set server address
	engine::addrServer.sin_family      = AF_INET;
	engine::addrServer.sin_port        = htons(7869);
	engine::addrServer.sin_addr.s_addr = htonl(INADDR_ANY);
	// end set server address -->

	// <-- start load item database
	fin.open("idb.dat", ios::in | ios::binary);
	load_items(&fin, &engine::itemVector);
	fin.close();
	// end load item database -->

	// <-- start load breeds
	fin.open("cdb.dat", ios::in | ios::binary);
	load_breeds(&fin, &engine::breedVector);
	fin.close();
	// end load breeds  -->

	if (bind(engine::sock_listen, (sockaddr *)&engine::addrServer, sizeof(engine::addrServer)) == SOCKET_ERROR)
	{
		WSACleanup();
		return (0);
	}

	if (listen(engine::sock_listen, 1) == SOCKET_ERROR)
	{
		WSACleanup();
		return (0);
	}

	return (1);
}