Is there a way to skip lines with file input?

How do you skip over spaces while inputting from a text file?

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <vector>
#include <conio.h>

using namespace std;

 struct Triangle {
        float a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i;
};
vector<Triangle*> TriangleVector;

int main(void) {
        ifstream fin;
        fin.open("Coordinates.txt");
        if(fin.fail()) {
                cout << "Could not load coordinates" << endl;
                cout << "Hit a key to escape" << endl;
                getch();
                return 0;
        }

        int x = 0;

        while(!fin.eof()) {
        TriangleVector.push_back(new Triangle);
//THIS IS WHERE I NEED HELP WITH SCANNING AHEAD
        //Scan ahead two spaces, input TriangleVector[x]->a, tab ahead another space, input TriangleVector[x]->b, and so on
        }

        getch();
        fin.close();
               
        return 0;
}

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This is a function to randomly read a chemical formula for a text file, it should have what you want.

Code:

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//reads a single random Chemical object from file
void MoleculeCreator::generateChemical( )
{
        ifstream fileIn( "chemlist.txt", ios::in );

        srand( time( 0 ) );                //might be better placed in the constructor

        int ignoredLines = rand( ) % countLines( "chemList.txt" );

        for( int i = 0; i < ignoredLines; i++ )
        {
                fileIn.ignore( 80, '\n' );
        }

        fileIn >> currentChemical;

        fileIn.close( );
}

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Here is the countLines function in case you want it, its always handy :)

Code:

---

int MoleculeCreator::countLines( char* file )
{
        ifstream fileIn( file, ios::in );
        int result = 0;

        while( ! fileIn.eof( ) )
        {
                char* buffer = 0;
                fileIn.getline( buffer, 80,'\n' );
                ++result;
        }
        return result;
}

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Ohh so I just ignore it, sweet, now is there a function that just skips to the next line?

Oh yeah DUH!!! Of course it will skip that!!! It's declared as a float anyways so it won't input any other crap *blush*

Exactly how do I skip to the next line? ignore only ignores a space, it doesn't tab to the next line

should do, depends if you've got other stuff in the file. ignore( ) works great for stuff like this, just ignore up to the '\n' and you should be reading from the next line with your next fin operation.

Hmm this code almost works except that it isn't read the variables correct.

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <vector>
#include <conio.h>

using namespace std;

 struct Triangle {
        float a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i;
};
vector<Triangle*> TriangleVector;

int main(void) {
        ofstream fout;
        ifstream fin;
        fout.open("Formatted coords.txt");
        fin.open("Coordinates.txt");
        if(fout.fail()) {
                cout << "Could not load coordinates" << endl;
                cout << "Hit a key to escape" << endl;
                getch();
                return 0;
        }

        if(fin.fail()) {
                cout << "Could not load coordinates" << endl;
                cout << "Hit a key to escape" << endl;
                getch();
                return 0;
        }

        int x = 0;

        while(!fin.eof()) {
        TriangleVector.push_back(new Triangle);
        fin >> TriangleVector[x]->a;
        fin >> TriangleVector[x]->b;
        fin >> TriangleVector[x]->c;
        fin >> TriangleVector[x]->d;
        fin >> TriangleVector[x]->e;
        fin >> TriangleVector[x]->f;
        fin >> TriangleVector[x]->g;
        fin >> TriangleVector[x]->h;
        fin >> TriangleVector[x]->i;

        fout << TriangleVector[x]->a;
        fout << TriangleVector[x]->b;
        fout << TriangleVector[x]->c;
        fout << TriangleVector[x]->d;
        fout << TriangleVector[x]->e;
        fout << TriangleVector[x]->f;
        fout << TriangleVector[x]->g;
        fout << TriangleVector[x]->h;
        fout << TriangleVector[x]->i;

        cout << TriangleVector[x]->a << endl;
        cout << TriangleVector[x]->b << endl;
        cout << TriangleVector[x]->c << endl;
        cout << TriangleVector[x]->d << endl;
        cout << TriangleVector[x]->e << endl;
        cout << TriangleVector[x]->f << endl;
        cout << TriangleVector[x]->g << endl;
        cout << TriangleVector[x]->h << endl;
        cout << TriangleVector[x]->i << endl;
        fin.ignore('\n');
        getch();
        x++;

        }

        getch();
        fin.close();
        fout.close();
        cout << "Hit a key to escape" << endl;
        getch();
               
        return 0;
}

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I wasn't sure what to put for the first argument for fin.ignore(), and it has a default value of 1 so i just omitted it, what exactly is the first argument for?

Here is the entire project folder with all of the necessary files(under 10KB download)

It seems as though you have to skip the lines, it just outputted jibberish until I had it ignore lines