cin.fail() function

Ill throw my code at you first

Code:

---

int menu(int &answer)
{
    do {
        cout << "----Menu----"  << endl
            << "1 something"  << endl
            << "2 something"  << endl
            << "3 something"  << endl
            << "Please select an option (1, 2, or 3): ";
        cin >> answer;
       
        if (( cin.fail() ) == 1) {
                cin.clear();
                cout << "Please enter a valid option" << endl;
        }
        else if ((answer != 1) && (answer != 2) && (answer != 3)) {
                cout << "Please enter a valid option" << endl;
       
        }
    } while ( (answer != 1) && (answer != 2) && (answer != 3) );
   
return answer;
}

---

now it seems to handle most error type inputs except if u enter a character and i thought cin.fail and what i have done might be able to deal with it but it doen't, Have i used the function wrong? And if so could i have some help in correcting it. thanks.

It's messy, but you could try something like this:

Code:

---

bool Int = false;
bool validInt = false;
 
while(!Int && !validInt)
{
cin >> answer;
if(cin.fail())
{
        cin.clear();
        cin.ignore(10000, '\n');
        cout << "you didn't enter an integer" << endl;
        cout << "Please enter a valid option" << endl;
}
else if((answer < 1) || (answer > 3))
{
        cout << "the int must be 1, 2, or 3" << endl;
        cout << "Please enter a valid option" << endl;
}
else
{
        Int = true;
        validInt = true;
}       
}

---