cin.get on an empty line and cin.clear

In my book, C++ Primer Plus 4th Edition, it says that cin.get(buf, 80) will set the failbit and block further reading if it encounters an emtpy line (just a newline in the stream).

So in order to use cin again, you should use cin.clear(). Why doesn't this simple code work then (it should wait for the user to enter something at the end):

Code:

---

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
        int i;
        char buf[80];

        cout << "Enter an integer: ";
        cin >> i;

        cout << "You entered: " << i << endl;
        cin.get(buf, 80); // Just an example, I know you can use cin.get() here.
        cin.clear();
        cin.get();

        return 0;
}

---

It works if I add cin.ignore(), but there shouldn't be anything left in the stream since I read the trailing newline with cin.get(buf, 80)?

use cin.ignore(1);

clear gets rid of the failbit, but the newline stays in the stream, so the next cin.get() just picks it up...

get leaves the trailing newline in the stream. use getline() to take it out of the stream:

Code:

---

getline(buf,80,'\n');

---

Oh man I'm stupid heh. I actually knew that cin.get(buf, 80) doesn't read the trailing newline, but I just couldn't put one and two together. :D

Thanks! :p

not a problem :)

Here's a little thing that might prove useful:

Code:

---

        cout << "Enter an integer: ";
        cin >> i;

        cout << "You entered: " << i << endl;
        cin.sync();
        cin.get();

---

Hope it helps,
Brian

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Br5an

Here's a little thing that might prove useful:

Code:

---

        cout << "Enter an integer: ";
        cin >> i;

        cout << "You entered: " << i << endl;
        cin.sync();
        cin.get();

---

Hope it helps,
Brian

---

why would that prove useful?

Because cin.clear() isn't doing what ^xor's book claims, from what I can tell, and cin.sync() might be just what he wants.
Regards,
Brian

cin.clear() is clearing the flags... what his problem was a return character left in the stream by cin.get()... I still don't see how sync() would help...

cin >> i; also leaves a return character in the stream which is picked up by the final cin.get( ) in my code. Remove cin.sync( ) and see for yourself. I was just compacting the exercise a bit. BK

wow kinda flamy in here *unsubscribes*

those aren't flames... I was just asking because I've never used sync()...

cin.clear() was doing exactly what the book claimed. The only problem was that I for some unexplainable reason thought that cin.get(buf, 80) would read in the trailing newline (the one thing it won't do lol).

This will work:

Code:

---

cin >> i;
cin.get(buf, 80); // Set the failbit (just experimenting with it)
cin.clear(); // Set failbit to false again
cin.get(); // Get rid of the trailing newline. Can use cin.ignore() instead.
cin.get(); // Wait for user input

---

I would recommend using cin.ignore(1); in place of cin.get() like you mentioned in your comments... it just makes what you're doing more explicit...

Will cin.ignore() without any params clear the entire input buffer, or just one character?

just one character (IIRC).

if you want, you could try something like cin.ignore(32000); (32k is about the limit for an int), but I generally stick with a 1 in there.