Reading char arrays from a binary file

Nothing I have tried works...Unfortunately the tutorials on the net are not any help. They just give you a few lines of code without hardly any expianation. And none tell you how to read in a character array.

This is what I am trying to read in:
"Iron Dagger"
using:

Code:

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char* name;
in.read(name, sizeof(name));
std::string newname(name);

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Reads only to the first white space encountered

using:

Code:

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char* name;
in.getline(name, sizeof(name), '\n');
std::string newname(name);

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Reads the entire file in one lump...or so I think...it just outputs a bunch of crap.

anyone have any suggestions.

Don't use character arrays. Use std::string.

Code:

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std::ifstream in("my_file.ext", "r");
if(in.is_open())
{
  std::string name;
  std::getline(in, name, '\n');
}

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Yes, use a std::string and stop messing with char pointers which you don't allocate memory to.

Does your file indicate how many characters are in the string? In a binary file, you would need to know how many characters if you want to read the entire string in at once.

Does your file have the terminating null character written to it? If you created the file by calling write to a binary stream then it might, but if you just typed it in a text editor it probably doesn't. If it has the terminating null, you should read in one character at a time and stop when you reach a null.

If you don't have a size and you don't have a terminating null, then you can't really read in teh string from a binary file. Are you sure you want to use a binary file?

In your code examples, name is an uninitialized pointer. If you want to read into a character array, make it an array with a given size.

You can't read into a string from a binary file, so using a C style string is the way to go if you do in fact have to read the string from the binary file.

I have already tried it your way Desolation...it didnt work either. I am not sure if the getline function works with binary files.

Quote:

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Does your file have the terminating null character written to it? If you created the file by calling write to a binary stream then it might, but if you just typed it in a text editor it probably doesn't.

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It should, cuz I did create the binary file using the write() function

Quote:

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If it has the terminating null, you should read in one character at a time and stop when you reach a null.

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How do I do that? terminating null = \0 right?
But to use it as a delimiter I would have to use the getline function...and that has been causing me major problems.

Quote:

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Yes, use a std::string and stop messing with char pointers which you don't allocate memory to.

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How do I allocate memory when I dont knwo how much to allocate?

I want my LoadLevel Function to be able to read in any char array size.

Quote:

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Does your file indicate how many characters are in the string? In a binary file, you would need to know how many characters if you want to read the entire string in at once.

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so lets say I did this: (psuedo code...sort of)

Code:

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std::string = "Iron Dagger";
int size = 12;

ofstream out;
out.write((char*)&size, sizeof(int));

const char* newname = name.c_str();
out.write(newname, sizeof(name));

ifstream in;

int size = 0;
in.read((char*)&size, sizeof(int));

char name[size];
in.read(name, sizeof(name))

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Would that work?

You're probably better of writing a text file, and putting each string on a separate line. Then you can use getline() to read in the string:

Code:

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int size;
std::string name;
in >> size;

getline(in, name)

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Or you could delimit the string from other data written to the file with a comma, and use:

Code:

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int size;
std::string name;

in >> size;
getline(in, name, ',')

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If you're going to use write() and read() with a binary file, then you must read exactly the number of characters written, which your example isn't. Well actually it is, but what you should use instead of sizeof(name) is name.length(). That should work for a binary file.

Ok so how about this then:

Code:

---

int stringlength = 0;
in.read((char*)&strengthlength, sizeof(int));

for(int x = 0; x < stringlength; x++)
{
    in.read(name[x], sizeof(name[x]));
}

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Or something to that effect.


I want to avoid using a text file. if possible.

>> so lets say I did this: (psuedo code...sort of)
Yes. Almost. The idea is correct.

>> int size = 12;
I would set the size variable equal to the value returned by the string's size() or length() function to make sure it is accurate. You don't have to output the null, but if you do you'd want to add 1 to that value.

>> out.write(newname, sizeof(name));
Don't use sizeof(name), because that will only be the size of the pointer. Use the size variable that you just created.

>> char name[size];
You aren't allowed to declare an array with a size that isn't known until compile time in C++. Your compiler might allow it, but it is technically not allowed in C++. One solution is to use a vector and then assign it to the string:

Code:

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vector<char> name(size);
in.read(&name[0], size);
std::string str(name.begin(), name.end());

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>> in.read(name[x], sizeof(name[x]));
If you wanted to go that route, you should use get() instead to get a single character at a time, but as long as you're sticking to binary then I'd use the pseudo code you had earlier with the above changes.

Ok

Code:

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int namelength = name.length();
const char* newname = name.c_str;
out.write(newname, namelength);

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Pretty much. What about the read?

Code:

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int namelength = name.length();
const char* newname = name.c_str();
out.write((char*)&namelength, sizeof(int));
out.write(newname, namelength);

int namelength = 0;
in.read((char*)&namelength, sizeof(int));
char* newname;
in.read(newname, namelength);
std::string name(newname);

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You probably want to use what Daved posted for the read, as it will work with any length string. So changing the names a bit:

Code:

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vector<char> temp(namelength);
in.read(&temp[0], namelength);
std::string name(temp.begin(), temp.end());
//Now name contains your string

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Ok...This is my first time working with binary files...hadn't thought about going the vector route

If you still want to use read(), this is what I use and it works just fine:

Code:

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string LoadText(string fileName)
{
        int length;
        char * out;
        string output;
        ifstream is;
        is.open (fileName.c_str(), ios::binary );

        // get length of file:
        is.seekg (0, ios::end);
        length = is.tellg();
        is.seekg (0, ios::beg);

        // allocate memory:
        out = new char [length];

        // read data as a block:
        is.read (out,length);
        is.close();
        output.assign(out, length);
        return output;
}

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>>I want to avoid using a text file. if possible.

You read the file the same way no matter what type of file it is.

>> If you still want to use read(), this is what I use and it works just fine:
Unfortunately it has a memory leak, which is why I suggested vector.

Well here is my finished project...after two day of frustration:D

Code:

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void CLoadLevel::LoadLevel(std::string filename)
{
    /*Temeporay storage vector for reading in character arrays form a binary file*/
    std::vector<char>temp(0);
    /*Local variables for reading in int data from a binary file*/
    char ch;
    int namelength;
    int strength;
    int dexterity;
    int intelligence;
    int endurance;
    int hp;
    int maxhp;
    int mp;
    int maxmp;
    int gold;
    int xp;
    int weaponname;
    int mindamage;
    int maxdamage;
    int accuracy;
    int price;
    int armorname;
    int ap;

    std::ifstream in(filename.c_str(), std::ios::binary);

    in.read((char*)&enemycount, sizeof(int));

    for(int count = 0; count < enemycount; count++)
    {
        in.read((char*)&namelength, sizeof(int));

        for(int x = 0; x < namelength; x++)
        {
            in.get(ch);
            temp.push_back(ch);
        }
        std::string name(temp.begin(), temp.end());
        temp.clear();

        in.read((char*)&strength, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&dexterity, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&intelligence, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&endurance, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&hp, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&maxhp, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&mp, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&maxmp, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&gold, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&xp, sizeof(int));

        in.read((char*)&namelength, sizeof(int));
        for(int x = 0; x < namelength; x++)
        {
            in.get(ch);
            temp.push_back(ch);
        }
        std::string weaponname(temp.begin(), temp.end());
        temp.clear();

        in.read((char*)&mindamage, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&maxdamage, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&accuracy, sizeof(int));

        /*Read in the number of characters in armorname*/
        in.read((char*)&namelength, sizeof(int));

        /*Now read in armorname*/
        for(int x = 0; x < namelength; x++)
        {
            in.get(ch);
            temp.push_back(ch);
        }
        std::string armorname(temp.begin(), temp.end());
        temp.clear();

        in.read((char*)&ap, sizeof(int));

        CEnemy enemylist;
        enemylist.CreateEnemy(name, strength, endurance, dexterity, intelligence, hp, maxhp, mp,
                                    maxmp, xp, gold, weaponname, mindamage, maxdamage, accuracy, armorname, ap);

        enemy.push_back(enemylist);
    }

    in.read((char*)&weaponcount, sizeof(int));

    for (int count = 0; count < weaponcount; count++)
    {
        in.read((char*)&namelength, sizeof(int));

        for(int x = 0; x < namelength; x++)
        {
            in.get(ch);
            temp.push_back(ch);
        }
        std::string newname(temp.begin(), temp.end());
        temp.clear();

        in.read((char*)&mindamage, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&maxdamage, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&accuracy, sizeof(int));
        in.read((char*)&price, sizeof(int));

        CWeapon weaponlist;
        weaponlist.CreateWeapon(newname, mindamage, maxdamage, accuracy, price);

        weapon.push_back(weaponlist);
    }

    in.close();
};

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It now works perfectly...as far as I can tell...unfortunately I will probably be overhauling it agian soon.

Anyway thank you Daved, Swoopy, mikeman and to the resst of you who gave advice.