Thread: Format text(ifstream, ofstream)

I'm having problem with a program im trying to write that reads a .text sourcefile and then format the .text file while removing excess whitespace.

Code:

#include <fstream>
using std::ofstream;
using std::ifstream;
#include <iostream>
using std::cin;
using std::cout;
using std::cerr;
#include <sstream>
#include <iomanip>
#include <cstring>
using std::string;
using namespace std;
#include <cstdlib>
using std::exit;
#include <stdio.h>


int main (void)
{

	const int MAX = 100;
	char buff[MAX];
	string name;
	int i;
	int countWords(const char string[]);
	void readLine(char buffer[]);
	
	cout << "Enter name of input text file(location on disk):  "<<endl;  
	getline (cin, name);				//Prompts user to input source text	

	ifstream input;					//create stream object homework
	input.open ( name.c_str() );		//reads source text file

	if (!input) {
    cerr << "Unable to open file hw6.txt";
	exit(1); }  // call system to stop
	else{
		while (!input.eof()) //until end of file
		{
			input.getline(buff, MAX); //read line of text
			
			cout << buff << endl;
			} //display text(pre-formatted)
	}

	cout << "Enter name of the output text file:  " <<endl;
	getline (cin, name); //Promt user to input output text

	ofstream output;	//create stream object homework2
	output.open (name.c_str() );

	if(!output){
	cerr << "Unable to create text file\n";
	exit(1);} //call system to stop
}

I'm having issues formatting the input stream text file(removing excess whitespace.


Demo text:

The
kid is
playing in the field
because he doesn't want to go inside.

Output text(supposed to look like).
It should look like this:
The kid is playing in the field because he doesn't want to go inside.

Originally Posted by laserlight

Also, generally you should not use eof() to control a loop.

Code:

while(getline(input, buff)){
     cout << buff << endl;
}

That's what I would use.

Originally Posted by Lorgon Jortle

Code:

while(getline(input, buff)){
     cout << buff << endl;
}

That's what I would use.

that what i use, but i don't know how to get the excess whitespace from the source text(input stream). Every word in there needs to be separated by one space.

Or, to avoid having an extra blank space at the end:

Code:

  if( input >> buff ) {
    cout << buff;
    while ( input >> buff )
      cout << ' ' << buff;
  }

Originally Posted by laserlight

That should not happen with what I suggested. Post your current code.

Code:

#include <fstream>
using std::ofstream;
using std::ifstream;
#include <iostream>
using std::cin;
using std::cout;
using std::cerr;
#include <sstream>
#include <iomanip>
#include <cstring>
using std::string;
using namespace std;
#include <cstdlib>
using std::exit;
#include <stdio.h>
#include <iterator>

int main (void)
{

	const int MAX = 100;
	char buff[MAX];
	string name;
	int i;
	int countWords(const char string[]);
	void readLine(char buffer[]);
	string FileData;
	
	cout << "Enter name of input text file(location on disk):  "<<endl;  
	getline (cin, name);				//Prompts user to input source text	

	ifstream input;					//create stream object homework
	input.open ( name.c_str() );		//reads source text file

	if (!input) {
    cerr << "Unable to open file hw6.txt";
	exit(1); }  // call system to stop
	else{
// create reader objects
  if( input >> buff ) {
    cout << buff;
    while ( input >> buff )
      cout << buff << ' ';
  }
}

	cout << "\n\nEnter name of the output text file:  " <<endl;
	getline (cin, name); //Promt user to input output text

	ofstream output;	//create stream object homework2
	output.open (name.c_str() );

	if(!output){
	cerr << "Unable to create text file\n";
	exit(1);} //call system to stop
	else{
		
		output.write(output >> buff);
		output.close();
	}
	
	
	

return 0;
}

it prints the words at the end of the line and prints the rest of the word on the next line. Also i need to input a range for the width of the format(from 40 to 100).

Originally Posted by laserlight

Oh, I think I know what you mean now. You are saying that the wrap around in the command prompt is such that a word is "broken" in the middle. That is perfectly fine, since eventually you will be printing to file, not the standard output stream, right?


What do you mean?

Next, among other things, you still need to:

• Indent your code properly.
• Move your using declarations and using directive (which you don't need) to after the includes.

I need to prompt for max output width for the formatted text. lets say if the range(width for each line) is 70, i need to use a line of width 70 and the text can't be longer than that.

So i intend to use:

Code:

cout << setfill ('o') << setw (70) << endl;
  cout << ' ' << buff << endl;

but how do i setup buff to be 70 characters long without using (input.getline(buff, 70)?

Could you count 70 chars, display then on a line, then count 70 more, all until the end of the file?

Originally Posted by Lorgon Jortle

Could you count 70 chars, display then on a line, then count 70 more, all until the end of the file?

Yes i can do that but when i do that, it counts all the excess whitespace too and we back to where i started again about removing them.