Basic data processing

**vigilance** · 04-30-2009

I am very new to C++, or any kind of programming for that matter. I am having difficulty figuring out how to read and process specific data within an input file. Some values that I need to read are in the middle of the file or line.

Here is the input file I am working with. The file is from a hand history file playing blackjack online:

Stage # B506558848 - Blackjack 2009-02-13 14:51:22 (ET)
********** ( $30.00 in chips )
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hand 1-1: Bet $0.00 + Side Bet $0.00
Hand 2-1: Bet $5.00 + Side Bet $0.00
Hand 3-1: Bet $0.00 + Side Bet $0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dealt to Hand 2-1: [ 5h 2s ]
Dealt to Dealer: [ 2s H ]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hand 2-1: HIT
Dealt to Hand 2-1: [ 8s ]
Hand 2-1: STAND
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dealer: Hit
Dealt to Dealer: [ 3c ]
Dealer: Hit
Dealt to Dealer: [ 5s ]
Dealer: Hit
Dealt to Dealer: [ Ks ]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** RESULT ***
Dealer [ 2s 3c 5s Ks ] (20)
Total Bet( $5.00 ), Win/Loss( -$5.00 )
Hand 2-1 [ 5h 2s 8s ] (15) - Loses $5.00

What I am trying to accomplish is to have the program determine whether the hand was a win, a loss, or a push. The last line contains the value "Loses", which I want to use as the value to determine a win, loss, push. I was thinking of using the ignore function, but a string value cannot be used as a parameter. If anyone could point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it!

**dwks** · 04-30-2009

Here's something that you may want to try:

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

int main() {
    // You could open a file and read from it . . . I use cin for simplicity.

    string line;  // the line we've read from the file
    while(getline(cin, line)) {
        if(line.find("Loses") != string::npos) {
            cout << "--- A loss!\n";
        }
    }

    return 0;
}

That code just reads in lines of text and searches each line for a specific string.

When I put your data into loss.txt and run the program, the output is:

Code:

$ ./loss < loss.txt
--- A loss!
$

If you want to do more than this, e.g., figure out how much was lost, you could use a stringstream to parse the line that contained the word "Loses". Or you could save the return value of the find() function (it indicates the point in the line at which the text was found), and then read characters from there.

**cyberfish** · 04-30-2009

sscanf() is an option, too, if you need something a little bit more flexible.

**vigilance** · 04-30-2009

Thanks, I will try those suggestions out! I'll have to do reading on how to use sscanf. I've never heard of it before. I appreciate the help.

**vigilance** · 05-01-2009

OK,
so here's what I have so far.

Code:

#include "header.h"

using namespace std;

	//Variables
ifstream infile;
ofstream outfile;
char file[101];
string line;
int w = 0;
int l = 0;
int p = 0;

	//Main Program
int main()
{
	//Open files
 cout << "Please enter the location of the";
 cout << " history.";
 cout << endl;
 cin >> file;
 infile.open(file);
 while (!infile)
 {
	 cout << "Cannot open the input file.  Please re-enter."; 
	 cout << endl;
	 cin >> file;
	 infile.open(file);
 }
	 
 outfile.open("results.txt");

 while (getline(infile, line))
 {
	 if (line.find("Collects" != string::npos)
		 w++;
	 if (line.find("Loses" != string::npos)
		 l++;
	  if (line.find("Push" != string::npos)
		 p++;
 }

 outfile << "Wins = " << w << endl;
 outfile << "Losses = " << l << endl;
 outfile << "Pushes = " << p << endl;

 infile.close();
 outfile.close();
	
 return 0;
}

I'm getting this error when I debug, and like I said I am still learning and I have no clue what it's trying to tell me.

***\processor.cpp(35) : error C2446: '!=' : no conversion from 'const unsigned int' to 'const char *'
Conversion from integral type to pointer type requires reinterpret_cast, C-style cast or function-style cast
.\processor.cpp(35) : error C2040: '!=' : 'const char [9]' differs in levels of indirection from 'const unsigned int'***

**dwks** · 05-07-2009

Code:

if (line.find("Collects" != string::npos)

You're missing closing parentheses.

Code:

if (line.find("Collects") != string::npos)

A word of advice: don't call a variable "l" (lowercase L).

Also:

Code:

 cout << "Please enter the location of the";
 cout << " history.";
 cout << endl;
 cin >> file;
 infile.open(file);
 while (!infile)
 {
	 cout << "Cannot open the input file.  Please re-enter."; 
	 cout << endl;
	 cin >> file;
	 infile.open(file);
 }

Consider a do-while loop, that's the kind of situation they're meant for. (Unless you want a different message each time, I suppose.)

Finally, there's no need to make all of your variables global.

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