Thread: Dealing with files thru FILE *

After doing some reading on FILE data type I decided to practice, I came up with this little program that reads any part of any file:

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <stdio.h>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    FILE * file;
    char * file_name = new char[255];
    int read_from, lenght, file_size;
    char * output;

    cout << "What file do you want to be read? ";
    cin >> file_name;

    if(!(file = fopen(file_name, "r+")))
    {
        cout << "Could not open file.";
        return 0;
    }

    fseek(file, 0, SEEK_END);
    file_size = ftell(file);
    rewind(file);

    cout << "File " << file_name << "(" << file_size << "bytes) sucessfully opened.\n\n";

    cout << "Read from offset: ";
    cin >> read_from;

    fseek(file, read_from, SEEK_SET);

    if(read_from > file_size)
    {
        cout << "Given file does not reach that far!\n";
        return 0;
    }

    cout << "How many bytes to be read? ";
    cin >> lenght;

    if((read_from + lenght) > file_size)
    {
        cout << "Given file does not reach that far!\n";
        return 0;
    }

    output = new char[lenght];

    for(int x = 0; x < lenght; x++)
    {
        output[x] = getc(file);
    }

    cout << "Output: " << output;
    return 0;
}

I'd like some suggestions, critics, tips on how to make my code better.

First, decide whether you want to program in C or C++.

You mean, using FILE data type instead of fstream class?

> output = new char[lenght];
You also need to
- allocate space for a \0
- actually append a \0 to make it a proper string

So instead of "new char[lenght]", I would have to use something like "new char[lenght + 1]", since '\0' takes 1 byte, correct?

And for both new calls, a corresponding delete call.

Doesn't the program free memory after it's done?