Thread: Update Records in c++ using Sequential Files

How do i go about updating a specific record in sequential File using a primary key in c++.
I used Inventory number as my primary key..please any assistance?

Code:

int locate[2];
    string fname, lname, add, name, address;
    int num, foundit;
    Customer customer;
    long len;


    ifstream file("Clinic Files.txt", ios::in);
    //len = sizeof(Customer);


    cout << "Enter Inventory number for customer you would like to Update" << endl;
    cin >> locate[0];


    file.seekg(0, ios::beg); //0 bytes from beginning of file(ios::beg) 


    //CHECKS IF USER EXITS IN SYSTEM
    while(file >> locate[1] >> fname >> lname >> num >> address){


        if (locate[0] == locate[1]){
            foundit = 1;
            cout << "Success User was found " << endl;


            cout << "Select the data field you want to change" << endl;
            int findIt = 0;


            cout << "1-Firstname" << endl;
            cout << "2-LastName" << endl;
            cout << "3-Phone Number" << endl;
            cout << "4-Address" << endl;
            cin >> findIt;


            string No, Fname, Lname, Add, Phone;
            // int Phone;
            fstream file("Clinic Files.txt", ios::in | ios::out);


            file >> No >> Fname >> Lname >> Phone >> Add;


            if (findIt == 1){
                int n;
                string a;
                cout << "Enter The Updated Firstname" << endl;
                cin >> a;
                    n = a.size();
                    cout << n;
                    file.seekg(0, ios::beg); //move the put cursor to start of "text"


                for (int i = 0; i<n; i++){
                    file << a;


                }
                file.close();
                break;
                
            }

You've got the same line of code:

Code:

file.seekg(0, ios::beg)

twice with two different comments next to it -- it can't both set the file pointer to the beginning of the file and later set the file pointer to the beginning of the record.

Also, I don't believe that you can count on your second file variable having the same file pointer as the first file variable, even if they are pointing to the same file, so the second file will always be examining the first record in the file.

You don't seem to be making any attempt to make the record format fixed-width; that means any changes that make a field a different size will require rewriting the entirety of the file from that point forward (if you want to edit in-place, so to speak).

I don't know what specifications you need to follow, so I could only give general guidelines. Also, I suspect that you would have to rewrite about 80% of your above code, and I'm not going to write 80% of your assignment.

If you couldn't (or don't want to) do fixed-width records, then you would want to read in the entire file and store it in memory before you start doing any modifications; you can then freely modify your own internal copy and then, when the time comes, write the whole thing back to the file.

how would i go about reading specific line of text from sequential file into memory? thinking about using a char buffer[90];

This is C++. You should be using strings. (Granted if you do use a fixed-width record, you will know what the length is ahead of time, but even so.)