Thread: How to write my sorted data to a new file. C++

So, I am trying to create a program to read a file, merge sort, output to a file and time the sorting. I have the code written for loading a file, sorting algorithm (borrowed from online and altered), creating a file all good to go. Unfortunately, what is sorted is not output to the new file. I'm new to C++ and all of this has been difficult, but I'm slowly learning. I know I need to take the sorted elements, increment them, and output to the new file, but can't seem to get it right tonight. I've basically confused myself.
I have several files, problem1.cpp, merge_sort.cpp, and utilities.cpp. (header files and Makefile not included here)
Any help would be appreciated, thanks so much!

problem1.cpp:

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <chrono>
#include "merge_sort.hpp"
#include "utilities.hpp"
using namespace std;


int main(){


cout << "\n========================================";
cout << "\n\n Merge Sort Number Sorting Program...\n\n";
cout << "=======================================\n\n";

  vector <double> input_data = getFile();
  int low = 0, high = (int)input_data.size()-1;

  cout <<"Sorting...\n";

          auto start = chrono::steady_clock::now();

   merge_sort(input_data, low, high);

          auto end = chrono::steady_clock::now();
          auto diff = end - start;

cout << "Sorting completed in " << chrono::duration <double, milli> (diff).count() << endl;

cout << "=======================================\n\n";
cout << "Creating output file, named sorted_numbers.dat\n\n";
   createFile();

/*this is where I run into trouble. Can't seem to figure this out. 
How to get the sorted data into the new file. 
I did this in C, but can't seem to translate it to C++. */

   vector<double> file_output;
   for (i = 0; i < (int)sorted.size(); i++)  {
       new_file << 
   }

=======================================
utilities.cpp: files for loading file and creating new file:

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include "utilities.hpp"
#include <vector>
#include <fstream>


//Get the file
vector <double> getFile() {
    fstream loaded_file;
  vector <double> input_from_file;
    loaded_file.open("unsorted_numbers_short.dat", ios::in);
    if (!loaded_file.is_open()) {
        cout << "File not found!";
    }
    else {


    double temp;


        while (1){
            loaded_file >> temp;
        input_from_file.push_back(temp);


        if(loaded_file.eof())
                break;
        }
        loaded_file.close();
    }
    return input_from_file;
}


void createFile(){
    fstream new_file;
    new_file.open("sorted_numbers.dat", ios::out);
  new_file << "TESTING \n\n";//just testing to see if it works. It does.
    if (!new_file) {
        cout << "File not created!";
    }
    else {
        cout << "File created successfully! \n\n";
    new_file.close();
    }
}

And the final bit of code, the Merge Sort:

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;


void merge(vector<double>, int, int , int );
void merge_sort(vector<double> arr, int low, int high)


//Helper sort for finding middle (from https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/merge-sort/)
{
    int mid;
    if (low < high){
        //divide the array at mid and sort independently using merge sort
        mid=(low+high)/2;
        merge_sort(arr,low,mid);
        merge_sort(arr,mid+1,high);
        //merge or conquer sorted arrays
        merge(arr,low,high,mid);
    }
}
// Merge sort
void merge(vector<double> arr, int low, int high, int mid)
{
    int i, j;
    vector<double> sorted;


    i = low;
    j = mid + 1;
    while (i <= mid && j <= high) {
        if (arr[i] < arr[j]) {
            sorted.push_back(arr[i]);
            i++;
        }
        else  {
            sorted.push_back(arr[j]);
            j++;
        }
    }
    while (i <= mid) {
        sorted.push_back(arr[i]);
        i++;
    }
    while (j <= high) {
        sorted.push_back(arr[j]);
        j++;
    }
    for (i = 0; i < (int)sorted.size(); i++)  {
        arr[i + low] = sorted[i];
    }
}

Originally Posted by Salem

Code:

void createFile(){
    fstream new_file;
    new_file.open("sorted_numbers.dat", ios::out);
  new_file << "TESTING \n\n";//just testing to see if it works. It does.
    if (!new_file) {
        cout << "File not created!";
    }
    else {
        cout << "File created successfully! \n\n";
    new_file.close();
    }
}

OK, you literally create the file and then immediately close it again.

You need to return an opened file object back to main, so you can use it with your << operators to output data to the file.

Well, that was dumb of me. I'm trying to code while sick with the flu. Ok, so that solves part of the problem. The file I'm trying to sort has several hundred numbers in it. I need to output the sorted dat to the file and THEN close it.
I have this so far (in int main()) and I know it's not right, but I'm going cross-eyed at this point.

Code:

   createFile(input_data);

   int i;
   for (i = 0; i < (int)sorted.size()-1; i++)  {
       new_file << input_data << " ";
   }

Yor getFile could be simpler.

Code:

vector<double> getFile() {
  vector<double> input_from_file;
  fstream loaded_file("unsorted_numbers_short.dat");
  if (!loaded_file) {
    cout << "File not found!";
    return input_from_file;
  }
  double temp;
  while (loaded_file >> temp)
    input_from_file.push_back(temp);

  return input_from_file;
}

Originally Posted by Salem

Without all the createfile complication, which doesn't seem to add any value...

This goes in main

Code:

   fstream new_file.open("sorted_numbers.dat", ios::out);
   for (i = 0; i < (int)sorted.size(); i++)  {
       new_file << sorted[i] << endl;
   }

Thank you! This helped a lot. My merge code wasn't working properly, but once I got that working and I updated the main with your suggestion it worked!

Originally Posted by thmm

Yor getFile could be simpler.

Code:

vector<double> getFile() {
  vector<double> input_from_file;
  fstream loaded_file("unsorted_numbers_short.dat");
  if (!loaded_file) {
    cout << "File not found!";
    return input_from_file;
  }
  double temp;
  while (loaded_file >> temp)
    input_from_file.push_back(temp);

  return input_from_file;
}

Thank you! This works and looks a lot better than what I had, so I really appreciate it. I had to make changes to the merge code and all is working now, woohoo!