Thread: getting input to work

Hi befor you start flaming me about my other one, for some reason it doesnt work at all, not my fult, but I need help on my code a little. I want it to ask what the file the user want to name the txt file, but I cant get that half to work right for some reason.

Code:

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

int main ()
{
    char infor [1000];
    char name [100];
    
  cout<<"What is the name of the file? ";
  cin.getline (name,100);
  ofstream myfile;
  myfile.open ("name.txt"); //<~~here
  cout<<"Please enter what to save: ";
  cin.getline (infor,1000);
  myfile << infor;
  myfile.close();
  return 0;
}

I know I need the input but I never had to put something behind it from my work with input. This is not homework btw, i'm just trying out new codes.

First of all, it's okay to ask homework questions as long as we're not doing your homework for you. If you provide code of what you've tried before and ask a reasonable question, that's totally fine.

Your problem is that when you supply "name.txt" as the argument to open(), you're telling it to open a file that is literally called "name.txt". You want it to open a file, the name of which is stored in the name variable. So instead of a string literal, you want to pass the string name as the parameter instead.

Code:

myfile.open(name);

Your user will have to type the .txt in themselves. If you'd like your program to do it for them, you can add it with the strcat() function found in <cstring>. You should know that using arrays of chars is considered the C method for working with strings. If this is what you're learning in your book or class, that's totally fine, but be aware that other C++ users may be using the string class, which can be declared just like any other kind of variable. Ex.:

Code:

string my_string = "Some text";

If you are just learning this on your own, you should really learn the C++ string class and use that for your programs. The strcat function and C style strings (that you were using before) are easier to mess up and less intuitive than the C++ string class. IMO you should look at C++ strings instead of strcat.

Oh I am, np on that, I was just a little lost on it. I am looking at it right now on cprogramming/tutorial. Thanks tho, like I said its hard to understand sometimes on what I look at. I just learn new stuff that I didnt know so I think I am set on the right track again, WOOT! LOL.

Agreed - the only reason to learn C strings is if you're learning that way in a class, or if you're learning C. Maybe you'd want to learn them just for better understanding of the language, but I'd agree with Daved - you'll find the string class A LOT easier to use.

Yea I'm trying to learn both some what. That way if I see something in c I can know how to change it into c++ and the other way around. Ok i'll take that up with you all.

Just so you know, it should be #include <string> instead of #include <cstring> in that code. It probably works for you because <string> is included by <iostream> or <fstream> with your compiler, but that is just luck and you shouldn't count on it, so go ahead and use <string>. The <cstring> header is not necessary here, it is used for character array manipulation methods that you don't need since you are using C++ strings.

Ok, I didnt know that. Thanks.