Thread: Console window waiting on cin.ignore() or cin.ignore(2)

  1. #1
    C++ SharK The SharK's Avatar
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    Console window waiting on cin.ignore() or cin.ignore(2)

    Why is it, that you have to use two lines like:

    cin.ignore;
    cin.ignore;

    or one time:

    cin.ignore(2);

    to make the console window wait for a keypress.

    One cin.ignore, doesn't seem to do the work

    Code:
    /**************************************************************
     * This program sums the numbers in a user-specified range,   *
     * omitting the if test that sets the upper and lower bounds. *
     **************************************************************/
    
    #include <iostream>
    
    using std::cin;
    using std::cout;
    using std::endl;
    
    int main()
    {
    	int Num_1;
    	int Num_2;
    	int Num_one = 0;
    	int Num_two = 0;
    	int Range = 0;
    
    	cout << "Exercise 1.20:" << endl << endl;
    	cout << "Enter two numbers !" << endl << endl;
    	cout << "Enter number one: ";
    	cin >> Num_one;
    	Num_1 = Num_one;
    	cout << "Enter number two: ";
    	cin >> Num_two;
    	Num_2 = Num_two;
    
    	if ( Num_1 < Num_2 )
    		for ( Num_one = Num_one ; Num_one <= Num_two ; ++Num_one  )
    		{
    			Range += Num_one;
    
    			if ( Num_one >= Num_two )
    			{
    				cout << endl << "The sum of all numbers from " << Num_1
    				     << " to " << Num_2 << " is: " << Range << endl;
    			}
    		}
    
    //	else if ( Num_one > Num_two )   // This works, but I "haven't learned" this
    									// technique yet...
    	if ( Num_1 >= Num_2 )
    		for ( Num_two = Num_two ; Num_two <= Num_one ; ++Num_two  )
    		{
    			Range += Num_two;
    
    			if ( Num_one <= Num_two )
    			{
    				cout << endl << "The sum of all numbers from " << Num_1
    					 << " to " << Num_2 << " is: " << Range << endl;
    			}
    		}
    
    	cout << endl << "Press [Enter] to exit... ;-)" << endl;
    	cin.ignore(2);	// To make the console window, wait for a keypress !
    	
    	return 0;
    }
    Last edited by The SharK; 07-16-2006 at 08:50 AM.
    Studying programming languages,
    you'll ALWAYS be a student ;-)

  2. #2
    The Richness... Richie T's Avatar
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    Ireland
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    You typically don't use a cin.ignore to wait for a key press - you
    use cin.get. The thing is, when you read in a value using
    cin >> variable, say an int, when you press the enter key, the
    enter key is left in the input buffer. The call to cin.ignore just
    reads that value and discards it - if you use cin.ignore (2), and
    there is only one character in the buffer, it'll wait for another
    character (newline I mean) - thats's why you need cin.ignore (2).
    Since there is typically only one newline in the buffer, the usual
    format is:

    Code:
    //body of program
    
    .
    .
    .
    
    cin.ignore ();
    cin.get ();
    No No's:
    fflush (stdin); gets (); void main ();


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    Example of fgets (); The FAQ, C/C++ Reference


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    OS - Windows XP
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  3. #3
    C++ SharK The SharK's Avatar
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    Hi Richie T


    Oh, I see !

    So I'll use:
    Code:
    cin.ignore();
    cin.get();
    To make my program discard the "Enter" keypress, and
    then use cin.get() to wait for the new keypress "Enter/newline"
    Studying programming languages,
    you'll ALWAYS be a student ;-)

  4. #4
    Frequently Quite Prolix dwks's Avatar
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    dwk

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