Thread: reading files

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    89

    reading files

    i want to open a wav file but it does not work this way. why?

    #include<fstream.h>

    void main()
    {
    unsigned long x;
    ifstream file1("sourcepathstring");
    ofstream file2("targetpathstring");

    while(!file1.eof())
    {
    file1>>x;
    cout<<x<<endl;
    file2<<x<<endl;
    }
    file1.close();
    file2.close();
    }

    it is not working this way? why?
    if i have char instead of unsigned long it runs when i convert from
    char to ASCII number, but this way i am loosing data, also i want
    to know WHY it is not working.
    thanks
    behold the faithless one and his angel

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    89
    sorry, this is the correct prog.

    #include<fstream.h>

    void main()
    {
    unsigned long x;
    ifstream file1("sourcepathstring",ios::binary);
    ofstream file2("targetpathstring",ios::binary);

    while(!file1.eof())
    {
    file1>>x;
    cout<<x<<endl;
    file2<<x<<endl;
    }
    file1.close();
    file2.close();
    }
    behold the faithless one and his angel

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    89
    sorry again
    when i say it is not working i mean that i have only "0" in the
    screen.
    behold the faithless one and his angel

  4. #4
    of Zen Hall zen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    1,007
    If you want to read and write binary files you should use the read and write member functions -

    Code:
    #include <fstream>
    #include <iostream>
    
    using namespace std; 
    
    int main() 
    { 
        unsigned long x; 
        ifstream file1("sourcepathstring",ios::binary);
        ofstream file2("targetpathstring",ios::binary); 
    
        while(!file1.eof()) 
        { 
            file1.read((char*)&x,sizeof(x));
            cout << x<<endl; 
            file2.write((char*)&x,sizeof(x)); 
        } 
    
    
        file1.close(); 
        file2.close(); 
    
    return 0;
    } 

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    89
    Thanks a lot.
    it worked, i did not use the std but it worked
    can you explain to me why the pointer to a char is needed
    in the read and write member function?
    x is a number, not a character...shouldn't it be
    file1.read((unsigned long*)&x,sizeof(x));
    ??
    behold the faithless one and his angel

  6. #6
    of Zen Hall zen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    1,007
    The write and read member functions take a pointer to a char (byte sized variable). Unless you explicitly cast your buffer to a char*, it won't compile. It will then read/write the amount bytes into your buffer that you specify in the second parameter, which in your case is the sizeof a long.

    You wouldn't ever have to do (unsigned long*)&x, if x was an unsigned long, just &x would be sufficient otherwise you are casting a pointer to the type it already is. It would be like doing
    this -

    int a =10;
    (int)a=20; //unecessary a is already an int

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    89
    thanks a lot man.
    behold the faithless one and his angel

  8. #8
    zoo
    Guest
    Here's one way.

    Code:
    #include<stdio.h>
    #include<fstream.h>
    
    int main() 
    {
    unsigned long x;
    remove("targetpathstring");
    ifstream file1("sourcepathstring",ios::binary);
    ofstream file2("targetstring",ios::binary);
    
    while(!file1.eof())
    { 
      file1.read( (unsigned char *) &x,sizeof(unsigned long));
      file2.write( (unsigned char *) &x,file1.gcount());
    }
    file1.close(); 
    file2.close();
    return 0;
    }

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