array of structures help!

I am writing a small program which contains an array of structures, when the program is run it will save the data from the array of structures onto disk in a binary file, this bin file will also be available for reading by the user. I know all this uses the fwrite and the fread functions, but I am having problems getting to grips with this. Could someone please give me a small example. Here is my array of structures:

Code:

---

#include<stdio.h>

struct data{

char product[25];
int amount;
float cal;

};

struct data plan[500];

int main()
{

/*code....*/
}

---

writing

Code:

---

struct data plan[500];
FILE *fp = fopen("output.dat", "wb");
fwrite(plan, 1, sizeof(struct data) * 500, fp);

---

reading

Code:

---

struct data plan[500];
FILE *fp = fopen("output.dat", "rb");
fread (plan, 1, sizeof(struct data) * 500, fp);

---

Thankyou very much Brian for your quick response, thats exactly what I wanted, I will check it out.

Also one more question, how would I set a value to an individual variable. for instance - set the value of product to "apples" in the 25th structure. (set values before runtime)

Be aware that this method of writing/reading would not work if your struct contained any pointers to dynamically allocated memory since the write/read would only be writing/reading a memory address and not the data pointed to by the pointers. You're OK since you don't have any of that but I just wanted you to be aware of that in the future.

Thankyou hk_mp5pdw I will bear that in mind. can you tell me how to set a value as described above. Ive been trying the code below but to no avail.

plan[1].product = "apples";

Is this wrong all together or am I writing this in the wrong part of the code??

Code:

---

strcpy(plan[1].product, "apples");

---

Thankyou itsme86. And thankyou to everyone else, a very productive team of members on this board.

Code:

---

#include<stdio.h>


struct data{

char product[25];
int amount;
float cal;

};

struct data plan[500];

int main()
{
strcpy(plan[1].product, "apples");

printf("testing"):


}

---

Still wont compile, even if i pass the value before main{
any suggestions?

OK Ive realised what I was doing wrong now, I had to include the windows.h header, now its fine. Thankyou.

Code:

---

printf("testing"):

---

You have a : instead of a ;

Yes and also to change the : to ;. Thankyou itsme86.

You also have no gurantee of being able to read the structures back in if you compile the program on another compiler and try to read it back (or even on another version of the compiler).