Command line arguments and file redirection

Does any one know about any example of file redirection by using command line arguments such as:

int main (int argc, char *argv[])
{

..........

}

I wrote a program that reads from a file by using
the above structure but when I am running I run this way:

<progname> file.txt

file.txt is a file to be read from as an input to the program and my program outputs to the screen.

but what I have been asked in an assignment is like this when running on the console:

<program name> file1.txt > file2.txt.

if anyone has any example somewhere or how to implement please your help is needed

thanks in advance.

By abdi

What behavior is the program supposed to have when this occurs?



"but what I have been asked in an assignment is like this when running on the console:

<program name> file1.txt > file2.txt. "

>>What behavior is the program supposed to have when this occurs?

methinks, to read from file1 and write into file2...


if thats what you want then you should try the following steps

1. check if argc == 3
2. check if argv[2] == '>'
3. check if argv[1] ie file1.txt exists or not
4. if exists read from it and write using fstream.h

You can handle this rather easily if you treat cout as a generic std::ofstream&.

IE

Code:

---


#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
  std::ostream& outStream = std::cout;
  std::istream in;
  std::ofstream outFile;
  // handle args
  if (/* output redirection needed */) {
      outFile.open(/* appropriate name */);
      outStream = outFile;
  }
  // else outStream will still be cout
  // output stuff through outStream
}

---

This way, you don't have to write two different methods for when you are using different output streams.