output format: screen vs .txt

another n00b question -

How do you you get your .txt file output to match the screen? I'm getting the hang of creating presentable output but when I save it to a text file it's all out of whack.

Is it just fonts? Anybody know what the default fonts are in a console app?

Thanks -

JM

(Oh yeah, running XP pro, Dev-C++, opening .txt files in Notepad)

It should look pretty much the same in Notepad, since Notepad uses a fixed-width font like the console does. Can you give an example of the output (in code tags) that doesn't look right?

Code:

---

Rusty Shackleford
Gross Amount: ................ $ 3575.00
Federal Tax: ................. $  536.25
State Tax: ................... $  125.13
Social Security Tax: ......... $  205.56
Medicare/Medicaid Tax: ....... $  98.31
Pension Plan: ................ $  178.75
Health Insurance: ............ $  75.00
Net Pay: ..................... $ 1137.00

---

On the screen this lays out in nice straight columns.

(Edit - as you can see, but in Notepad it looks crappy!)

Looks fine in Notepad for me. Are the '.'s actually periods, or are they spaces or tabs? Did you copy and paste that output from the console or from the text file? Are you sure you're not accidentally using Wordpad?

Make sure you are using a fixed-width font
Courier
Courier New
for example.

That was cut/pasted from the .txt file, and the '.'s are periods. I'm opening it in Notepad, and I'm using whatever the default fonts are.

This is an exercise from "C++ Programming" by D.S. Malik - it's early in the book so there are no loops or functions.

Code:

---

#include<iostream>
#include<fstream>
#include<iomanip>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    const int Fed = 15, PP = 5;
    const double State = 3.5, SS = 5.75, MM = 2.75, Health = 75;
    double Gross, Temp, Net;
    string Name;
    const int c1=30, c2 = 8;
   
    ofstream outFile;
   
    outFile.open("E:\\paycheck.txt");
   
    cout<<"Please enter your name: ";
    getline(cin,Name);
    cout<<"and your gross pay: ";
    cin>>Gross;
    cout<<endl;
    Net = Gross;
   
    cout<<Name<<endl;
    cout.fill('.');
    cout<<fixed<<showpoint<<setprecision(2);
    cout<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Gross Amount: "<<" $";
    cout.fill(' ');
    cout<<right<<setw(c2)<<Gross<<endl;
   
    Temp = Gross*Fed/100;
    Net=Net-Temp;
    cout.fill('.');
    cout<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Federal Tax: "<<" $";
    cout.fill(' ');
    cout<<right<<setw(c2)<<Temp<<endl;
   
    Temp = Gross*State/100;
    Net=Net-Temp;
    cout.fill('.');
    cout<<left<<setw(c1)<<"State Tax: "<<" $";
    cout.fill(' ');
    cout<<right<<setw(c2)<<Temp<<endl;
   
    Temp = Gross......../100;
    Net=Net-Temp;
    cout.fill('.');
    cout<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Social Security Tax: "<<" $";
    cout.fill(' ');cout.fill(' ');
    cout<<right<<setw(c2)<<Temp<<endl;
   
    Temp = Gross*MM/100;
    Net=Net-Temp;
    cout.fill('.');
    cout<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Medicare/Medicaid Tax: "<<" $";
    cout.fill(' ');
    cout<<right<<setw(c2)<<Temp<<endl;
   
    Temp = Gross*PP/100;
    Net=Net-Temp;
    cout.fill('.');
    cout<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Pension Plan: "<<" $";
    cout.fill(' ');
    cout<<right<<setw(c2)<<Temp<<endl;
   
    Net=Net-Health;
    cout.fill('.');
    cout<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Health Insurance: "<<" $";
    cout.fill(' ');
    cout<<right<<setw(c2)<<Health<<endl;
   
    cout.fill('.');
    cout<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Net Pay: "<<" $";
    cout.fill(' ');
    cout<<right<<setw(c2)<<Net<<endl;
   
    // Here's the outFile part
   
    outFile<<Name<<endl;
    outFile.fill('.');
    outFile<<fixed<<showpoint<<setprecision(2);
    outFile<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Gross Amount: "<<" $";
    outFile.fill(' ');
    outFile<<right<<setw(c2)<<Gross<<endl;
   
    Temp = Gross*Fed/100;
    Net=Net-Temp;
    outFile.fill('.');
    outFile<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Federal Tax: "<<" $";
    outFile.fill(' ');
    outFile<<right<<setw(c2)<<Temp<<endl;
   
    Temp = Gross*State/100;
    Net=Net-Temp;
    outFile.fill('.');
    outFile<<left<<setw(c1)<<"State Tax: "<<" $";
    outFile.fill(' ');
    outFile<<right<<setw(c2)<<Temp<<endl;
   
    Temp = Gross......../100;
    Net=Net-Temp;
    outFile.fill('.');
    outFile<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Social Security Tax: "<<" $";
    outFile.fill(' ');cout.fill(' ');
    outFile<<right<<setw(c2)<<Temp<<endl;
   
    Temp = Gross*MM/100;
    Net=Net-Temp;
    outFile.fill('.');
    outFile<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Medicare/Medicaid Tax: "<<" $";
    outFile.fill(' ');
    outFile<<right<<setw(c2)<<Temp<<endl;
   
    Temp = Gross*PP/100;
    Net=Net-Temp;
    outFile.fill('.');
    outFile<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Pension Plan: "<<" $";
    outFile.fill(' ');
    outFile<<right<<setw(c2)<<Temp<<endl;
   
    Net=Net-Health;
    outFile.fill('.');
    outFile<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Health Insurance: "<<" $";
    outFile.fill(' ');
    outFile<<right<<setw(c2)<<Health<<endl;
   
    outFile.fill('.');
    outFile<<left<<setw(c1)<<"Net Pay: "<<" $";
    outFile.fill(' ');
    outFile<<right<<setw(c2)<<Net<<endl;
   
    outFile.close();
   
    cin.ignore();
    cin.get();
   
    return 0;
}

---

Sounds like you aren't using a fixed-width font for notepad. Did you try (in notepad's menu) Format->Font... then choose "Lucida Console" (that's what mine is set to, at least)

Well there we go - thanks!