File I/O not working correctly

my WriteEntries function is not working... this snippet of code creates the file properly, but when i want to write the strings to the file... it does not work... anyone know why?

Code:

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/*********************/
/**** MCreateFile ****/
/*********************/
void MCreateFile()
{
    Phonebook pbEntry;
       
    string filename;
    string directory = "Data/";
    string dirfile;
   
    CLEARSCREEN;
   
    cout<<"\n\t\t\tPlease enter the filename: ";
    cin>>filename;
    filename.append(".txt");
   
    dirfile=directory+filename;
   
    ifstream testFile;
    testFile.open(dirfile.c_str(), ios::in);
   
    fstream File(dirfile.c_str(), ios::out);
   
    if(testFile.good())
    {
      testFile.close();
     
      int samefile;
     
      cout<<"\n    "<<setfill('=')<<setw(70)<<"=";
      cout<<"\n    | There is a file at the current save location with the same name... |";
      cout<<"\n    "<<setfill('=')<<setw(70)<<"="<<endl;
      cout<<"\n\t\t\t  <1>Overwrite";
      cout<<"\n\t\t\t  <2>Rename Current File";
      cout<<"\n\t\t\t  <3>Quit";       
      cout<<"\n\t\t\t  ->: ";       
      cin>>samefile;
      switch(samefile)
      {
                      case 1:
                            File.open(dirfile.c_str(), ios::out|ios::trunc);
                            File.close();
                            break;
                      case 2:
                            filename.clear();
                            cout<<"\n\t\t\tNew File Name: ";
                            cin>>filename;
                            filename.append(".txt");
                            break;
                      case 3:
                            return;
                            break;
                      default:
                              cout<<"\n\t\t\tNot a valid entry!";
                              cout<<"\n\t\t\t  ->: ";
      }
    }
   
    dirfile=directory+filename;
    File.open(dirfile.c_str(), ios::out);     
    if(File.bad())
    {
                cout<<"\t\t\tFile could not be created!";
                return;
    }
    else
    {
        cout<<"\n\t\t\t  \'"<<filename<<"\' was created!!"<<endl<<endl;
        cin.ignore();
        cin.get();
        CLEARSCREEN;
    }
   
    int entrymenu;
    bool done=false;
   
    pbEntry.GetEntries(File);
   
    while(done==false)
    {
    cout<<setfill('-')<<setw(80)<<"-";
    cout<<"\t\t\t\t    "<<filename<<endl;
    cout<<setfill('-')<<setw(80)<<"-";
   
    pbEntry.DisplayEntries();
   
    cout<<"\t\t\t\t-(1)Add Entry"<<endl;
    cout<<"\t\t\t\t-(2)Delete Entry"<<endl;
    cout<<"\t\t\t\t-(3)Edit Entry"<<endl;
    cout<<"\t\t\t\t-(4)Save"<<endl;
    cout<<"\t\t\t\t-(5)Quit"<<endl;
    cout<<"\t\t\t\t->: ";
    cin>>entrymenu;
    switch(entrymenu)
    {
                    case 1:
                          pbEntry.Add();
                          break;
                    case 2:
                          pbEntry.Delete();
                          break;
                    case 3:
                          pbEntry.Edit();
                          break;
                    case 4:
                          pbEntry.WriteEntries(File);
                          CLEARSCREEN;
                          break;
                    case 5:
                          done=true;
                          File.close();
                          return;
                          break;
                    default:
                            cout<<"\t\t\tNot Valid!";
                            CLEARSCREEN;
    }
    }
}

---

Code:

---

/*********************************/
/**** Phonebook::WriteEntries ****/
/*********************************/
void Phonebook::WriteEntries(fstream &fFile)
{
          cout<<"DEBUG2";  // Seeing if the program ever makes it to this function... which it does...
        for(unsigned int i=0;i<vEntries.size();i++)
        {
                fFile<<"\n\t\t\tName\t\t\t:"<<vEntries[i].name;
                fFile<<"\n\t\t\tCell Phone Number\t:"<<vEntries[i].cnumber;
                fFile<<"\n\t\t\tHome Phone Number\t:"<<vEntries[i].hnumber;
                fFile<<"\n\t\t\tAddress\t\t:"<<vEntries[i].address<<endl<<endl;
        }
}

---

I would avoid associating File with a file until I was ready to use File as I'm not sure if a file can be associated with more than one stream at a time.

If that didn't fix the problem I would want to know what happens to File in

pbEntry.GetEntries(File);

In particular, if File is closed/dissociated from the file in

pbEntry.GetEntries(File);

then it won't be available for use in

pbEntry.WriteEntries(File);

without reassociation/reopening the file.

If you want to use two different fstream objects, then use ifstream for the input stream and ofstream for the output stream. Otherwise you can do both input and output with just one fstream object.

Quote:

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I would avoid associating File with a file until I was ready to use File as I'm not sure if a file can be associated with more than one stream at a time.

---

Yea, I had it like this before... where the initial file isn't used till later...I'll change it back.

Code:

---

/*******************************/
/**** Phonebook::GetEntries ****/
/*******************************/
void Phonebook::GetEntries(fstream &fFile)
{
    string heading;
    Entry temp;
   
    if(fFile.peek()=='\0')
    {
                    return;
    }
    else
    {
        while(getline(fFile,heading,':'))
        {
                  getline(fFile,temp.name);
                 
                  getline(fFile,heading,':');
                  getline(fFile,temp.cnumber);
                 
                  getline(fFile,heading,':');
                  getline(fFile,temp.hnumber);
                 
                  getline(fFile,heading,':');
                  getline(fFile,temp.address);
                 
                  vEntries.push_back(temp);
        }                 
      }
}

---

Notice: This file input works without flaws...

I FOUND MY PROBLEM!!! Woot....
i commented out the GetEntries... and my debugging labels worked...

Code:

---

/*********************/
/**** MCreateFile ****/
/*********************/
void MCreateFile()
{
    Phonebook pbEntry;
       
    string filename;
    string directory = "Data/";
    string dirfile;
   
    CLEARSCREEN;
   
    cout<<"\n\t\t\tPlease enter the filename: ";
    cin>>filename;
    filename.append(".txt");
   
    dirfile=directory+filename;
   
    ifstream testFile;
    testFile.open(dirfile.c_str(), ios_base::in);
   
    fstream File("hello.txt", ios_base::out);
    File<<"debug1 ";                        // DEBUG 1
   
    ofstream exFile("debug.txt", ios_base::out);
   
    if(testFile.good())
    {
      testFile.close();
     
      int samefile;
     
      cout<<"\n    "<<setfill('=')<<setw(70)<<"=";
      cout<<"\n    | There is a file at the current save location with the same name... |";
      cout<<"\n    "<<setfill('=')<<setw(70)<<"="<<endl;
      cout<<"\n\t\t\t  <1>Overwrite";
      cout<<"\n\t\t\t  <2>Rename Current File";
      cout<<"\n\t\t\t  <3>Quit";       
      cout<<"\n\t\t\t  ->: ";       
      cin>>samefile;
      switch(samefile)
      {
                      case 1:
                            //File.open(dirfile.c_str(), ios::out|ios::trunc);
                            //File.close();
                            break;
                      case 2:
                            filename.clear();
                            cout<<"\n\t\t\tNew File Name: ";
                            cin>>filename;
                            filename.append(".txt");
                            break;
                      case 3:
                            return;
                            break;
                      default:
                              cout<<"\n\t\t\tNot a valid entry!";
                              cout<<"\n\t\t\t  ->: ";
      }
    }
   
    dirfile=directory+filename;
    //File.open("hello.txt", ios_base::out);     
    if(File.bad())
    {
                cout<<"\t\t\tFile could not be created!";
                return;
    }
    else
    {
        cout<<"\n\t\t\t  \'"<<filename<<"\' was created!!"<<endl<<endl;
        cin.ignore();
        cin.get();
        CLEARSCREEN;
    }
   
    int entrymenu;
    bool done=false;
   
    File<<"debug2 ";                        // DEBUG 2
   
    //pbEntry.GetEntries(File);
   
    File<<"debug3 ";                        // DEBUG 3
   
    while(done==false)
    {
      cout<<setfill('-')<<setw(80)<<"-";
      cout<<"\t\t\t\t    "<<filename<<endl;
      cout<<setfill('-')<<setw(80)<<"-";
   
      File<<"debug4 ";                      // DEBUG 4
   
      pbEntry.DisplayEntries();
   
      File<<"debug5 ";                      // DEBUG 5
   
      cout<<"\t\t\t\t-(1)Add Entry"<<endl;
      cout<<"\t\t\t\t-(2)Delete Entry"<<endl;
      cout<<"\t\t\t\t-(3)Edit Entry"<<endl;
      cout<<"\t\t\t\t-(4)Save"<<endl;
      cout<<"\t\t\t\t-(5)Quit"<<endl;
      cout<<"\t\t\t\t->: ";
      cin>>entrymenu;
      switch(entrymenu)
      {
                      case 1:
                            pbEntry.Add();
                            break;
                      case 2:
                            pbEntry.Delete();
                            break;
                      case 3:
                            pbEntry.Edit();
                            break;
                      case 4:
                            pbEntry.WriteEntries(File);
                            CLEARSCREEN;
                            break;
                      case 5:
                            File<<"debug6 ";            // DEBUG 6
                            done=true;
                            File.close();
                            return;
                            break;
                      default:
                              cout<<"\t\t\tNot Valid!";
                              CLEARSCREEN;
      }
    }
}

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I figured out what was happening... I was using the File to input without ever changing the fstream openmode to ios_base::in instead of ios_base :: out!!

Here is the text in my file debug.txt...

Code:

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debug1 debug2 debug3 debug4 debug5 debug6

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