wifstream crashes the program

I am having problem to write a wstring to a file. I have made functions to write and read strings and wstrings but for a reason the I don't know it doesn't work for wstrings.

Here is my header

Code:

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#include <string>
#include <fstream>
#ifndef _FSTRINGSTREAM_H
#define _FSTRINGSTREAM_H
void string_to_file(std::string &s, std::ofstream &fout)
{
    int len = s.length();
    len++;            // You need to write a '\0' at the end of a char*
    fout.write(reinterpret_cast<char *> (&len), sizeof(int));
    fout.write(s.c_str(), len);
}

std::string file_to_string(std::ifstream &fin)
{
    int len;
    fin.read(reinterpret_cast<char *> (&len), sizeof(int));
    char *str_s = new char[len];
    fin.read(str_s, len);
    std::string s = str_s;
    delete str_s;
    return s;
}

void wstring_to_file(std::wstring &w, std::wofstream &wfout)
{
    int len = w.length();
    len++;            // You need to write a '\0' at the end of a wchar_t*
    wfout.write(reinterpret_cast<wchar_t *> (&len), sizeof(int));
    wfout.write(w.c_str(), len);
}

std::wstring file_to_wstring(std::wifstream &wfin)
{
    int len;
    wfin.read(reinterpret_cast<wchar_t *> (&len), sizeof(int));
    wchar_t *str_w = new wchar_t[len];
    wfin.read(str_w, len);
    std::wstring w = str_w;
    delete str_w;
    return w;
}
#endif

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And here is the file I am testing on:

Code:

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#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <fstream>
#ifndef _FSTRINGSTREAM_H
#include "fstringstream.h"
#endif
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    wofstream fout("testfile.dat");
    if ( !fout.is_open() )
    {
        cerr << "ERROR: can't open file";
        exit(1);
    }
   
    wstring s = L"test";
    wstring_to_file(s, fout);
    fout.close();
   
    wifstream fin("testfile.dat");
    if ( !fin.is_open() )
    {
        cerr << "ERROR: can't open file";
        exit(1);
    }
   
    s = file_to_wstring(fin);
    fin.close();
    wcout << s;
   
    return 0;
}

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The program gets compiled without problems with Borland C++ compiler 5.5.1 but if I run the program, I get the text "Abnormal program termination". The first time I run the program (and the first time after restarting the computer) Windows gives me the message that there is not enough virtual memory available.

Code:

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    wfout.write(reinterpret_cast<wchar_t *> (&len), sizeof(int));

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I don't think that's a good idea.
wchar_t is 2 bytes, and you pass in a buffer size of 4 bytes! So the actual buffer length is actually 8 bytes, more than the number of bytes occupied by your integer.
That means you're writing the len value + 4 undefined bytes which you read back later and get an undefined size.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Elysia

I don't think that's a good idea.
wchar_t is TWO bytes, and you pass in a buffer size of 4 bytes!
That means you're writing the len value + 2 undefined bytes which you read back later and get an undefined size.

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??
Think about it again. The cast is only there because write just wants a char* / wchar_t*.
Kurt

He's not writing a wchar_t. He's casting it to a wchar_t *. That could very well still be 4 bytes on a 32-bit machine. It's still wrong, of course.

Edit: Actually no, I don't think it's wrong per se. Just convoluted because of how the write() function is. To make it better perhaps he should be writing sizeof() with the variable name instead of the type (ie. sizeof(len) vs sizeof(int). That might help make it a little more obvious.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MacGyver

It's still wrong, of course.

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Don't understand that. He's writing 4 bytes of length. Propably 2 or 3 0-bytes but they are there in an int.

Kurt

It turns out wrong, as in this example:

Code:

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int GetLength(wchar_t* p, int BufSize)
{
        wchar_t* pBuffer;
        pBuffer = new wchar_t[BufSize];
        for (int i = 0; i < BufSize; i++)
                pBuffer[i] = p[i];
        int nReturn;
        for (int i = 0; i < BufSize; i++)
                nReturn += p[i] << i * 8;
        delete [] pBuffer;
        return nReturn;
}

void Help()
{
        int len = 100;
        int newlen = GetLength((wchar_t*)&len, sizeof(int));
}

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Unless write() casts that wchar_t* to a char* internally, it will write 4 more bytes than it should. Thus an undefined value is written and read back.
Since wchar_t is two bytes, the buffer size is supposed to be 2. The first element gets bytes 1 & 2 and writes them successfully to the buffer. The second takes 3 & 4 and does the same.
But wait... an int is only 4 bytes! So when the loop comes on the 3rd (bytes 5 & 6) and 4th (bytes 7 & 8) run, it will read junk and store into the buffer.

Yeah, I edited my post. I was thinking something else. It's not actually wrong at all.

Maybe it is because of my bad English but I don't still understand how I must solve the problem and I don't understand the problem itself very well (why does the write function for the normal string work after looking on what you have wrote). I also don't understand what your doing in the second for-statement.

> wchar_t *str_w = new wchar_t[len];
> wfin.read(str_w, len);
> std::wstring w = str_w;
> delete str_w;
1. does len represent the number of bytes (which read will need), or the number of wchar's (which new will need) ?
2. The assignment will fail, because there is no \0 at the end. That is, unless you always write a \0 and include that in your count when you write the file.
3. The delete needs to be delete [ ] str_w. If you use [ ] on the new, then you must use [ ] on the delete.

The easiest fix is to make this:

Code:

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wfout.write(reinterpret_cast<wchar_t *> (&len), sizeof(int));

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Into this:

Code:

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wfout.write(reinterpret_cast<wchar_t *> (&len), sizeof(int) / sizeof(wchar_t));

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And this:

Code:

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wfin.read(reinterpret_cast<wchar_t *> (&len), sizeof(int));

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Into this:

Code:

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wfin.read(reinterpret_cast<wchar_t *> (&len), sizeof(int) / sizeof(wchar_t));

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The problem lies in that write take a wchar_t* pointer, which is 2 bytes. 2 bytes for each index. So:

Code:

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const wchar_t* my_str = L"My string";
my_str[0]; // Represents bytes 1 & 2.
my_str[1]; // Represents bytes 3 & 4.

const char* my_str = "My string";
my_str2[0]; // Represents byte 1
my_str2[1]: // Represents byte 2.

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The write function writes the number of elements that you specify in the size parameter.
Thus, it writes index 0, 1, 2 and 3. Bytes 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6, 7 & 8. But an int is only 4 bytes long, so the range bytes 5-8 is not part of your int and is something else.

Does this make sense?

1. len is the number of wchar's. I have replaced wfin.read(str_w, len) by wfin.read(str_w, len*sizeof(wchar_t)); and the same for wfout.read(...);
2. This will not fail because there is a statement len++ for the '\0';
3. Your right that I have forgotten [] on the delete.

But the program still returns "Abnormal program termination".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wicket

1. len is the number of wchar's. I have replaced wfin.read(str_w, len) by wfin.read(str_w, len*sizeof(wchar_t)); and the same for wfout.read(...);

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This is not right.
It should be:

Code:

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wfin.read(str_w, len) by wfin.read(str_w, len / sizeof(wchar_t));

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For both read and write. Think a moment what you're doing.

sizeof(int) is presumably 4 bytes (it is on 32-bit system), so let's assume it's 4 bytes. Then you do * sizeof(wchar_t) which is 2, that makes it 8! And then the write tries to write 8 indexes, thus writing 8 * 2 = 16 bytes. That's a lot more than those 4 bytes of your len variable.

But if you it the other way... sizeof(int) = 4 / sizeof(wchar_t) = 2 = 7 / 2 = 2. So 2 indexes á 2 bytes = 2 * 2 = 4 bytes. So it writes 4 bytes total, the exact amount of bytes that your len variable is.

Yes, the functions are working good and I am understanding it better. There is something in testfile.dat.

I have only the problem left that the program doesn't crash if I remove the line wcout << s; on the end of main().

Writing binary data using the wide streams is simply wrong, end of story. Use the narrow streams if you want to deal in binary data.

Translation:
Don't write binary data using std::wofstream, use std::ofstream.

> 2. This will not fail because there is a statement len++ for the '\0';
Except by doing so, you step off the end of the memory you allocated, write a \0 into someone else's memory, then get abnormal program termination.

You need to allocate len+1 slots if you want to read len items, then append a \0.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Salem

Except by doing so, you step off the end of the memory you allocated, write a \0 into someone else's memory, then get abnormal program termination.

You need to allocate len+1 slots if you want to read len items, then append a \0.

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What do you mean that I am writing outside my memory. I can't see it in the code. After len++ I allocate memory: len-1 for all tokens and the last one for '\0'. I don't see that I am writing '\0' in someone's else's memory.

And why is the program writing binary data, I have never declared ios_base::bin

read() and write() are for dealing in binary data, or bulk characters. But since you're casting, you don't have characters ready in the proper form, so it must be binary data.

> What do you mean that I am writing outside my memory.

Code:

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int len = 10;
char *array = new char[len];
read( array, len );  // reads len chars, the array is full, no room for a \0
len++;
array[len] = '\0';  // oops, you lose, but maybe not immediately...

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You might seem to get lucky on a few attempts, but sooner or later, this kind of code will cause a crash.

And how must I fix it, or is there a easier way to write and read wstrings and strings to a file?

Must I use operator<< and operator>>?

Well if you allocated len+1, then read len, that might be a start.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wicket

And how must I fix it, or is there a easier way to write and read wstrings and strings to a file?

Must I use operator<< and operator>>?

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I already told you a solution, and so did CornedBee:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CornedBee

Writing binary data using the wide streams is simply wrong, end of story. Use the narrow streams if you want to deal in binary data.

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And operators << and >> are strictly for text and not for binary.
But also try to fix the len problem as Salem mentions.

At last, it is working.

Thanks everyone, not only for the functions to get working but also to understand some more things.