#include <fstream>
#include <string>
using std::string;
using std::getline; /*i need to do this for getline to be recognized...could 
std be the wrong one??*/
 
ifstream ccin;
 
...
 
ccin.open(data.dat);
string str;
getline(ccin,str);//the problem :(
ccin.close();
 
...

ccin.open("data.dat");

// Cust.cpp : Defines the class behaviors for the application.
//
 
#include "stdafx.h"
#include "Cust.h"//this is App's main class declaration file
#include "CustDlg.h"//this is the app's main dialog
 
#include <fstream.h>
#include <string>
#include <cstring>
 
using std::string;i need this or else string is undeclared identifier
using std::endl;
using std::getline;// i need this or else getline is an undeclared identifier
 
 
 
 
#ifdef _DEBUG
#define new DEBUG_NEW
#undef THIS_FILE
static char THIS_FILE[] = __FILE__;
#endif
 
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
// CCustApp
 
BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(CCustApp, CWinApp)
	//{{AFX_MSG_MAP(CCustApp)
		// NOTE - the ClassWizard will add and remove mapping macros here.
		//    DO NOT EDIT what you see in these blocks of generated code!
	//}}AFX_MSG
	ON_COMMAND(ID_HELP, CWinApp::OnHelp)
END_MESSAGE_MAP()
 
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
// CCustApp construction
// 
//
// ********THIS IS WHERE I'm TRYING TO DO THE FILE INPUT********
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
CCustApp::CCustApp()
{
	ifstream ccin;
	for (int a=0;a<10;a++) //set default valuse for all custs struct variables (all are CStrings)
	{
		custs[a].pname="emt";
		custs[a].pname="emt";
		custs[a].padd="emt";
		custs[a].padd2="emt";
		custs[a].pcity="emt";
		custs[a].pstate="emt";
		custs[a].pzip="emt";
		custs[a].pcountry="emt";
		custs[a].pphone="emt";
		custs[a].pemail="emt";
		custs[a].bname="emt";
		custs[a].badd="emt";
		custs[a].badd2="emt";
		custs[a].bcity="emt";
		custs[a].bstate="emt";
		custs[a].bzip="emt";
		custs[a].bcountry="emt";
		custs[a].bphone="emt";
		custs[a].bemail="emt";
		custs[a].sname="emt";
		custs[a].sadd="emt";
		custs[a].sadd2="emt";
		custs[a].scity="emt";
		custs[a].sstate="emt";
		custs[a].szip="emt";
		custs[a].scountry="emt";
		custs[a].sphone="emt";	
	}
 
	ccin.open("data.dat");
 
// THIS IS WHERE I'VE BEEN TRYING A MILLION DIFFERENT THINGS FOR INPUT
 
	string pname; //std::string
 
	getline(ccin,pname);
 
	ccin.close();
 
}
 
CCustApp::~CCustApp()
{
	WFile();
}
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// The one and only CCustApp object
 
 
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CCustApp initialization
 
BOOL CCustApp::InitInstance()
{
	AfxEnableControlContainer();
 
	// Standard initialization
	// If you are not using these features and wish to reduce the size
	//  of your final executable, you should remove from the following
	//  the specific initialization routines you do not need.
 
#ifdef _AFXDLL
	Enable3dControls();			// Call this when using MFC in a shared DLL
#else
	Enable3dControlsStatic();	// Call this when linking to MFC statically
#endif
 
	CCustDlg dlg;
	m_pMainWnd = &dlg;
	int nResponse = dlg.DoModal();
	if (nResponse == IDOK)
	{
		// TODO: Place code here to handle when the dialog is
		//  dismissed with OK
	}
	else if (nResponse == IDCANCEL)
	{
		// TODO: Place code here to handle when the dialog is
		//  dismissed with Cancel
	}
 
	// Since the dialog has been closed, return FALSE so that we exit the
	//  application, rather than start the application's message pump.
	return FALSE;
}
void CCustApp::WFile()
{
       ofstream ccout;
 
//	this part is jsut a big for loop with a bunch of ccouts (not important)
}

#include <fstream>
 
using std::ifstream;