file stream. where do .dat files go?

[Biro]

Hey, I have started working with I/O file streams using my 'problem solving with c++' book, I am not sure where the .dat file goes in MS Visual C++ or how to make it for that matter...

Also is this code correct? I am getting strange errors...

I am trying to output the largest number from a file to the screen.

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <fstream> // file stream
#include <iostream> // for cout
#include <cstdlib>// exit

using namespace std;

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
	ifstream in_stream;     // input file stream
	//ofstream out_stream;
	in_stream.open("infile.dat"); // open infile.dat file

	if (in_stream.fail( ))
	{
		cout << "Input file opening failed.\n";
		exit(1);
	}

	//out_stream.open("outfile.dat")
	int res;
	int num1, num2, num3;
	in_stream >> num1 >> num2 >> num3; // each line is read from the file
	cout << "The largest number in the infile.dat file is: ";
	cout << max(num1, num2, num3); // the biggest number is calculated and output;
    
	res = num1 + num2 + num3;
	cout << res;
	cout << endl;
    in_stream.close();

	return 0;
}

Thank you for any help!

[Salem]

> Also is this code correct? I am getting strange errors...
Whilst saying that they're "strange" errors is a step up on "I'm getting errors", it really doesn't help us that much to figure out what's going on.

Be specific, post actual error messages and actual observations.

[Ancient Dragon]

The .dat file extension usually refers to files that contain binary information as opposed to text files. So if you want to read a binary file you have to open it with ios::binary flag as the second argument to the open() function. If you don't do that and if you are using MS-Windows operating system the stream object may mis-interpret any bytes that are the same as the '\n' line terminator. *nix and MAC don't have that problem.

The second thing about binary files is that the >> extraction operator don't work. That is for text files, not finary files. You have to use the stream's read() method.

The easiest way to determine if a file is binary or not is open it with Notpad. If you see a bunch of unreadable garbage such as small squares, then the file is binary. If everything can be read normally then it is a text file.

[vmanes]

Generally, if you are running your program from within the Visual C++ (Visual Studio) environment (using the Debug menu), your input/output files will be in the project folder - the same place you find your .cpp file. If you try to run the executable directly (in a command window or by double clicking the .exe file) you are probably in the \Debug folder under your project folder - that's where the program will look for the input file.

[ithelp]

You can put the dat file in the same directory from where you are running the program, else specify full path like C:\\ ,etc.

[Biro]

Hey again, the .dat file is not to contain binary, it is just to contain numbers on separate lines.

at the moment infile.dat contains:

1
9
4

This is the errors I get:

1>C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\include\xutility(290) : error C2064: term does not evaluate to a function taking 2 arguments
1>        C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\include\xutility(2946) : see reference to function template instantiation 'bool std::_Debug_lt_pred<_Pr,_Ty,_Ty>(_Pr,const _Ty1 &,const _Ty2 &,const wchar_t *,unsigned int)' being compiled
1>        with
1>        [
1>            _Pr=int,
1>            _Ty=int,
1>            _Ty1=int,
1>            _Ty2=int
1>        ]
1>        .\largestandsmallest.cpp(28) : see reference to function template instantiation 'const _Ty &std::max<int,int>(const _Ty &,const _Ty &,_Pr)' being compiled
1>        with
1>        [
1>            _Ty=int,
1>            _Pr=int
1>        ]
1>C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\include\xutility(292) : error C2064: term does not evaluate to a function taking 2 arguments

[Salem]

> max(num1, num2, num3);
max only takes 2 params
Perhaps max(num1, max(num2, num3) );