Because the quick and easy way is usually more costly in the long run?

You don't have to read it one byte at a time if that's what you're worried about.

C++ Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)

// Get the binary data
char iobuf[1024];
 
while ( fileread.read( iobuf, sizeof( iobuf ) ) {
  contents += iobuf;
}

// Get the binary data char iobuf[1024]; while ( fileread.read( iobuf, sizeof( iobuf ) ) { contents += iobuf; }

Why can't you do it? A string has the data() method, and I don't understand why (somestruct)iobuf is any different from (somestruct)contents.data() if they both have the same characters.

How does that make a difference? A string just handles the memory for the char array instead of making you do it. I don't think there should be any problem with using a string as long as you don't do any text conversions.

C++ Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)

ifstream fileread ("path to the binary file");
string contents;
char ch;
 
// Get the binary data
while ( fileread.get( ch ) ) {
  contents.push_back( ch );
}
 
// Print the binary data as hex
for ( int i = 0; i < contents.size(); ++i ) {
  cout<< hex << int( contents[i] ) <<" ";
}
 
fileread.close();

ifstream fileread ("path to the binary file"); string contents; char ch; // Get the binary data while ( fileread.get( ch ) ) { contents.push_back( ch ); } // Print the binary data as hex for ( int i = 0; i < contents.size(); ++i ) { cout<< hex << int( contents[i] ) <<" "; } fileread.close();

>> .. really mad. It,s not displays as a binary code, I mean bunch of zeros and ones.

if all you want to do is display the contents of a file as a sequence of bits (i presume that is what you mean by bunch of zeros and ones),

C++ Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)

#include <fstream>
#include <limits>
#include <bitset>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
 
int main()
{
  ifstream file( __FILE__ ) ; file >> noskipws ;
  typedef bitset< numeric_limits<unsigned char>::digits > bitset ;
  unsigned char byte ;
  while( file >> byte ) cout << bitset(byte) ;
}

#include <fstream> #include <limits> #include <bitset> #include <iostream> using namespace std; int main() { ifstream file( __FILE__ ) ; file >> noskipws ; typedef bitset< numeric_limits<unsigned char>::digits > bitset ; unsigned char byte ; while( file >> byte ) cout << bitset(byte) ; }