File Input Problems

[lostmountainman]

I am trying to design this code that will allow me to input a file, but it not be previously "hardwired" into the code, the user needs to input it, and I have almost figured it out, but i keep getting this error saying cannot convert from char to const char. If anyone can help me with this problem it would be appreciated.

#include <iostream> // For cin, cout, etc.
#include <fstream> // For File input, output, etc.
#include <iomanip> // For setprecision and setw
#include <string> // Allows for conversion to C String type data
using namespace std;

void scanner(); // Void Function for spam scanner

int main ()
{
char x;

cout<< "MAIN: Please enter the name of the filter file:";
cin>> x;

ifstream fin(x);

[arne]

I am trying to design this code that will allow me to input a file, but it not be previously "hardwired" into the code, the user needs to input it, and I have almost figured it out, but i keep getting this error saying cannot convert from char to const char. If anyone can help me with this problem it would be appreciated.

#include <iostream> // For cin, cout, etc.
#include <fstream> // For File input, output, etc.
#include <iomanip> // For setprecision and setw
#include <string> // Allows for conversion to C String type data
using namespace std;

void scanner(); // Void Function for spam scanner

int main ()
{
char x;

cout<< "MAIN: Please enter the name of the filter file:";
cin>> x;

ifstream fin(x);

The problem is that the ifstream constructor expects a "const char *", not a "char". Try:

int main ()
{
    string name;
 
    cout<< "MAIN: Please enter the name of the filter file:";
    cin >> name;
 
    ifstream fin( name.c_str() );
 
        ...
 

[lostmountainman]

Thanks that helped me through something I've been trying to figure out for 2 days now. Ive come to another bump in my code, but this one is a little bit different, I've got my void function now but I'm trying to make the name that I typed in for the file in the main function, I be able to call it into my void function.

#include <iostream> // For cin, cout, etc.
#include <fstream> // For File input, output, etc.
#include <iomanip> // For setprecision and setw
#include <string> // Allows for conversion to C String type data
using namespace std;

void scanner(); // Void Function for spam scanner

int main ()
{
string name1;
string name2;

cout<< "MAIN: Please enter the name of the filter file:"; //Calling File with Filter Data
cin>> name1;
cout<< endl;
ifstream fin1(name1.c_str() );

cout<< "MAIN: Please enter the name of the mail file:"; //Calling File with Mail Data
cin>> name2;
cout<< endl;
ifstream fin2(name2.c_str() );

cout<< "MAIN: About to call the scanfile function..."<< endl; //Prompt letting user know function is about to run

scanner(); //Void Function that contains spam scanner

return 0;

}

void scanner () //Spam scanner
{
string name1; //Declaring all needed variables
string name2;
string spam1;
string spam2;
string spam3;

ifstream fin1(name1.c_str() ); //Reopening Files
ifstream fin2(name2.c_str() );

fin1>> spam1; //Inputing spam word(s)/phrase(s) into stream
fin1>> spam2;
fin1>> spam3;

cout<< "SCANFILE FUNCTION: Searching "<< name2<< " for the word "<< spam1<<"..."<< endl; //Search Mail Data for 1st group of spam data

[lostmountainman]

Thanks that helped me through something I've been trying to figure out for 2 days now. Ive come to another bump in my code, but this one is a little bit different, I've got my void function now but I'm trying to make the name that I typed in for the file in the main function, I be able to call it into my void function.

#include <iostream> // For cin, cout, etc.
#include <fstream>  // For File input, output, etc.
#include <iomanip>  // For setprecision and setw
#include <string>   // Allows for conversion to C String type data
using namespace std;
 
void scanner(); // Void Function for spam scanner
 
int main ()
{
    string name1;
    string name2;
 
    cout<< "MAIN: Please enter the name of the filter file:"; //Calling File with Filter Data
    cin>> name1;
    cout<< endl;
    ifstream fin1(name1.c_str() );
 
    cout<< "MAIN: Please enter the name of the mail file:"; //Calling File with Mail Data
    cin>> name2;
    cout<< endl;
    ifstream fin2(name2.c_str() );
 
    cout<< "MAIN: About to call the scanfile function..."<< endl; //Prompt letting user know function is about to run
 
    scanner(); //Void Function that contains spam scanner
 
    return 0;
 
}
 
void scanner () //Spam scanner
{
    string name1; //Declaring all needed variables
    string name2;
    string spam1;
    string spam2;
    string spam3;
 
    ifstream fin1(name1.c_str() ); //Reopening Files
    ifstream fin2(name2.c_str() );
 
    fin1>> spam1; //Inputing spam word(s)/phrase(s) into stream
    fin1>> spam2;
    fin1>> spam3;
 
    cout<< "SCANFILE FUNCTION: Searching "<< name2<< " for the word "<< spam1<<"..."<< endl; //Search Mail Data for 1st group of spam data

Also, my spam1 which is supposed to be a word coming from the file didnt show up either, could this be happening because of my first problem there with name2, so if name2 doesn't show up then its not actually calling that file and without the file then there would be no word to get?

[arne]

Thanks that helped me through something I've been trying to figure out for 2 days now. Ive come to another bump in my code, but this one is a little bit different, I've got my void function now but I'm trying to make the name that I typed in for the file in the main function, I be able to call it into my void function.

You mean you want to open the file and access its data in the scanner() functions?

One possibility would be to ask for the file names in the scanner() function, i.e. move the code from main() to scanner().

You could also ask for the names in main() and pass them to scanner(), like so

void scanner( string a, string b ) {
 
         ifstream fin1( a.c_str() );
         ifstream fin2( b.c_str() );
 
         ...
}
 

This would be called in main like this

scanner( name1, name2 );
 

You could also pass the fstreams, i.e. open the files in main() and only pass the streams. But you may start with option 1 or 2 if they fit your needs.

[arne]

Also, my spam1 which is supposed to be a word coming from the file didnt show up either, could this be happening because of my first problem there with name2, so if name2 doesn't show up then its not actually calling that file and without the file then there would be no word to get?

To read data from your file consider the following code snippet:

string tmp_str;
while( getline( fin1, tmp_str ) ) {
 
        // you have one line tmp_str now ...
}
 

[lostmountainman]

I took your advice and got this far, but now when i try to input name1 and name2 in the void function-functions, it shows up syntax error C2660 :"scanner1": does not take 2 arguments

#include <iostream> // For cin, cout, etc.
#include <fstream>  // For File input, output, etc.
#include <iomanip>  // For setprecision and setw
#include <string>   // For C++ string
using namespace std;
 
void scanner1(); // Void Functions for spam scanner
void scanner2();
void scanner3();
 
int main ()
{
    string name1;
    string name2;
 
    cout<< "MAIN: Please enter the name of the filter file:"; //Calling File with Filter Data
    cin>> name1;
    cout<< endl;
    ifstream fin1(name1.c_str() );
 
    cout<< "MAIN: Please enter the name of the mail file:"; //Calling File with Mail Data
    cin>> name2;
    cout<< endl;
    ifstream fin2(name2.c_str() );
 
    cout<< "MAIN: About to call the scanfile function..."<< endl; //Prompt letting user know function is about to run
 
    scanner1(name1, name2);//Void Function that contains spam scanner
    scanner2(name1, name2);
    scanner3(name1, name2);
 
    return 0;
 
}
 
void scanner1 (string name1, string name2) //Spam scanner
{
    ifstream fin1(name1.c_str() ); //Reopening Files
    ifstream fin2(name2.c_str() );
 
    string spam1; //Declaring all needed variables
 
    fin1>> spam1; //Inputing spam word(s)/phrase(s) into stream
 
    cout<< "SCANFILE FUNCTION: Searching "<< name2<< " for the word "<< spam1<< "..."<< endl; //Search Mail Data for 1st group of spam data
}
 
void scanner2 (string name1, string name2)
{
    ifstream fin1(name1.c_str() ); //Reopening Files
    ifstream fin2(name2.c_str() );
 
    string spam2; //Declaring all needed variables
 
    fin1.ignore(265, '/n'); //Skipping 1st line of spam word(s)/phrase(s) in the stream
 
    fin1>> spam2; //Inputing spam word(s)/phrase(s) into stream
 
    cout<< "SCANFILE FUNCTION: Seaching "<< name2<< " for the word "<< spam2<< "..."<< endl; //Search Mail Data for 2nd group of spam data
}
 
void scanner3 (string name1, string name2)
{
    ifstream fin1(name1.c_str() ); //Reopening Files
    ifstream fin2(name2.c_str() );
 
    string spam3; //Declaring all needed variables
 
    fin1.ignore(265, '/n'); //Skipping 1st line of spam word(s)/phrase(s) in the stream
    fin1.ignore(265, '/n'); //Skipping 2nd line of spam word(s)/phrase(s) in the stream
 
    fin1>> spam3; //Inputing spam word(s)/phrase(s) into stream
 
    cout<< "SCANFILE FUNCTION: Searching "<< name2<< " for the word "<< spam3<< "..."<< endl; //Search Mail Data for 3rd group of spam data
}

[arne]

I took your advice and got this far, but now when i try to input name1 and name2 in the void function-functions, it shows up syntax error C2660 :"scanner1": does not take 2 arguments

Please make your declaration

void scanner1(); // Void Functions for spam scanner
 

match your definition

void scanner1 (string name1, string name2) //Spam scanner
{
        ...
}
 

like so:

void scanner1( string, string );