reading data from text file

[Santah]

hi
I'm new to C++
and I'm currently working on Visual C++ 6.0

I'm trying to open a text file, and read some data from it

part of the text file looks like this:

--------

Stoichiometry C3H7NO
Framework group C1[X(C3H7NO)]
Deg. of freedom 30
Full point group C1 NOp 1
Largest Abelian subgroup C1 NOp 1
Largest concise Abelian subgroup C1 NOp 1
Standard orientation:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Center Atomic Atomic Coordinates (Angstroms)
Number Number Type X Y Z
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1 7 0 -0.471842 1.385033 -0.179367
2 6 0 -0.441998 0.034984 0.352626
3 1 0 -0.532368 0.028578 1.492181
4 6 0 0.817945 -0.768835 0.128492
5 8 0 1.897598 -0.056037 -0.129721
6 6 0 -1.600140 -0.811575 -0.187269
7 1 0 -1.521476 -1.844231 0.228333
8 1 0 -2.577732 -0.368082 0.117451
9 1 0 -1.563751 -0.866827 -1.300932
10 1 0 0.330252 1.899884 0.122288
11 1 0 -1.306000 1.857479 0.102977
12 1 0 2.638344 -0.681170 -0.232052
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Rotational constants (GHZ): 8.3231162 3.9152127
2.8710745
Isotopes: N-14,C-12,H-1,C-12,O-16,C-12,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1
Standard basis: VSTO-3G (5D, 7F)
There are 27 symmetry adapted basis functions of A symmetry.
Crude estimate of integral set expansion from redundant
integrals=1.000.

--------
what I need, is the values:

1 7 0 -0.471842 1.385033 -0.179367
2 6 0 -0.441998 0.034984 0.352626
3 1 0 -0.532368 0.028578 1.492181
4 6 0 0.817945 -0.768835 0.128492
5 8 0 1.897598 -0.056037 -0.129721
6 6 0 -1.600140 -0.811575 -0.187269
7 1 0 -1.521476 -1.844231 0.228333
8 1 0 -2.577732 -0.368082 0.117451
9 1 0 -1.563751 -0.866827 -1.300932
10 1 0 0.330252 1.899884 0.122288
11 1 0 -1.306000 1.857479 0.102977
12 1 0 2.638344 -0.681170 -0.232052
but I don't know how to fetch them :(

here's what I've done so far .... (I know that it's not good nor
working :))

CFile file1("test.txt", CFile::modeRead );
DWORD dwLen = file1.GetLength();

char *pbuf = new char[dwLen] ;

ffile1.ReadHuge( pbuf, dwLen );

CString sText(pbuf);

delete []pbuf;
// sText.Find("Standard orientation:");
so I have the whole file in a string, and now I need only to get the
needed values from the string but I don't know how:(

any help is welcomed :))

[zot]

Has the visual c++
a class to find regular expression similar to QT's regexp?
If so you can use it.
If not:
Another point: probably it's better to fetch the file one line at a time.
You can use the standard funtions : readline.
Now you can write a function that fetches
a floating number startinng from a char* (the ponter to the string),
and stores it in a double var.
This function should return error if it is impossible to parse the number.
Suppose you call it f(char*,double).
If it is impossible to fetch a number of int equal to the
number of columns in your table then you are parsing a bad line ( a line
extraneous to the table):

Now you can write a loop:
for(int i=0; i < NUMBER OF COL; i++)
if ( f(string,number)== error)
continue on next line;

Hope this help.
I have assumed you can write such a function, but if you want I can write it
next time.
Sorry but I haven't so much time at the moment....

"Santah" <sl*****@yahoo.com> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:ed**************************@posting.google.c om...

hi
I'm new to C++
and I'm currently working on Visual C++ 6.0

I'm trying to open a text file, and read some data from it

part of the text file looks like this:

--------

Stoichiometry C3H7NO
Framework group C1[X(C3H7NO)]
Deg. of freedom 30
Full point group C1 NOp 1
Largest Abelian subgroup C1 NOp 1
Largest concise Abelian subgroup C1 NOp 1
Standard orientation:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Center Atomic Atomic Coordinates (Angstroms)
Number Number Type X Y Z
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1 7 0 -0.471842 1.385033 -0.179367
2 6 0 -0.441998 0.034984 0.352626
3 1 0 -0.532368 0.028578 1.492181
4 6 0 0.817945 -0.768835 0.128492
5 8 0 1.897598 -0.056037 -0.129721
6 6 0 -1.600140 -0.811575 -0.187269
7 1 0 -1.521476 -1.844231 0.228333
8 1 0 -2.577732 -0.368082 0.117451
9 1 0 -1.563751 -0.866827 -1.300932
10 1 0 0.330252 1.899884 0.122288
11 1 0 -1.306000 1.857479 0.102977
12 1 0 2.638344 -0.681170 -0.232052
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Rotational constants (GHZ): 8.3231162 3.9152127
2.8710745
Isotopes: N-14,C-12,H-1,C-12,O-16,C-12,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1
Standard basis: VSTO-3G (5D, 7F)
There are 27 symmetry adapted basis functions of A symmetry.
Crude estimate of integral set expansion from redundant
integrals=1.000.

--------
what I need, is the values:

1 7 0 -0.471842 1.385033 -0.179367
2 6 0 -0.441998 0.034984 0.352626
3 1 0 -0.532368 0.028578 1.492181
4 6 0 0.817945 -0.768835 0.128492
5 8 0 1.897598 -0.056037 -0.129721
6 6 0 -1.600140 -0.811575 -0.187269
7 1 0 -1.521476 -1.844231 0.228333
8 1 0 -2.577732 -0.368082 0.117451
9 1 0 -1.563751 -0.866827 -1.300932
10 1 0 0.330252 1.899884 0.122288
11 1 0 -1.306000 1.857479 0.102977
12 1 0 2.638344 -0.681170 -0.232052
but I don't know how to fetch them :(

here's what I've done so far .... (I know that it's not good nor
working :))

CFile file1("test.txt", CFile::modeRead );
DWORD dwLen = file1.GetLength();

char *pbuf = new char[dwLen] ;

ffile1.ReadHuge( pbuf, dwLen );

CString sText(pbuf);

delete []pbuf;
// sText.Find("Standard orientation:");
so I have the whole file in a string, and now I need only to get the
needed values from the string but I don't know how:(

any help is welcomed :))

[Thomas Matthews]

zot wrote:
1. Don't top-post.

Has the visual c++
a class to find regular expression similar to QT's regexp?
If so you can use it.
If not:
Another point: probably it's better to fetch the file one line at a time.
You can use the standard funtions : readline. readline is not a standard function. If it is, please quote where
in the C++ specification that you found it.
There is a function, std::getline(), which is part of the Standard
Template Library.

Now you can write a function that fetches
a floating number startinng from a char* (the ponter to the string),
and stores it in a double var. One could use the stringstream functions too.
Or even sscanf().
This function should return error if it is impossible to parse the number.
Suppose you call it f(char*,double).
If it is impossible to fetch a number of int equal to the
number of columns in your table then you are parsing a bad line ( a line
extraneous to the table): But why write a function when one is available?

Now you can write a loop:
for(int i=0; i < NUMBER OF COL; i++)
if ( f(string,number)== error)
continue on next line;

Hope this help.
I have assumed you can write such a function, but if you want I can write it
next time.
Sorry but I haven't so much time at the moment....

"Santah" <sl*****@yahoo.com> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:ed**************************@posting.google.c om...

--
Thomas Matthews

C++ newsgroup welcome message:
http://www.slack.net/~shiva/welcome.txt
C++ Faq: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite
C Faq: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/c-faq/top.html
alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ faq:
http://www.raos.demon.uk/acllc-c++/faq.html
Other sites:
http://www.josuttis.com -- C++ STL Library book

[Santah]

Thomas Matthews <Th**********************@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:<i%************************@newssvr10.news.pr odigy.com>...

Santah wrote:

hi
I'm new to C++
and I'm currently working on Visual C++ 6.0

I'm trying to open a text file, and read some data from it

part of the text file looks like this:

--------

Stoichiometry C3H7NO
Framework group C1[X(C3H7NO)]
Deg. of freedom 30
Full point group C1 NOp 1
Largest Abelian subgroup C1 NOp 1
Largest concise Abelian subgroup C1 NOp 1
Standard orientation:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Center Atomic Atomic Coordinates (Angstroms)
Number Number Type X Y Z
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1 7 0 -0.471842 1.385033 -0.179367
2 6 0 -0.441998 0.034984 0.352626
3 1 0 -0.532368 0.028578 1.492181
4 6 0 0.817945 -0.768835 0.128492
5 8 0 1.897598 -0.056037 -0.129721
6 6 0 -1.600140 -0.811575 -0.187269
7 1 0 -1.521476 -1.844231 0.228333
8 1 0 -2.577732 -0.368082 0.117451
9 1 0 -1.563751 -0.866827 -1.300932
10 1 0 0.330252 1.899884 0.122288
11 1 0 -1.306000 1.857479 0.102977
12 1 0 2.638344 -0.681170 -0.232052
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Rotational constants (GHZ): 8.3231162 3.9152127
2.8710745
Isotopes: N-14,C-12,H-1,C-12,O-16,C-12,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1
Standard basis: VSTO-3G (5D, 7F)
There are 27 symmetry adapted basis functions of A symmetry.
Crude estimate of integral set expansion from redundant
integrals=1.000.

--------
what I need, is the values:

1 7 0 -0.471842 1.385033 -0.179367
2 6 0 -0.441998 0.034984 0.352626
3 1 0 -0.532368 0.028578 1.492181
4 6 0 0.817945 -0.768835 0.128492
5 8 0 1.897598 -0.056037 -0.129721
6 6 0 -1.600140 -0.811575 -0.187269
7 1 0 -1.521476 -1.844231 0.228333
8 1 0 -2.577732 -0.368082 0.117451
9 1 0 -1.563751 -0.866827 -1.300932
10 1 0 0.330252 1.899884 0.122288
11 1 0 -1.306000 1.857479 0.102977
12 1 0 2.638344 -0.681170 -0.232052
but I don't know how to fetch them :(

here's what I've done so far .... (I know that it's not good nor
working :))

CFile file1("test.txt", CFile::modeRead );
DWORD dwLen = file1.GetLength();

char *pbuf = new char[dwLen] ;

ffile1.ReadHuge( pbuf, dwLen );

CString sText(pbuf);

delete []pbuf;
// sText.Find("Standard orientation:");
so I have the whole file in a string, and now I need only to get the
needed values from the string but I don't know how:(

any help is welcomed :))

I'm in a good mood, so here is a foundation. :-)

#include <fstream>
#include <string>
#include <cstdlib>
using std::ifstream;
using std::string;
using std::getline;
using std::cerr;

int main(void)
{
ifstream inp_data("test.txt"); // ifstream defaults to text files
if (!inp_data)
{
cerr << "Error opening 'test.txt'\n";
return EXIT_FAILURE;
}

//------------------------------------------------------------
// Skip past all the junk.
//------------------------------------------------------------
string text_line;
unsigned int dashed_line_count = 2;
while (getline(inp_data, text_line, '\n'))
{
if ((text_line.length() > 1)
&& (text_line[0] == '-'))
{
--dashed_line_count;
if (dashed_line_count == 0)
break;
}
}

if (!inp_data || (dashed_line_count > 0))
{
cerr << "Data table not found.\n";
return EXIT_FAILURE;
}

//------------------------------------------------------------
// At this point, the next text line should be the
// first row of data.
//------------------------------------------------------------
unsigned int center_number;
unsigned int atomic_number;
unsigned int atomic_type;
double x_ord;
double y_ord;
double z_ord;
while (inp_data >> center_number)
{
inp_data >> atomic_number >> atomic_type

>> x_ord >> y_ord >> z_ord;

Process_The_Data(center_number, atomic_number, atomic_type,
x_ord, y_ord, z_ord);
}
return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}
Look Ma, no $#@!&*# MFC library required.
And its portable too.
{The code above has not been compiled nor tested.}

--
Thomas Matthews

C++ newsgroup welcome message:
http://www.slack.net/~shiva/welcome.txt
C++ Faq: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite
C Faq: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/c-faq/top.html
alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ faq:
http://www.raos.demon.uk/acllc-c++/faq.html
Other sites:
http://www.josuttis.com -- C++ STL Library book

thanks that you took the time to try to help me, but....
I can't make your source work ...
because:
1. I haven't seen anywhere in your source the string "Standard
Orientation", and that is the keystring wich I should use to locate
the table, because the text file is not with a fixed rows, and there
can be many things above that table, but when there is the "Standard
Orientation" string, I know that the table follows.....
2. The way you added values to those variables (atomic_number etc.)
are they arrays or single values? because I need all the values from
the table stored....

sorry if I missunderstood something, I'm not that good in programming,
and thanks again for taking the time to read this :) bye

[Karl Heinz Buchegger]

Karl Heinz Buchegger wrote:

[snip] then one could use (referring to Mathews code again)

Apologies to Thomas.
When writing the reply I was under the impression that your
first name is Mathews, while in fact Matthews is your surname
and is spelled differently.

--
Karl Heinz Buchegger
kb******@gascad.at

[Thomas Matthews]

Santah wrote:

Thomas Matthews <Th**********************@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:<i%************************@newssvr10.news.pr odigy.com>...

Santah wrote:

hi
I'm new to C++
and I'm currently working on Visual C++ 6.0

I'm trying to open a text file, and read some data from it

part of the text file looks like this:

--------

Stoichiometry C3H7NO
Framework group C1[X(C3H7NO)]
Deg. of freedom 30
Full point group C1 NOp 1
Largest Abelian subgroup C1 NOp 1
Largest concise Abelian subgroup C1 NOp 1
Standard orientation:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Center Atomic Atomic Coordinates (Angstroms)
Number Number Type X Y Z
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1 7 0 -0.471842 1.385033 -0.179367
2 6 0 -0.441998 0.034984 0.352626
3 1 0 -0.532368 0.028578 1.492181
4 6 0 0.817945 -0.768835 0.128492
5 8 0 1.897598 -0.056037 -0.129721
6 6 0 -1.600140 -0.811575 -0.187269
7 1 0 -1.521476 -1.844231 0.228333
8 1 0 -2.577732 -0.368082 0.117451
9 1 0 -1.563751 -0.866827 -1.300932
10 1 0 0.330252 1.899884 0.122288
11 1 0 -1.306000 1.857479 0.102977
12 1 0 2.638344 -0.681170 -0.232052
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Rotational constants (GHZ): 8.3231162 3.9152127
2.8710745
Isotopes: N-14,C-12,H-1,C-12,O-16,C-12,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1
Standard basis: VSTO-3G (5D, 7F)
There are 27 symmetry adapted basis functions of A symmetry.
Crude estimate of integral set expansion from redundant
integrals=1.000.

--------
what I need, is the values:

1 7 0 -0.471842 1.385033 -0.179367
2 6 0 -0.441998 0.034984 0.352626
3 1 0 -0.532368 0.028578 1.492181
4 6 0 0.817945 -0.768835 0.128492
5 8 0 1.897598 -0.056037 -0.129721
6 6 0 -1.600140 -0.811575 -0.187269
7 1 0 -1.521476 -1.844231 0.228333
8 1 0 -2.577732 -0.368082 0.117451
9 1 0 -1.563751 -0.866827 -1.300932
10 1 0 0.330252 1.899884 0.122288
11 1 0 -1.306000 1.857479 0.102977
12 1 0 2.638344 -0.681170 -0.232052
but I don't know how to fetch them :(

here's what I've done so far .... (I know that it's not good nor
working :))

CFile file1("test.txt", CFile::modeRead );
DWORD dwLen = file1.GetLength();

char *pbuf = new char[dwLen] ;

ffile1.ReadHuge( pbuf, dwLen );

CString sText(pbuf);

delete []pbuf;
// sText.Find("Standard orientation:");
so I have the whole file in a string, and now I need only to get the
needed values from the string but I don't know how:(

any help is welcomed :))
I'm in a good mood, so here is a foundation. :-)

#include <fstream>
#include <string>
#include <cstdlib>
using std::ifstream;
using std::string;
using std::getline;
using std::cerr;

int main(void)
{
ifstream inp_data("test.txt"); // ifstream defaults to text files
if (!inp_data)
{
cerr << "Error opening 'test.txt'\n";
return EXIT_FAILURE;
}

//------------------------------------------------------------
// Skip past all the junk.
//------------------------------------------------------------
string text_line;
unsigned int dashed_line_count = 2;
while (getline(inp_data, text_line, '\n'))
{
if ((text_line.length() > 1)
&& (text_line[0] == '-'))
{
--dashed_line_count;
if (dashed_line_count == 0)
break;
}
}

if (!inp_data || (dashed_line_count > 0))
{
cerr << "Data table not found.\n";
return EXIT_FAILURE;
}

//------------------------------------------------------------
// At this point, the next text line should be the
// first row of data.
//------------------------------------------------------------
unsigned int center_number;
unsigned int atomic_number;
unsigned int atomic_type;
double x_ord;
double y_ord;
double z_ord;
while (inp_data >> center_number)
{
inp_data >> atomic_number >> atomic_type

>> x_ord >> y_ord >> z_ord;

Process_The_Data(center_number, atomic_number, atomic_type,
x_ord, y_ord, z_ord);
}
return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}
Look Ma, no $#@!&*# MFC library required.
And its portable too.
{The code above has not been compiled nor tested.}

--
Thomas Matthews

C++ newsgroup welcome message:
http://www.slack.net/~shiva/welcome.txt
C++ Faq: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite
C Faq: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/c-faq/top.html
alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ faq:
http://www.raos.demon.uk/acllc-c++/faq.html
Other sites:
http://www.josuttis.com -- C++ STL Library book

thanks that you took the time to try to help me, but....
I can't make your source work ...
because:
1. I haven't seen anywhere in your source the string "Standard
Orientation", and that is the keystring wich I should use to locate
the table, because the text file is not with a fixed rows, and there
can be many things above that table, but when there is the "Standard
Orientation" string, I know that the table follows.....

Instead of comparing the text line read in to a '-',
use the find() method of std::string to search for "Standard
Orientation". That loop ignores all text until a marker is found.
2. The way you added values to those variables (atomic_number etc.)
are they arrays or single values? because I need all the values from
the table stored.... If you need _all_ the values stored before processing, then create
a structure and use a vector of the structure:
struct Atomic_Record
{
unsigned int center_number;
unsigned int atomic_number;
//... and so on
};

#include <vector>
using std::vector;

typedef vector<Atomic_Record> Atomic_Vector;
Atomic_Vector atom_info;

//----------------------------
The input fragment will look like:
Atomic_Record inp_record;
while (inp_data >> inp_record.center_number)
{
// Fill in the fields of the structure
inp_data >> inp_record.atomic_number

inp_record.atomic_type // and so on ... inp_record.z_ord;

// Save the record in the array:
atom_info.push_back(inp_record);
}

sorry if I missunderstood something, I'm not that good in programming,
and thanks again for taking the time to read this :) bye

A better method would be to overload the operator>> (stream
extraction) for the Atomic_Record structure and use that.
With the overloaded operator, your input loop is simplified as:
while (inp_data >> inp_record)
{
atom_info.push_back(inp_record);
}

Now, I am not writing your program for you, but illustrating some
concepts, such as searching for a key string and reading variables
from a text file. Your challenge is to adapt this information
for your needs.

Read the FAQ and welcome.txt below for some great information.

By the way, do the world a favor and don't prefix your
structure and class names with a 'C' or 'T'. These are
the nomenclature for Microsoft and Borland libraries.
Be more creative.

--
Thomas Matthews

C++ newsgroup welcome message:
http://www.slack.net/~shiva/welcome.txt
C++ Faq: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite
C Faq: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/c-faq/top.html
alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ faq:
http://www.raos.demon.uk/acllc-c++/faq.html
Other sites:
http://www.josuttis.com -- C++ STL Library book

[Thomas Matthews]

Karl Heinz Buchegger wrote:

Karl Heinz Buchegger wrote:

[snip]

then one could use (referring to Mathews code again)

Apologies to Thomas.
When writing the reply I was under the impression that your
first name is Mathews, while in fact Matthews is your surname
and is spelled differently.

Apology accepted.

--
Thomas Matthews

C++ newsgroup welcome message:
http://www.slack.net/~shiva/welcome.txt
C++ Faq: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite
C Faq: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/c-faq/top.html
alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ faq:
http://www.raos.demon.uk/acllc-c++/faq.html
Other sites:
http://www.josuttis.com -- C++ STL Library book

[Santah]

Thomas Matthews <Th**********************@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:<Ol************************@newssvr10.news.pr odigy.com>...

Santah wrote:

Thomas Matthews <Th**********************@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:<i%************************@newssvr10.news.pr odigy.com>...

Santah wrote:
hi
I'm new to C++
and I'm currently working on Visual C++ 6.0

I'm trying to open a text file, and read some data from it

part of the text file looks like this:

--------

Stoichiometry C3H7NO
Framework group C1[X(C3H7NO)]
Deg. of freedom 30
Full point group C1 NOp 1
Largest Abelian subgroup C1 NOp 1
Largest concise Abelian subgroup C1 NOp 1
Standard orientation:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Center Atomic Atomic Coordinates (Angstroms)
Number Number Type X Y Z
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1 7 0 -0.471842 1.385033 -0.179367
2 6 0 -0.441998 0.034984 0.352626
3 1 0 -0.532368 0.028578 1.492181
4 6 0 0.817945 -0.768835 0.128492
5 8 0 1.897598 -0.056037 -0.129721
6 6 0 -1.600140 -0.811575 -0.187269
7 1 0 -1.521476 -1.844231 0.228333
8 1 0 -2.577732 -0.368082 0.117451
9 1 0 -1.563751 -0.866827 -1.300932
10 1 0 0.330252 1.899884 0.122288
11 1 0 -1.306000 1.857479 0.102977
12 1 0 2.638344 -0.681170 -0.232052
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Rotational constants (GHZ): 8.3231162 3.9152127
2.8710745
Isotopes: N-14,C-12,H-1,C-12,O-16,C-12,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1,H-1
Standard basis: VSTO-3G (5D, 7F)
There are 27 symmetry adapted basis functions of A symmetry.
Crude estimate of integral set expansion from redundant
integrals=1.000.

--------
what I need, is the values:

1 7 0 -0.471842 1.385033 -0.179367
2 6 0 -0.441998 0.034984 0.352626
3 1 0 -0.532368 0.028578 1.492181
4 6 0 0.817945 -0.768835 0.128492
5 8 0 1.897598 -0.056037 -0.129721
6 6 0 -1.600140 -0.811575 -0.187269
7 1 0 -1.521476 -1.844231 0.228333
8 1 0 -2.577732 -0.368082 0.117451
9 1 0 -1.563751 -0.866827 -1.300932
10 1 0 0.330252 1.899884 0.122288
11 1 0 -1.306000 1.857479 0.102977
12 1 0 2.638344 -0.681170 -0.232052
but I don't know how to fetch them :(

here's what I've done so far .... (I know that it's not good nor
working :))

CFile file1("test.txt", CFile::modeRead );
DWORD dwLen = file1.GetLength();

char *pbuf = new char[dwLen] ;

ffile1.ReadHuge( pbuf, dwLen );

CString sText(pbuf);

delete []pbuf;
// sText.Find("Standard orientation:");
so I have the whole file in a string, and now I need only to get the
needed values from the string but I don't know how:(

any help is welcomed :))

I'm in a good mood, so here is a foundation. :-)

#include <fstream>
#include <string>
#include <cstdlib>
using std::ifstream;
using std::string;
using std::getline;
using std::cerr;

int main(void)
{
ifstream inp_data("test.txt"); // ifstream defaults to text files
if (!inp_data)
{
cerr << "Error opening 'test.txt'\n";
return EXIT_FAILURE;
}

//------------------------------------------------------------
// Skip past all the junk.
//------------------------------------------------------------
string text_line;
unsigned int dashed_line_count = 2;
while (getline(inp_data, text_line, '\n'))
{
if ((text_line.length() > 1)
&& (text_line[0] == '-'))
{
--dashed_line_count;
if (dashed_line_count == 0)
break;
}
}

if (!inp_data || (dashed_line_count > 0))
{
cerr << "Data table not found.\n";
return EXIT_FAILURE;
}

//------------------------------------------------------------
// At this point, the next text line should be the
// first row of data.
//------------------------------------------------------------
unsigned int center_number;
unsigned int atomic_number;
unsigned int atomic_type;
double x_ord;
double y_ord;
double z_ord;
while (inp_data >> center_number)
{
inp_data >> atomic_number >> atomic_type
>> x_ord >> y_ord >> z_ord;
Process_The_Data(center_number, atomic_number, atomic_type,
x_ord, y_ord, z_ord);
}
return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}
Look Ma, no $#@!&*# MFC library required.
And its portable too.
{The code above has not been compiled nor tested.}

--
Thomas Matthews

C++ newsgroup welcome message:
http://www.slack.net/~shiva/welcome.txt
C++ Faq: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite
C Faq: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/c-faq/top.html
alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ faq:
http://www.raos.demon.uk/acllc-c++/faq.html
Other sites:
http://www.josuttis.com -- C++ STL Library book

thanks that you took the time to try to help me, but....
I can't make your source work ...
because:
1. I haven't seen anywhere in your source the string "Standard
Orientation", and that is the keystring wich I should use to locate
the table, because the text file is not with a fixed rows, and there
can be many things above that table, but when there is the "Standard
Orientation" string, I know that the table follows.....

Instead of comparing the text line read in to a '-',
use the find() method of std::string to search for "Standard
Orientation". That loop ignores all text until a marker is found.

2. The way you added values to those variables (atomic_number etc.)
are they arrays or single values? because I need all the values from
the table stored....

If you need _all_ the values stored before processing, then create
a structure and use a vector of the structure:
struct Atomic_Record
{
unsigned int center_number;
unsigned int atomic_number;
//... and so on
};

#include <vector>
using std::vector;

typedef vector<Atomic_Record> Atomic_Vector;
Atomic_Vector atom_info;

//----------------------------
The input fragment will look like:
Atomic_Record inp_record;
while (inp_data >> inp_record.center_number)
{
// Fill in the fields of the structure
inp_data >> inp_record.atomic_number

>> inp_record.atomic_type // and so on ... >> inp_record.z_ord;

// Save the record in the array:
atom_info.push_back(inp_record);
}

sorry if I missunderstood something, I'm not that good in programming,
and thanks again for taking the time to read this :) bye

A better method would be to overload the operator>> (stream
extraction) for the Atomic_Record structure and use that.
With the overloaded operator, your input loop is simplified as:
while (inp_data >> inp_record)
{
atom_info.push_back(inp_record);
}

Now, I am not writing your program for you, but illustrating some
concepts, such as searching for a key string and reading variables
from a text file. Your challenge is to adapt this information
for your needs.

Read the FAQ and welcome.txt below for some great information.

By the way, do the world a favor and don't prefix your
structure and class names with a 'C' or 'T'. These are
the nomenclature for Microsoft and Borland libraries.
Be more creative.

--
Thomas Matthews

C++ newsgroup welcome message:
http://www.slack.net/~shiva/welcome.txt
C++ Faq: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite
C Faq: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/c-faq/top.html
alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ faq:
http://www.raos.demon.uk/acllc-c++/faq.html
Other sites:
http://www.josuttis.com -- C++ STL Library book

"By the way, do the world a favor and don't prefix your
structure and class names with a 'C' or 'T'. These are
the nomenclature for Microsoft and Borland libraries.
Be more creative."

I'm not doing it, and I'm against it too
If I had pasted some code with class names with "c" or "t" it's
because the code was not mine and I adapted it :))

thanks for the help ...