Replacing word in a file using c++

Actually, its a part of a big program.. Sorry for that...
I'll post the loop part... so, here it is..

string str = "(team)";
string strTemp;
fstream file ("file.doc", ios::out|ios::app)
while(!file.eof())
{
   if(strTemp == str)
       file<<strTemp;
}

I tried this, but the loop doesn't seem to end! there's something wrong in the conditional statement which i'm not able to figure! So I could use up some help over there! 😀 thanks!

Hey am I seeing some thing wrong there is no data allocated to strtemp

Do check it out bro initially there is no data in strtemp and so the error is flagged

jeffrey samuel

Hey am I seeing some thing wrong there is no data allocated to strtemp

Do check it out bro initially there is no data in strtemp and so the error is flagged

oh sorry wrong code posted..
actually its not file<<strTemp its file<<tname ( tname is the name of team which is entered by the user in the other phase of program)

yeah that be the case you have not assigned any value in the variable strtemp that is what I meant

Vishal0203

Actually, its a part of a big program.. Sorry for that...
I'll post the loop part... so, here it is..

string str = "(team)";
string strTemp;
fstream file ("file.doc", ios::out|ios::app)
while(!file.eof())
{
  if(strTemp == str)
      file<<strTemp;
}

I tried this, but the loop doesn't seem to end! there's something wrong in the conditional
statement which i'm not able to figure! So I could use up some help over there! 😀 thanks!

First of all the part of code pasted did not help to understand what you are actually doing.

But checkout few things :

1] " ios::app mode "
You have opened file in output mode and append mode. In this case the file output pointer is
taken directly to end of file ,when it is opened and you are not allowed to randomly edit file,that is all you can do is add new thing to file at the end.

solution : use ios::ate mode.

ios ::ate (at end ) mode also opens file with pointer end, but you are allowed to take pointer anywhere in file and do editing.

2] Are you using same file stream to read and edit file ???

solution:
If so then once the word to be edited has been read,you have to take back your pointer back to first byte of the word to be edited using file.fseekp();

One suggestion :

It is always better while editing a file,to create two file streams .One reads file and another writes a temporary file.

grsalvi

First of all the part of code pasted did not help to understand what you are actually doing.

But checkout few things :

1] " ios::app mode "
You have opened file in output mode and append mode. In this case the file output pointer is
taken directly to end of file ,when it is opened and you are not allowed to randomly edit file,that is all you can do is add new thing to file at the end.

solution : use ios::ate mode.

ios ::ate (at end ) mode also opens file with pointer end, but you are allowed to take pointer anywhere in file and do editing.

2] Are you using same file stream to read and edit file ???

solution:
If so then once the word to be edited has been read,you have to take back your pointer back to first byte of the word to be edited using file.fseekp();

One suggestion :

It is always better while editing a file,to create two file streams .One reads file and another writes a temporary file.

Wait a sec!! there is a lot of confusion over here. Let me post the exact function block of code.

void team::team_list()
{
string str ="(team)";//existing word
string strTemp;
string tname;// to be placed in file
cout<<"\n\n"<<"\t\t\t"<<"Enter the team name: ";
cin.sync();
getline(cin,tname,'\n');
name +=".doc";
fstream file(tname.c_str());
CopyFile("D:\\C++\\proj\\team.doc",tname.c_str(),TRUE);
file.close();
ifstream second(tname.c_str(), ios::in);
while(!second.eof())
{
   if(strTemp == str)// I'm facing problem here
      second<<tname;
}
  dept_stud();
}

so here it is....... in which I'm not opening the file in append mode..... I'll brief you about what my entire program actually does. The setup consist of a main .exe file and two pre made documents documents..
the 1st document is a letter to the head of department with the necessary things which are to be entered by the user during the run-time, written as "(date)" etc. the program dynamically creates the file for each dept. and sorts the entered names according to there dept.

the 2nd document consist just a word "(team)" when the user enters the team name, the word team is replaced by the team name.. and after that the players names dept and roll numbers are appended.

So as you can see, for both the documents I have to replace a few things..
your idea about solving the problem is too complicated.. i was expecting the solution, in terms of find() and replace(). And, we do not need to seek a lot for this.. I just don't know how to use these functions!
So pleaase, if you know about these functions tell me about it because, they use less code and hence reduces the complication of seeking.
Awaiting for the best answer.. 😀

find() and replace() cannot be used with files as they are member functions of string class.

Still your code seems erroneous.Please see the highlighted statements.

void team::team_list()
{
string str ="(team)";//existing word
string strTemp;
string tname;// to be placed in file
cout<<"\n\n"<<"\t\t\t"<<"Enter the team name: ";
cin.sync();
getline(cin,tname,'\n');
name +=".doc";
fstream file(tname.c_str());
CopyFile("D:\\C++\\proj\\team.doc",tname.c_str(),TRUE);
file.close();
ifstream second(tname.c_str(), ios::in); / file opened for read purpose
while(!second.eof())
{
if(strTemp == str)// I'm facing problem here
second<<tname; // using second for output ???}
dept_stud();
}

This code should have given compile time error. May be you pasted wrong code again.
But still there are more doubts like strTemp is carrying what data ?

Anyways, I am giving my own code which should work for your program .Perhaps you might feel its complicated ,but it definitely gives result and edits the text files.
And its is alternative to using fseek() function .

void Category::replace()
{
    cout<<"Enter Category Name to be replaced in file : ";
 
    cin>>catName;
 
    string newCat;
 
 
    cout<<"Enter New  Category : ";
 
    cin>>newCat; // new  category called newCat
 
    ifstream fin;
    ofstream fout;
 
    fileIn(fin,catFile);      //  function to open file in read mode ,fin assocaited with existing file of
                              //  of categories
 
    string catFileTemp; // temp file created
 
    catFileTemp=catFile;
 
    int x=catFileTemp.find("\.");
 
    catFileTemp.insert(x,"temp");
 
    fileOut(fout,catFileTemp);  // uisng function fileOut : fout stream assocaited with temp file
 
    string cat;
    while(fin>>cat)                  // reading exiting file and writing to temp file
    {
 
        if(cat==catName)        // when word to be replaced is detected, the new
 
                                        // word is inserted in  temp  file.
        {
            cat=newcat;
        }
        cat.append("\n",2);
        fout<<cat;
    }
 
    fin.close();
 
    fout.close();
 
    fileCopyStr(catFileTemp,catFile);// user defined function which copies  temp file to old file and
 
                                        // deletes temp file
  }
 

Hope it helps.All the best . 👍

Thanks a lot...
So I'll stick to your code here.. I do have some doubts in it!!

void Category::replace()
{
    cout<<"Enter Category Name to be replaced in file : ";
 
    cin>>catName;
 
    string newCat;
 
 
    cout<<"Enter New  Category : ";
 
    cin>>newCat;
 
    ifstream fin;
    ofstream fout;
 
    fileIn(fin,catFile);                             
 
    string catFileTemp; //temp file created  ... (Is this a temp file created or string??)
 
    catFileTemp=catFile;
 
    int x=catFileTemp.find("\.");
 
    catFileTemp.insert(x,"temp");
 
    fileOut(fout,catFileTemp); 
 
    string cat;
    while(fin>>cat)                 
    {
 
        if(cat==catName)      
 
                                       
        {
            cat=newcat;
        }
        cat.append("\n",2);    // What does this line do??
        fout<<cat;
    }

I've re commented the code, check it once
remaining things are fine!!
But, I'm sorry I'm gonna use you a li'l more.. Hope you don't mind!! 😀

I have another problem over here.. dealing with the same thing though.. But i just want to know can we perform the same thing in this kind of file??

I'm getting a few errors in the programs you have given!
fileIn() and fileOut() functions are not in scope...
catFileTemp.insert(x,"temp");

I didn't understand this part too...

Vishal0203

Thanks a lot...
So I'll stick to your code here.. I do have some doubts in it!!

void Category::replace()
{
    cout<<"Enter Category Name to be replaced in file : ";
 
    cin>>catName;
 
    string newCat;
 
 
    cout<<"Enter New  Category : ";
 
    cin>>newCat;
 
    ifstream fin;
    ofstream fout;
 
    fileIn(fin,catFile);                       
 
    string catFileTemp; //temp file created  ... (Is this a temp file created or string??)
 
    catFileTemp=catFile;
 
    int x=catFileTemp.find("\.");
 
    catFileTemp.insert(x,"temp");
 
    fileOut(fout,catFileTemp);
 
    string cat;
    while(fin>>cat)           
    {
 
        if(cat==catName) 
 
                                 
        {
            cat=newcat;
        }
        cat.append("\n",2);    // What does this line do??
        fout<<cat;
    }

I've re commented the code, check it once
remaining things are fine!!
But, I'm sorry I'm gonna use you a li'l more.. Hope you don't mind!! 😀

I have another problem over here.. dealing with the same thing though.. But i just want to know can we perform the same thing in this kind of file??

No problem buddy.Cpp is my favorite like yours.
Now your query :

1] About the code

I have replaced you queries with answers in code the below.Just check out the comments.

void Category::replace()
{
cout<<"Enter Category Name to be replaced in file : ";
 
cin>>catName;
 
string newCat;
 
 
cout<<"Enter New Category : ";
 
cin>>newCat;
 
ifstream fin;
ofstream fout;
 
fileIn(fin,catFile);
 
string catFileTemp; [COLOR=#ff0000]//temp file created ... (Is this a temp file created or string?[/COLOR]
 
*/ans :
You are correct a string is created.This string contains name of temp file.
There is a function which i used below like fileIn(catFile,fin);
This user defined function takes trouble to convert string catFile to char array
and open file using fin.open(catFileArray,ios::in);
Why did extra work of creating string then array and then file opening ??
This you very well know as strings provide more flexibility such as find() and insert()
then arrays.
*/
 
catFileTemp=catFile;
 
int x=catFileTemp.find("\.");
 
catFileTemp.insert(x,"temp");
 
fileOut(fout,catFileTemp);
 
string cat;
while(fin>>cat)
{
 
if(cat==catName)
 
 
{
cat=newcat;
}
cat.append("\n",2); // What does this line do??
fout<<cat;
}
 
/* Ans:
 
cat.append("abc",3) : it adds 3 characters to end of string.
For example :
 
if cat is "123";
 
after cat.append("xyz",3);
 
cat becomes "123xyz".
 
Now why "\n" was appended is some thing required by output of program.It was desired that the text file should show one category in one line(That is '\n' is between two categories).
You may omit it ,if not required.
 
*/

1] fileIn() and fileOut() functions are functions defined by

2] int x=catFileTemp.find("\."); catFileTemp.insert(x,"temp");

x gets location at of '.' in string catFileTemp.

Purpose is you copies catFile to catTempFile.Now you are going to create another
file using catTempFile(that is temp).
So to add temp in file name i.e. to get file name " documentTemp.txt "
above two statements are used.

2] Now will it work for the certificate shown above ???
Ans :

You said that the file (having certificate details ) is already on drive .
Right ?
Can you tell in which form is it .docx or .txt .

grsalvi

2] Now will it work for the certificate shown above ???
Ans :

You said that the file (having certificate details ) is already on drive .
Right ?
Can you tell in which form is it .docx or .txt .

it is in .doc format as the .docx doesn't support manipulation... (bloody microsoft people)

grsalvi

1] fileIn() and fileOut() functions are functions defined by

2] int x=catFileTemp.find("\."); catFileTemp.insert(x,"temp");

x gets location at of '.' in string catFileTemp.

Purpose is you copies catFile to catTempFile.Now you are going to create another
file using catTempFile(that is temp).
So to add temp in file name i.e. to get file name " documentTemp.txt "
above two statements are used.

Are functions defined by?? I think you didn't complete the sentence...

Vishal0203

it is in .doc format as the .docx doesn't support manipulation... (bloody microsoft people)

My program actually wrote,read and allowed editing in ANSI format for .txt files.
If the .doc is written in same format ,it will work definitely.

Vishal0203

Are functions defined by?? I think you didn't complete the sentence...

There are just user defined functions.

grsalvi

My program actually wrote,read and allowed editing in ANSI format for .txt files.
If the .doc is written in same format ,it will work definitely.

i get problems editing this format... I surfed the web for this and found that there is a different way to manipulate this format... And it can be done only in Microsoft Visual C++ 👀

Vishal0203

i get problems editing this format... I surfed the web for this and found that there is a different way to manipulate this format... And it can be done only in Microsoft Visual C++ 👀

Yes,even i doubt if .doc will work.
Do you think copying from .doc the content and pasting it to .txt file and then working on .txt file using your program ,will work???

Because .doc add lots of thing according to Microsoft standards which is not present in a .txt file.

grsalvi

Yes,even i doubt if .doc will work.
Do you think copying from .doc the content and pasting it to .txt file and then working on .txt file using your program ,will work???

Because .doc add lots of thing according to Microsoft standards which is not present in a .txt file.

nope.. I don't think it'll work... it'll not even seek the file.. I tried this long back.. the c++ codes cannot manipulate the borders fonts etc. 👀

Vishal0203

nope.. I don't think it'll work... it'll not even seek the file.. I tried this long back.. the c++ codes cannot manipulate the borders fonts etc. 👀

Exactly,its beyond c++ scope.C++ works on plain text format.
so if you write .doc as simple text file while borders and other page designers are not omitted ,it is possible.
Find out ,what you can do and Post here ,let me know.