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Programming in C

Input Output

Standard File Pointers

 Assigned to console unless redirected
 Standard input = stdin
 Used by scan function
 Can be redirected: cmd < input-file
 Standard output = stdout
 Used by printf function
 Can be redirected: cmd > output-file
 Standard error = stderr
 Can be specified in fputs function instead of stdout
 Can be redirected: cmd 2> output-file

Files
 A collection of related data treated as a unit
 Two types
 Text
 Binary
 Stored in secondary storage devices
 Buffer
 Temporary storage area that holds data while they are
being transferred to or from memory.

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Text Files
 Data is mainly stored as human-readable characters
 Each line of data ends with a newline character
  = \n
C666666666 20 8.55
A222222222 50 12.5
F333333333 45 8.5
B444444444 50 9
G555555555 30 6
E111111111 40 10
H777777777 40 12
D888888888 40 11.11
I999999999 45 15

User File Steps

1. Declare a file pointer variable
 Program connection to external user file
2. Open the file
 Creates a structure to store information needed for
processing file and buffer area(s)
 Makes file pointer connection to structure
3. Use functions for input and/or output
 Handles movement of data between program and buffer
and between buffer and external device
4. Close the file
 Writes the buffer to file if necessary
 Frees up memory associated with file

1. File Pointer Declaration

FILE * variable-name-list;
 Defines variables of type FILE*, file pointer
 Pointer is undefined unless initialized
 If not initialized to another value, initialize to NULL
 Examples:

 Following slides will use fp for file pointer

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2. fopen
FILE * fopen(char * filename, char * mode)
 Parameters
 filename – string that supplies the name of the file as
known to the external world
 Default path is current directory
 mode Meaning
r Open file for reading
• If file exists, the marker is positioned at beginning

• If file does not exist, error returned

w Open text file for writing

• If file exists, it is emptied

• If file does not exist, it is created

a Open text file for append

• If file exists, the marker is positioned at the end

• If file does not exist, it is created

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fopen
FILE * fopen(char * filename, char * mode)
 Return
 If successful, file pointer
 If not successful, NULL
 Always check return
 If not successful, print error message and exit
or some other corrective action

fopen
FILE * fopen(char * filename, char * mode)
 Examples

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4. fclose
int fclose(FILE *fp)
 Used to close a file when no longer needed
 Prevents associated file from being accessed again
 Guarantees that data stored in the stream buffer is
written to the file
 Releases the FILE structure so that it can be used with
another file
 Frees system resources, such as buffer space
 Returns zero on success, or EOF on failure

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fclose
 Examples:

 To go back to beginning without fclose then fopen:

void rewind(FILE *fp)

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3. Input/Output Functions
 Formatted Input
 fscanf
 Formatted Output
 fprintf
 String Input
 fgets
 String Output
 fputs

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Input

Formatted Input Functions

 Read and convert a stream of characters and store the
converted values in a list of variables found in the
address list
 scanf
scanf("format string", address list);
 Reads text data from standard input
 fscanf
fscanf(fp, "format string", address list);
 Reads input from the specified file

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Output

Formatted Output Functions

 Displays output in human readable form
 printf
printf("format string", value list);
 Writes to standard output or standard error file
 fprintf
fprintf (fp, "format string", value list);
 Writes to the specified file

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Input

String Input
 Reminder: Watch size of string
 Must be large enough to hold largest input string
 Plus \n perhaps
 Plus \0 perhaps
 C generally gives no warning of this issue

 Standard Input
 getchar: Read one character and return value as int
int getchar()
 gets(): Read line & convert \n to \0, no size check
char *gets (char *strPtr)

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Input

String Input: fgets

char *fgets (char * strPtr, int size, FILE *fp)
 Inputs characters from the specified file pointer
through \n or until specifed size is reached
 Puts newline (\n) in the string if size not reached!!!
 Appends \0 at the end of the string
 If successful, returns the string & places in argument

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Output

String Output
 Standard Output
 putchar: Write one character
int putchar(int outChar)
 puts(): Write line & converting \0 to \n
int puts (const char *strPtr)

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Output

String Output: fputs

int fputs (const char *strPtr, FILE *fp)
 Takes a null-terminated string from memory and writes
it to the specified file pointer
 Drops \0
 Programmer's responsibility: Make sure the newline is
present at the appropriate place(s)

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End of File Controlled Loops

 feof
int feof(FILE *fp)
 Function to check if end of file has been reached.
 For an end of file controlled loop
 Read before the loop
 Test for end of file: while (!feof(fp))
 Inside loop:
 Process
 Read at the bottom of the loop

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Programming in C

THE END

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