Issue with ofstream

[aguycalledjoe]

I'm having some difficulty getting my program to write into a file using ofstream.
I checked my code but I can't find the error. Everything runs to completion but it doesn't write into the file.

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

int main()
{
  ofstream file;
  file.open("file.txt");
  file << "TEST";
  file.close();

return 0;
}

All and any help is greatly appreciated!

[kyiro37]

Well I wasn't taught to do it that way, but this is how I would write the code:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

int main()
{
ofstream file("file.txt");
file<<"TEST";

return(0);
}

[aguycalledjoe]

Still no file being written. I even copy&pasted it... I'm on a Mac using Xcode btw. Not sure if that would make a difference.

[kyiro37]

Sorry, I see what I did wrong.

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
	
	ofstream file("File.txt");

	file<<"TEST"<<endl;

return(0);
}

I forgot about using namespace std; after the #include 's.

I think you could also do it this way:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

int main()
{
	
	std::ofstream file("File.txt");

	file<<"TEST"<<std::endl;

return(0);
}

Sooo, basically, you just forgot to use using namespace std; in your code...

Sorry that I didn't realize that in the first place!

[aguycalledjoe]

okay so I tried using this:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
std::ofstream file("file.txt");
file << "TEST";

return 0;
}

Still, nothing writes. I also tried using the code you provided, but that didn't work either. I wonder what's causing the issue...

[aguycalledjoe]

Whoops, pasted the wrong code. Here is what I tested most recently:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    ofstream file("file.txt");
    file << "TEST";
    
return 0;
}

[MrHutch]

Works fine for me. Are you looking in the right place for your file?

[Manga]

This works for me.

#include <iostream>


using namespace std;

int main() {

	FILE *readtest = fopen ("readthis.txt", "w+"); //create text file for read/write.
	
	
	if ( readtest != NULL ) {
		fprintf ( readtest, "Hi" );
	}
	
	
	return 0;
}

EDIT
the w+ in this code creates the file and if such file is already created the w+ will delete and replace the old file with new one created. To only open a file and write to it use r+

[Chervil]

Rather than just trying variations of the same code. you should check the status of the file and display a suitable message if a problem is found.
For example you can test if (!file.open()) before output, and if (!file.good()) afterwards.

But I suspect iHutch105 has hit the nail on the head, you may be looking in the wrong location (directory or subdirectory) for the file.

[aguycalledjoe]

Thank you everyone for all your help!

It turns out that the issue was because I am on a Mac. Basically, I needed an absolute path, unlike windows where the file would be created where the .exe file is.

So instead of doing:

ofstream file("test.txt");
file << "test";

I needed to do:

ios_base::open_mode mode = ios_base::app;
file.open("/Users/Joe/Desktop/test.txt", mode);
file << "test";