void function to merge two text files

[jingojam]

Please see my code, it works fine by importing the merged two text files to a merged file. But am trying to use void function instead which is not working, I have removed my void function using //, any advise?? will also like to print it out and see how it looks on the console.

  #include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <iomanip>
#include <string>
#include<fstream>
using namespace std;

//void merge (ifstream& myfile, ifstream& myfile2, ofstream& merged);

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{

		
	ifstream myfile("C:\\chemicalelements1.txt", ios::in);
	ifstream myfile2("C:\\chemicalelements2.txt", ios::in);
	ofstream merged("C:\\merged.txt", ios::out);
	merged << myfile.rdbuf() << myfile2.rdbuf();


	myfile.close();
	myfile2.close();
	merged.close();
	
		
		

		
		
	system("PAUSE");
	return 0;
}

	/*void merge (ifstream& myfile, ifstream& myfile2, ofstream& merged) {
		
		
		ifstream myfile("C:\\chemicalelements1.txt", ios::in);
		ifstream myfile2("C:\\chemicalelements2.txt", ios::in);
		ofstream merged("C:\\merged.txt", ios::out);
		merged << myfile.rdbuf() << myfile2.rdbuf();

		
		myfile.close();
		myfile2.close();
		merged.close();
		 
		
		
	
}*/

[Peter87]

You should probably not create any ifstreams inside the merge function.

[jingojam]

After removing ifstreams inside the merge function, it seems to be working, but inside main, merged(); has an error underlined, not sure why but it still works. I also want to print it out on the console. Used: cout<<merged; does not work! any ideas?

[jlb]

Well merge() is a function that takes three parameters where have you called this function?

[AbstractionAnon]

Do you understand what rdbuf() does? It returns a pointer to the stream's underlying buffer. http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/ios/ios/rdbuf/
You have no guarantee that all the data from the file is in the stream's buffer.

Your merge function won't compile. Lines 36-38 result in duplicate defined symbols (also declared as arguments on line 33).