Problem with <iomanip> alignment.

[packetpirate]

I'm having trouble aligning some text with setw and the left alignment. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the fact that I'm printing from a function. The text within quotes aligns fine, but the output from the function aligns to the right and screws up the placement of the text after it. Here's my code:

void playerReadout(vector<player> players, int numOfPlayers)
{
	for(int i = 0;i < numOfPlayers;i++)
	{
		cout << "Player #" << (i + 1) << " - (" << players[i].getName() << ")" << endl;
		cout << "---------" << endl;
		cout << left << setw(20) << "HP: " << players[i].getCurrHP() << "/" << players[i].getMaxHP()
			 << setw(20) << "Bloodied: " << players[i].getBloodied() << endl
			 << setw(20) << "Surge Value: " << players[i].getSurgeValue()
			 << setw(20) << "Surges Left: " << players[i].getSurges() << endl;
		cout << "AC: " << players[i].getAC() << endl
			 << "Fortitude: " << players[i].getFort() << endl
			 << "Reflex: " << players[i].getRef() << endl
			 << "Will: " << players[i].getWill() << endl;
		cout << "Initiative Bonus: " << players[i].getInit() << endl;
		cout << "Statuses: ";
		players[i].printStatuses();
		cout << endl;
		cout << "---------" << endl;
		cout << endl;
	}
}

And here's the output I'm having trouble with:

Player #1 - (Rolen)
----------
HP:                   54/59Bloodied:         29
Surge Value:      14Surges Left:       3
AC: 22
Fortitude: 17
Reflex: 20
Will: 18
Initiative Bonus: 8
Statuses: None
----------

[packetpirate]

I tried changing the cout statements so that it's not all just one big statement, but it had no effect. Any ideas?

[packetpirate]

If it helps, it should look something like:

Player #1 - (Rolen)
----------
HP: 54/59           Bloodied: 29
Surge Value: 14     Surges Left: 3
AC: 22
Fortitude: 17
Reflex: 20
Will: 18
Initiative Bonus: 8
Statuses: None
----------

[hanst99]

You should only have one setw per line. Or rather, the problem is the second setw's don't do anything useful, but rather mess up your output.
PS: What you probably want to do is this:

cout << left << "HP: " << players[i].getCurrHP() <<setw(20) "/" << players[i].getMaxHP()
	           << "Bloodied: " << players[i].getBloodied() << endl;

[packetpirate]

No, because with only one setw function call, it will cut off all text after the first 20 characters. It's going to require a setw for each cout statement, but what I don't understand is why the output from my functions are floating to the right when I put a "left" statement in there.

[matsom]

well, why don't you use a simpler solution: "\t"

[hanst99]

well, why don't you use a simpler solution: "\t"

Worst suggestion ever. Please reflect on that statement.

[matsom]

Worst suggestion ever. Please reflect on that statement.

Why is it worst ever? How is this not give the output OP wanted?

cout << "HP: " << 35 << "/" << 56 << "\t\t" << "Bloodied: " << 12 << endl;
cout << "Surge Value: " << 34 << "\t\t" << "Surges Left: " << 35 << endl; 

[hanst99]

Exactly, it isn't. The width of a tab is undefined, with setw you can precisely control how it looks like.

[packetpirate]

So nobody knows why it's doing this?

[matsom]

I see, thanks for that explanation.

[hanst99]

Huh, I told you didn't I? Your code is wrong.

hanst99 wrote:

What you probably want to do is this:

cout << left << "HP: " << players[i].getCurrHP() << "/" <<setw(20)<< players[i].getMaxHP()
	           << "Bloodied: " << players[i].getBloodied() << endl;

EDIT: ohps, mine too. fixed.

[packetpirate]

hanst, you obviously didn't read my response to your original post.

[hanst99]

I'm not saying one setw alltogether, but only one setw per line. Please just try that line that I posted and see if that does what you want and fix the other lines accordingly, of course I am not going to write the entire code for you.

And

No, because with only one setw function call, it will cut off all text after the first 20 characters.

no it doesn't. I think you got a wrong impression on what setw does.

[packetpirate]

Yes, and as I stated in my third post, I already tried using multiple statements. Here is my current code:

void playerReadout(vector<player> players, int numOfPlayers)
{
	for(int i = 0;i < numOfPlayers;i++)
	{
		cout << "Player #" << (i + 1) << " - (" << players[i].getName() << ")" << endl;
		cout << "---------" << endl;
		cout << setw(20) << left << "HP: " << players[i].getCurrHP() << "/" << players[i].getMaxHP();
		cout << "     ";
		cout << setw(20) << left << "Bloodied: " << players[i].getBloodied() << endl;
		cout << setw(20) << left << "Surge Value: " << players[i].getSurgeValue();
		cout << "     ";
		cout << setw(20) << left << "Surges Left: " << players[i].getSurges() << endl;
		cout << "AC: " << players[i].getAC() << endl
			 << "Fortitude: " << players[i].getFort() << endl
			 << "Reflex: " << players[i].getRef() << endl
			 << "Will: " << players[i].getWill() << endl;
		cout << "Initiative Bonus: " << players[i].getInit() << endl;
		cout << "Statuses: ";
		players[i].printStatuses();
		cout << endl;
		cout << "---------" << endl;
		cout << endl;
	}
}

[hanst99]

And that is wrong, as I just told you earlier. setw is a manipulator that makes sure that the next thing that is being inserted into the stream is filled to at least the size of it's parameter. So what this:
cout << setw(20) << left << "HP: "
does is to set the state of cout so that the alignment is left (which means simplified, what you write is on the left side and the fill characters will be on the right) and that the overall width of the next insertion is 20 characters. In this case, this is "HP: " - basically, this means it will insert "HP:" and 17 space characters.

[packetpirate]

So how can I set the width for both "HP: " and the output from the function?

[hanst99]

You call setw after the function. If you want to make sure that 20 is the overall width of the entire string, convert the output to a string via a stringstream before making the output.