Open file based on user input

[gamebuster]

I'm trying to open a file for read operations and open another file for write operations, but already in the beginning there are problems compiling it.

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

int main () {
	string filename;
	char inputfilename, outputfilename;

	ifstream inputfile;
	while(!inputfile.is_open()) {
		cout << "Input filename: ";
		getline (cin, inputfilename);
		inputfile.open(inputfilename,ios::in | ios::binary);
	}

	ofstream outputfile;
	while(!inputfile.is_open()) {
		cout << "Output filename: ";
		getline (cin, outputfilename);
		outputfile.open(outputfilename,ios::out | ios::binary);
	}
	
	system("pause");
	return 0;
}

But it can't be compiled.

Full error code:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

1

1>Compiling... 1>livc++.cpp 1>.\livc++.cpp(13) : error C2664: 'void std::basic_ifstream<_Elem,_Traits>::open(const wchar_t *,std::ios_base::openmode,int)' : cannot convert parameter 1 from 'std::string' to 'const wchar_t *' 1> with 1> [ 1> _Elem=char, 1> _Traits=std::char_traits<char> 1> ] 1> No user-defined-conversion operator available that can perform this conversion, or the operator cannot be called 1>.\livc++.cpp(20) : error C2664: 'void std::basic_ofstream<_Elem,_Traits>::open(const wchar_t *,std::ios_base::openmode,int)' : cannot convert parameter 1 from 'std::string' to 'const wchar_t *' 1> with 1> [ 1> _Elem=char, 1> _Traits=std::char_traits<char> 1> ] 1> No user-defined-conversion operator available that can perform this conversion, or the operator cannot be called 1>Build log was saved at "file://c:\Users\Toby Hinloopen\Documents\Visual Studio 2005\Projects\livc++\livc++\Release\BuildLog.htm" 1>livc++ - 2 error(s), 0 warning(s) ========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========

Based on the error, i think i need to convert the string to "const wchar_t *", but i've never heard of that variable type.

Another thing,
system("pause") calls "pause.exe"... doesn't it?
is there another way (exept for "while(1){}") to stop the application from closing after the function is comlete?

FIXED using

std::cout << "Press ENTER to continue...";
std::cin.ignore( std::numeric_limits<std::streamsize>::max(), '\n' );

and "#include <limits>"

FIXED even better with:

#include <limits>
void pause() {
	std::cout << "Press ENTER to continue...";
	std::cin.ignore( std::numeric_limits<std::streamsize>::max(), '\n' );
}

in the top of the code, right under al the other includes

[seymore15074]

Try making inputfilename and outputfilename strings on line 8. Then I think you'll need to also call the strings' c_str() methods to pass them to the open functions.

[helios]

Huh????
open() doesn't take a const wchar_t *, it takes a const char *!
WTF?

[SigmaSecurity]

Just as a tip if you type:
using namespace std;

before your main(), you can avoid typing the std::'s everywhere.

[gamebuster]

FIXED using:

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

#include <limits>
void pause() {
	cout << "Press ENTER to continue...";
	cin.ignore( std::numeric_limits<std::streamsize>::max(), '\n' );
}

int main () {
	string filename,inputfilename, outputfilename;
	ifstream inputfile;
	while(!inputfile.is_open()) {
		cout << "Input filename: ";
		getline (cin, inputfilename);
		inputfile.open(inputfilename.c_str(),ios::in | ios::binary);
	}

	ofstream outputfile;
	while(!outputfile.is_open()) {
		cout << "Output filename: ";
		getline (cin, outputfilename);
		outputfile.open(outputfilename.c_str(),ios::out | ios::binary);
	}
	
	pause();
	return 0;
}

thanks to seymore.