Problem with file input

[Chrispy52x2006]

Let me set this up. I'm working on a Battleship game program. I started it a long time ago and have gone through many iterations of the program (making it more efficient and adding new/more features). I've figured out most of everything out but on my current rewrite, I'm facing a problem that I hadn't encountered before.

I have a login system - in "File/Profile/Human/*USERNAME*/Information.txt", a user name (which I've thought about getting rid of since the folder name is the same), password, and the wins and loses is held. I prompt the user to input a username. It then checks to see if a *USERNAME* folder exists. If it does, the program grabs all the stuff in "Information.txt". Then asks for the users password. If it matches the imported password - you've successfully logged in.

If the user doesn't exist and the name inputted is within bounds (6-16 characters); it's asks if you want to create this user, try a different user name, or just play an exhibition game with this name. Create and exhibition works (with the limited testing I've done so far on it). The problem is when I choose to try a different name.

If from the very beginning I input a proper username, everything works out fine. If I choose an incorrect username and try to input a new name, it doesn't read correctly from the file. It grabs gibberish.

while(UNEntry)
            {   std::cout << "Enter User Name:\n --> ";
                std::cin.clear();
                getline (std::cin,TempName);
                std::cin.clear();
                
                std::string Player_Input = "Files\\Profiles\\Human\\"+TempName+"\\Information.txt";
                Profile.open (Player_Input.c_str(),std::ios::in);
                //std::cout << false << ":" << Profile.is_open() << "\n\n";
                if(Profile.is_open())
                {   Profile >> TempName >> TempPassword >> TempRecord[Zero] >> TempRecord[One];
                    UNEntry = false;
                    std::cout << TempName << TempPassword << TempRecord[Zero] << TempRecord[One];
                }
                else
                {   Spacer();
                    std::string Create[] = {"Create New","1"};
                    std::string Different[] = {"Try a different Username","2"};
                    std::string Exhibition[] = {"Switch to exhibition","3"};
                    int Red = 12, Off_White = 7;
                    int Choice;
                    std::string Answer;
                    
                    HANDLE hConsole;
                    hConsole = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
                    
                    if(TempName.size() < Six)
                    {   Spacer();
                        std::cout << "The user name \"" << TempName << "\", is too short to exist.\n";
                        Space();
                    }
                    else if(TempName.size() >= Seventeen)
                    {   Spacer();
                        std::cout << "The user name \"" << TempName << "\", is too long to exist.\n";
                        Space();
                    }
                    else
                    {   std::cout << "Login Error: " << TempName << " is not a profile.\n\n";
                        std::cout << "Do you want to:\n";
                        for(int Step = One ; Step < Four ; Step++)
                        {   Tab();
                            SetConsoleTextAttribute(hConsole, Red);
                            std::cout << Step;
                            SetConsoleTextAttribute(hConsole, Off_White);
                            std::cout << ". ";
                            if(Step == One)
                            {   std::cout << Create[Zero];
                            }
                            if(Step == Two)
                            {   std::cout << Different[Zero];
                            }
                            if(Step == Three)
                            {   std::cout << Exhibition[Zero];
                            }
                            Space();
                        }
                        std::cin.clear();
                        std::cout << "\n\t   -> ";
                        getline (std::cin,Answer);
                    
                        if(Answer.length() == One)
                        {   Choice = atoi(Answer.c_str());
                            switch(Choice)
                            {   case One:
                                    Name = TempName;
                                    Human::Create();
                                    Entry = false;
                                    UNEntry = false;
                                    PWEntry = false;
                                    return true;
                                break;
                                case Two:
                                    Spacer();
                                    std::cout << "Try something else then\n\n";
                                    //PWEntry = true;
                                break;
                                case Three:
                                    Entry = false;
                                    UNEntry = false;
                                    PWEntry = false;
                                    return false;
                                break;
                                default:
                                    Spacer();
                                    std::cout << "Error: Improper input\n\n";
                            }
                        }
                        else
                        {   Spacer();
                            std::cout << "Error: Improper input\n\n";
                        }
                    } 
                }
                Profile.close();
            }

is the part of the function that's screwing up. The rest of the function handles the password input/check. I know I could split these parts up but it's really not needed.

I've tried implementing "eof()" but it would infinite loop when it was doing file input.


Last, I know there is probably a lot of programming rules I'm breaking. That doesn't bother me at all. This program is purely for fun and is only meant for such.

Thanks for any help.

[ne555]

Get rid of those magic numbers (or bad choice of name).
Did you try Profile.clear() ?

I've tried implementing "eof()" but it would infinite loop when it was doing file input.

I don't understand.

[Chrispy52x2006]

I'll try Profile.clear()

I'm not sure what "magic numbers" you are referring to.

Forget about eof().



EDIT: I made it

if(Profile.is_open())
                {   Profile.clear();
                    Profile >> TempName >> TempPassword >> TempRecord[Zero] >> TempRecord[One];
                    UNEntry = false;
                }

and it worked. At least all the test cases I could think off (the ones that broke it in the first place) worked. Thank you.

[ne555]

Zero, One, Two, Three, Four -> those are magic numbers.

[Chrispy52x2006]

Oh those. They are global variables that are just ints that are the value that is there name. Yeah, I know it's horrible looking/coding, I just don't like seeing "hard coded" numbers.

[ne555]

But the result is the same. It keeps you from expanding your program, and makes the logic hard to follow.

enum choices{Create=1, Change, Exhibition};
switch( Choice ){
case Create:
//...
case Change:
//...
case Exhibition:
//...
}

if(TempName.size() < min_Size)
                    {   Spacer();
                        std::cout << "The user name \"" << TempName << "\", is too short to exist.\n";
                        Space();
                    }
                    else if(TempName.size() >= max_Size)
                    {   Spacer();
//or better
if( not acceptable(TempName) )

[bigearsbilly]

messing about with text files is quite a pain.
you could make life easy for yourself
maybe, try a different approach and get on with the fun parts.

http://www.sqlite.org