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Example

FILE *f1, *f2, *f3, *f4;

To open text file c:\abc.txt for ready only:

f1 = fopen("c:\\abc.txt", "r");

To open text file c:\list.dat for write only:

f2 = fopen("c:\\list.dat", "w");

To open text file c:\abc.txt for read-write:

f3 = fopen("c:\\abc.txt", "r+");

To open binary file c:\liststudent.dat for write only:

f4 = fopen("c:\\liststudent.dat", "wb");

The file pointer will be used with all other functions that operate on the file and it must never be altered or the object it points to.

File checking

if (file_pointer_name == NULL) {printf("Error opening file.");<Action for error>} else{<Action for success>}

Before using an input/output file it is worth checking that the file has been correctly opened first. A call to fopen() may result in an error due to a number of reasons including:

  • A file opened for reading does not exist;
  • A file opened for reading is read protected;
  • A file is being opened for writing in a folder or directory where you do not have write access.

If the operation is successful, fopen () returns an address which can be used as a stream. If a file is not successfully opened, the value NULL is returned. An error opening a file can occur if the file was to be opened for reading and did not exist, or a file opened for writing could not be created due to lack of disk space. It is important to always check that the file has opened correctly before proceeding in the program.

FILE *fp; if ((fp = fopen("myfile", "r")) ==NULL){printf("Error opening file\n"); exit(1);}
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Once a file has been opened, depending upon its mode, you may read and/or write bytes to or from it.

Access to text files

Write data to text files

When writing data to text files, C provides three functions: fprintf() , fputs() , fputc() .

The fprintf() function prototype is as follows:

int fprintf(FILE *fp, char *format, ...);

This function writes to the file specified by file pointer fp a sequence of data formatted as the format argument specifies. After the format parameter, the function expects at least as many additional arguments as specified in format. Depending on the format string, the function may expect a sequence of additional arguments, each containing one value to be inserted instead of each %-tag specified in the format parameter, if any. There should be the same number of these arguments as the number of %-tags that expect a value.

Return value: On success, the total number of characters written is returned. On failure, a negative number is returned.

#include<stdio.h>int main () {FILE * fp; int n;char name [50];fp = fopen ("myfile.txt","w"); for (n=0 ; n<3 ; n++) {puts ("Please, enter a name: "); gets (name);fprintf (fp, "Name %d [%-10.10s]\n",n,name);} fclose (fp);return 0; }
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This example prompts 3 times the user for a name and then writes them to myfile.txt each one in a line with a fixed length (a total of 19 characters + newline). Two format tags are used: %d : signed decimal integer, %-10.10s : left aligned (-), minimum of ten characters (10), maximum of ten characters (.10), String (s).

Questions & Answers

Discuss the differences between taste and flavor, including how other sensory inputs contribute to our  perception of flavor.
John Reply
taste refers to your understanding of the flavor . while flavor one The other hand is refers to sort of just a blend things.
Faith
While taste primarily relies on our taste buds, flavor involves a complex interplay between taste and aroma
Kamara
which drugs can we use for ulcers
Ummi Reply
omeprazole
Kamara
what
Renee
what is this
Renee
is a drug
Kamara
of anti-ulcer
Kamara
Omeprazole Cimetidine / Tagament For the complicated once ulcer - kit
Patrick
what is the function of lymphatic system
Nency Reply
Not really sure
Eli
to drain extracellular fluid all over the body.
asegid
The lymphatic system plays several crucial roles in the human body, functioning as a key component of the immune system and contributing to the maintenance of fluid balance. Its main functions include: 1. Immune Response: The lymphatic system produces and transports lymphocytes, which are a type of
asegid
to transport fluids fats proteins and lymphocytes to the blood stream as lymph
Adama
what is anatomy
Oyindarmola Reply
Anatomy is the identification and description of the structures of living things
Kamara
what's the difference between anatomy and physiology
Oyerinde Reply
Anatomy is the study of the structure of the body, while physiology is the study of the function of the body. Anatomy looks at the body's organs and systems, while physiology looks at how those organs and systems work together to keep the body functioning.
AI-Robot
what is enzymes all about?
Mohammed Reply
Enzymes are proteins that help speed up chemical reactions in our bodies. Enzymes are essential for digestion, liver function and much more. Too much or too little of a certain enzyme can cause health problems
Kamara
yes
Prince
how does the stomach protect itself from the damaging effects of HCl
Wulku Reply
little girl okay how does the stomach protect itself from the damaging effect of HCL
Wulku
it is because of the enzyme that the stomach produce that help the stomach from the damaging effect of HCL
Kamara
function of digestive system
Ali Reply
function of digestive
Ali
the diagram of the lungs
Adaeze Reply
what is the normal body temperature
Diya Reply
37 degrees selcius
Xolo
37°c
Stephanie
please why 37 degree selcius normal temperature
Mark
36.5
Simon
37°c
Iyogho
the normal temperature is 37°c or 98.6 °Fahrenheit is important for maintaining the homeostasis in the body the body regular this temperature through the process called thermoregulation which involves brain skin muscle and other organ working together to maintain stable internal temperature
Stephanie
37A c
Wulku
what is anaemia
Diya Reply
anaemia is the decrease in RBC count hemoglobin count and PVC count
Eniola
what is the pH of the vagina
Diya Reply
how does Lysin attack pathogens
Diya
acid
Mary
I information on anatomy position and digestive system and there enzyme
Elisha Reply
anatomy of the female external genitalia
Muhammad Reply
Organ Systems Of The Human Body (Continued) Organ Systems Of The Human Body (Continued)
Theophilus Reply
what's lochia albra
Kizito
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Source:  OpenStax, Introduction to computer science. OpenStax CNX. Jul 29, 2009 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10776/1.1
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