Question of ofstream / fstream methods to modify a specific line in atext file.

[Ramesh]

Hello,

I am using the ofstream class to create a text file with keys and
values like:

Key1=Value10
Key2=Value15
Key3=Value20

In case I need to set a new value for Key2, say value50 - I am able to
read and get the value, not sure how to replace that specific value
after '=' for a specific line - Please advice which class / method can
help me achieve this?

thanks
/R

Here is my code snippet:

-----
using namespace std;

#include <iostream>



bool SetVal4Key(std::string Key, std::string Value) {

ofstream cfgfile;
bool status = FALSE;
string sLine;
string buf;
UINT32 pos = 0;
string Delim = "=";


cfgfile.open ("/etc/config.txt", ios::noreplace | ios::app);
if (!cfgfile) {
cout << Failed to open config file - unable to continue" << endl;
return status;
}

while (!cfgfile.eof()) {

std::getline(cfgfile, buf);

// Dump the content for debugging purpose

len = buf.size();
pos = buf.find(Key, 0);

if (!pos) {
pos = buf.find(Delim, 0);

//Modify the string
buf.erase
buf= Key;
buf.append = Value;

// Write to the specific line in the file where the key is already
present
status = TRUE;
cfgfile.close();
status = TRUE;
}
cout << "Failed to locate the key" << endl;
}
return status;

}

----

 

[Barry]

Hello,

I am using the ofstream class to create a text file with keys and
values like:

Key1=Value10
Key2=Value15
Key3=Value20

In case I need to set a new value for Key2, say value50 - I am able to
read and get the value, not sure how to replace that specific value
after '=' for a specific line - Please advice which class / method can
help me achieve this?

thanks
/R

Here is my code snippet:

-----
using namespace std;

#include <iostream>

bool SetVal4Key(std::string Key, std::string Value) {

ofstream        cfgfile;
bool            status = FALSE;
string          sLine;
string          buf;
UINT32          pos = 0;
string          Delim = "=";

cfgfile.open ("/etc/config.txt", ios::noreplace | ios::app);
if (!cfgfile) {
        cout << Failed to open config file - unable to continue" << endl;
        return status;

}

while (!cfgfile.eof()) {

        std::getline(cfgfile, buf);

        // Dump the content for debugging purpose

        len = buf.size();
        pos = buf.find(Key, 0);

        if (!pos) {
                pos = buf.find(Delim, 0);

                //Modify the string
                buf.erase
                buf= Key;
                buf.append = Value;

                // Write to the specific line in the file where the key is already
present
                status = TRUE;
                cfgfile.close();
                status = TRUE;
        }
        cout << "Failed to locate the key" << endl;}

return status;

}

ios::noreplace is none-standard.

There's no way to modify the file inplace with standard C++.
You can load the file into vector<string>
modifies the strings. then overwrite the original file.

if the file to too large to do so, find out the platform APIs to
modify inplace.

 

[Ramesh]

ios::noreplace is none-standard.

There's no way to modify the file inplace with standard C++.
You can load the file into vector<string>
modifies the strings. then overwrite the original file.

if the file to too large to do so, find out the platform APIs to
modify inplace.

Yeah just learnt about replace after the compiler didnt like it - am
using ios:ut | ios::app in its place.
I am still digging to see if fseek / fsetpos related functions in
cstdio can be handy, but no clear idea yet

But thanks a bunch for your quick response.

 

[red floyd]

Yeah just learnt about replace after the compiler didnt like it - am
using ios:ut | ios::app in its place.
I am still digging to see if fseek / fsetpos related functions in
cstdio can be handy, but no clear idea yet

The problem is that if you tweak the file inplace, and your replacement
text is bigger, you will clobber text:

e.g.


Key=Value15
Key=Value20

If you replace "Value15" with "Value100", you will get

Key=Value15Key=Value100

It's much safer to read it all, modify it, and write it back out.

 

[news.chris.theis]

Yeah just learnt about replace after the compiler didnt like it - am
using ios:ut | ios::app in its place.
I am still digging to see if fseek / fsetpos related functions in
cstdio can be handy, but no clear idea yet

I'm afraid that fseek & fsetpos won't be much help as you're dealing
with ASCII files. I'd go with Barry's advice to read the whole file
and replace the specific line which needs to be modified before
writing the contents back to another file.

Cheers
Chris

 

[Ramesh]

I'm afraid that fseek & fsetpos won't be much help as you're dealing
with ASCII files. I'd go with Barry's advice to read the whole file
and replace the specific line which needs to be modified before
writing the contents back to another file.

Cheers
Chris

Thanks, yes I gave up - really not worth spending time
right now doing a removal of the old file and modified contents go
into a new file.

Regards
Ramesh