std::ifstream::get() in C++

Reading files efficiently is an important task for any programmer in C++. There are various methods that you can use to read a file efficiently, but they don’t allow you to read the low-level input streams. Here is a method that can be used to read a file easily and also overcomes this disadvantage, i.e., the std::ifstream::get() method in C++.

What is std::ifstream::get() in C++

The std::ifstream::get() function in C++ is used to read single characters or lines from a file, including the whitespaces, which are ignored by the operator>>.

Syntax:

istream& get(char* s, std::streamsize n, char delim);

Parameters:

• ch: It is a character variable that stores the read character.
• s: It is a character array where the data will be stored.
• n: It represents the number of characters to read.

Returns: It returns istream&.

Read a File Using std::ifstream::get()

In C++, for reading the files, you can also use the std::ifstream::get() function, as it is a low-level function and is suitable for basic character-by-character reading. The std::ifstream::get() reads a single character from the input stream and stores it in a variable ch. It has two versions: in one, it reads up to n characters, and in the other version, it can read n-1 characters in the character array. Also, it stops when it encounters a new line, but it does not guarantee reading when the file is longer than the buffer size. This method is useful when you need precise control over the reading process.

Example:

File name: sample.txt

Hello, this is a test file.
Happy Coding!

Output:

The code shows that the std::ifstream::get() reads the file character-by-character, but it gives the output as a line, and after reading the input data the file is closed.

Another Example:

File name: sample.txt

Happy Coding!
Let’s read this file!

Output:

The code shows that the std::ifstream::get() reads the file character-by-character, but it gives the output as a line, and after reading the input data the file is closed.

Conclusion

The std::ifstream::get() in C++ provides you with a simple and easy process to read files. As we have discussed above, this method allows the character-by-character reading of a file and also handles the various types of inputs easily. However, it is important to manage the buffer size to prevent overflow while using his method. So, by understanding this method with examples, you can easily read a file in C++.

Some Other Methods to Read a File Line by Line in C++

• Read from a Binary File in C++
• eof() in C++
• getline() Function in C++
• basic_istream::operator>> in C++
• istream::readsome() in C++