Reading Binary Files in C++

Reading the binary files requires some special methods in C++ to handle the raw data efficiently. There are various methods to read a normal text file, but you cannot use them to read a binary file. Here is a method that can be used to read a binary file, i.e., the  std::ifstream::read() method in C++.

What is std::ifstream::read() in C++?

The std::ifstream::read() function in C++ is used to read the binary files or raw bytes from a file into a character buffer. It reads exact bytes and preserves the formatting in a file.

Syntax:

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

Parameters:

• s: It is a pointer to a character array or buffer where the data will be stored.
• n: The number of bytes to read.

Returns: It returns a reference to std::isteam.

Using std::ifstream::read() for Binary Files in C++

To read the raw binary data efficiently in C++, you can use std::ifstream with the read() function. You can also use this method when dealing with non-text data such as images, videos, and audio files. It is suitable for both large and small files, as it provides reading files as a whole or in chunks. 

Example:

File name: sample.bin

Hello binary file

Output:

In this code, a binary file is attached and opened. To read the binary files, we use the std::istream::read() function till the end. It can print output as a whole line or in chunks. Then, the file is closed.

Another Example:

File name: sample.bin

Hello, binary file!
Let’s read this file.

Output:

In this code, a binary file is attached and opened. To read the binary files, we use the std::istream::read() function till the end. It can print output as a whole line or in chunks. Then, the file is closed.

Conclusion 

The std::ifstream::read() method in C++ is used for reading binary files in C++. This method handles the raw data easily and is also useful for non-text data such as images, videos, and audio files. So, by understanding this method with examples, you can easily read binary files in C++.

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

• eof() in C++
• getline() Function in C++
• basic_istream::operator>> in C++
• istream::readsome() in C++
• std::ifstream::get() in C++