When program is running, file is not read

Question

Can someone help me with understanding why this code isn't working, when program is running, "booklist.txt" can't be loaded.

When I call function listbooks while the program is running, it doesn't display anything on the screen, so that's the main problem. (file is not empty.)

  #include <iostream>
    #include <cstdlib>
    #include <fstream>

    using namespace std;
    void listbooks()
    {
        ifstream TheFile("booklist.txt");

        char autor;
        char bookname;
        long int isbn;

        while (TheFile >> autor >> bookname >> isbn)
    {
            cout << autor << " " << bookname << " " << isbn << endl;
    }
    }

    int main()
    {
        int choice;
    do {
            cout << "1.List all books" << endl;
            cout << "2.Borrow book" << endl;
            cout << "3. Exit" << endl;
            cout << "Enter your choice: ";
            cin >> choice;
            switch (choice)
    {
            case 1:
                listbooks; 
                break;
            case 2:
                break;
            default:
                cout << "";
    }
    } while (choice != 3);
        system("pause");
        return 0;
    }

I retracted the comment about the folder because this is just a typo. `listbooks;` does not call a function. I would have expected a warning on this line. — drescherjm, May 24 '19 at 16:29
Does the `author` really have a 1 letter name? Also the book? That would not be very interesting.. Note that `std::string` is a proper string in `c++` and `char` is a single character. — drescherjm, May 24 '19 at 16:35
@L.Krapic You have a typo: `listbooks;` should be `listbooks();`. I voted to close your question accordingly. Also how do you know that the file exists in the same directory that's the programs current working directory. Can you elaborate about how you did this? — πάντα ῥεῖ, May 24 '19 at 16:36
_"File is not located in wrong folder"_ Are you sure? Which folder are you looking in? How do you know it's the right one? Can you show us? — Lightness Races in Orbit, May 24 '19 at 17:41

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered May 24 '19 at 16:27

4

In your switch you have

case 1:
    listbooks; 
    break;

This is not a function call: in C/C++, a function name (without parenthesis) is an address. Try

case 1:
    listbooks(); 
    break;

Related.

answered May 24 '19 at 16:27

Trevor Keller

510
2
10

Tried, not working. – L.Krapic May 24 '19 at 16:32
1

Then my recommendation is to use an IDE like Visual Studio to step through your code a line at a time. Look at the variables and flow at each step. – drescherjm May 24 '19 at 16:34
1

Additional bugs are `char autor;` and `char bookname;` – drescherjm May 24 '19 at 16:37

score -3 · Answer 2 · answered May 24 '19 at 16:51

-3

Problem was char variables, when I deleted "char autor" and "char bookname", program was running perfectly.

answered May 24 '19 at 16:51

L.Krapic

1

you deleted it? Then what are you using `cout` for? how does your program not crash when attempting to print these now non-existent variables? – MPops May 24 '19 at 17:00
It wouldn't even compile. This is nonsense. – Lightness Races in Orbit May 24 '19 at 17:33

When program is running, file is not read

2 Answers2