ile Handling
F
File is a data structure where we can permanently store the data. In other words, file is the data structure which
helps us to store our data permanently on the secondary storage devices(ex: hardisk, flash disk, CD,DVD). Steps
that are involved in maintaining data files are:
1. Opening a file
2. Reading or writing from/on data file
3. Closing a data file
1.Opening a data file
efore reading data from a data fileorwritingdatatoafile,wemustopenafile.Openingafilecreatesa
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link between the program & operating system where we have to mention data file name and mode of
operation(readingorwritingorappending).Thelinkbetweenprogram&operatingsystemiscontrolledby
a structure called file. It is necessary to open a file before reading or writing to a file.
yntax:
S
FILE *fptr;
fptr=fopen(“data_file_name”,”mode”);
For example:
fptr=fopen(“info.txt”,”w”);
ere fptr is a pointer variable which contains the address of the data structure file.
H
Mode defines purpose of opening the data file. The following are the modes in which data file can be
opened.
Mode Purpose
r Reading only from file
w Writing only to file. If file does not exist, it creates file.
a Appending new content at the end of file
r+ Reading and writing new contents. It cannot create file.
w+ Writing new content and reading existing content
a+ Reading existing content and appending new content.
Closing a data file
fter opening a data file, we can do reading/writing operations. After reading or writing operation we must
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close a file. This is done with the function fclose.
syntax:
fclose(file_pointer);
EOF(End of file)
heEOFrepresentsanintegeranddetermineswhetherthefileassociatedwithafilehandlehasreachedendof
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file. This integer is set to the program by the operating system and is defined in header file stdio.h. While
creating a file, the operating system transmits the EOF signal when it finds last character.
Character Input/Output
sing character I/O data can be read or written one character at a time. This is analogous to the way functions
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putchar( ) and getch( ) write data to screen and read data from the keyboard.
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i. Writing to a file
nce the program has established a line of communication with a particular file by opening it, then it can write
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to the file. The syntax of function that writes one character at a time is
f putc(ch,fptr);
Where ch is a character variable and ptr is a file pointer.
Example:program to demonstrate writing one characterat a time to a file.
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
FILE *fptr;
char ch;
char filePath[50];
clrscr();
printf("Enter path of file:");
gets(filePath);
fptr=fopen(filePath,"w");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot create file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
printf("Enter any text.Hit enter key to stop writing:");
fflush(stdin);
while((ch=getchar())!='\n')
{
fputc(ch,fptr);
}
fclose(fptr);
getch();
getch();
}
ii. Reading from a file
I f a program can write to a file, it should also be able to read from a file. The syntax of the function that reads
and returns one character at time is
ch=fgetc(fptr);
Where ch is a character variable and fptr is a file pointer.
Example:program to demonstrate reading of one onecharacter at a time from a file and display it on screen.
Prepared by:Ravi Kr Singh2
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include<string.h>
void main()
{
FILE *fptr;
char ch,filename[20];
clrscr();
printf("Enter file name:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"r");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot open file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
fflush(stdin);
while((ch=fgetc(fptr))!=EOF)
{
putchar(ch);
}
getch();
}
String Input/Output
sing string I/O, data can be read or written in the form of string of characters. Reading and writing strings of
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characters is easier than reading individual characters. This is analogous to puts( ) and gets( ) function.
i. Writing to a file
The syntax of the function that writes a string of characters at a time is
f puts(str,fptr);
Where str is a array of characters or a string constants and fptr is file pointer.
Example:program to demonstrate writing of string to a file.
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
FILE *fptr;
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c har filename[20];
printf("Enter file name:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"w");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot create file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
f puts("Fputs puts the entire string to a file",fptr);
fclose(fptr);
getch();
}
ii. Reading from a file
The syntax of a function that reads from a file is
f gets(str,n,fptr);
where str is a string, n is the maximum length of the string and fptr is a file pointer.
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
FILE *fptr;
char filename[20],s[100];
printf("Enter file name:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"r");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
p rintf("Cannot create file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
fgets(s,100,fptr);
f close(fptr);
printf("The text from the file is:%s",s);
getch();
}
Formatted Input/Output
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These functions are used to read numbers, characters or strings form the file or write them to file in format as
our requirement.
i. Writing to a file
The syntax of the function that writes formatted data to a file is
fprintf(fptr,”format-string”,list_of_variables);
ii. Reading from a file
The syntax of the function that reads formatted data from a file is
fscanf(fptr,”format-string”,&list_variables);
Example:Program to demonstrate writing of formatteddata to a file
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
FILE *fptr;
char filename[20],s,name[20];
int age;
float height;
printf("Enter file name:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"w");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot create file");
g etch( );
exit(0);
}
d o
{
printf("Enter name:");
scanf("%s",name);
printf("Enter age:");
scanf("%d",&age);
printf("Enter height:");
scanf("%f",&height);
fprintf(fptr,"%s\t%d\t%.2f\n",name,age,height);
printf("Do you want to enter more record:");
fflush(stdin);
scanf("%c",&s);
}while(s=='y' || s=='Y');
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f close(fptr);
getch();
}
Example:Program to demonstrate reading of formatteddata from a file.
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
FILE *fptr;
char filename[20],name[20];
int age;
float height;
printf("Enter file name:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"r");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot create file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
while(fscanf(fptr,"%s%d%f\n",name,&age,&height)!=EOF)
{
printf("Name=%s,Age=%d,Height=%.2f\n", name, age, height);
}
fclose(fptr);
getch( );
}
Example : Write and read example using fprintf() and fscanf()
include
# <stdio.h>
#include
<conio.h>
#include
<stdlib.h>
int
main
()
{
FILE *fptr;
char
choice,
filepath
[
5
0
];
char
name
[
2
0
];
float
height;
int
age;
printf
(
"
Enter file path along with
filename.extension:"
);
scanf
(
"
%
s
"
,
filepath);
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ptr=
f fopen
(filepath,
"w"
);
if
(fptr==
NULL
)
{
printf
(
"
Cannot read file" );
getch
();
exit
(
0
)
;
}
do
{
printf
(
"
Enter age:" );
scanf
(
"
%
d
"
,
&age);
printf
(
"
Enter height:" );
scanf
(
"
%
f
"
,
&height);
printf
(
"
Enter name" );
fflush
(stdin);
gets
(name);
fprintf
(fptr,
"
%
s \t
%d
\t
%.2f
\n
"
,
name,age,height);
printf
(
"
Do you want to enter more record:" );
fflush
(stdin);
choice=
getchar
();
}
w
hile (choice==
'y'
|| choice== 'Y'
);
fclose
(fptr);
fptr=
fopen
(filepath,
"r"
);
if
(fptr==
NULL
)
{
rintf
p (
"
Cannot create file"
);
getch
();
return
1
;
}
while
(
f
scanf (fptr,
"
%
s%d%f\n
"
,
name,&age,&height)!=EOF
)
{
printf
(
"
Name=
%s
,Age=
%d
,Height=
%.2f
\n
"
,
name, age,
height);
}
getch
();
return
0
;
}
Text mode vs Binary mode
Depending on the way the file is opened for processing, a file can be classified as a text file or binary file.
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The mode of opening a particular file determines how various details of the file are handled. For example: how
newline character is stored and how EOF is indicated.
The number in the text modearestoredasstringofcharacterswhereasinbinaryformattheyarestoredinthe
samewayastheyarestoredinthecomputermemory.Forexample,thenumber1234istobestoredinmemory,
when transferred to the disk using fprintf(), it would occupy four bytes, one byte per character where as in
binary mode it would only occupy 2 bytes.
Hence if a large amount of numerical data is to be stored in a disk file, it is efficient to open file in binary mode
by using the function fread() and fwrite().
Mode Purpose
rb Reading only from binary file
wb Writing only to binary file. If file does not exist, it creates file.
ab Appending new content at the end of binary file
r+b Reading and writing new contents to binary file. It cannot create file.
w+b Writing new content and reading existing content to binary file.
a+b Reading existing content and appending new content to binary file.
Record Input/Output
ecord I/O sometimes also known as block I/O writes numbers to disk files in binary format, so that integers are
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stored in two bytes, long integers are stored in 4 bytes and so on. i.e same format used to store data in memory.
Record I/O also permits reading and writing of data at once.Array, structures, array of structures e.t.c can be
read and written as a unit.
i. Writing a file
The syntax of the function that writes block of data at a time is
fwrite(ptr,m,n,fptr);
hereptristheaddressofanarrayorastructuretobewritten,misthesizeofanarrayorastructure,nisthe
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number of such arrays or structures to be written andfptrisafilepointerofafileopenedinbinarymodefor
writing. After writing the block, fwrite( ) function returns the number of data items actually written.
ii. Reading from a file
The syntax of the function that reads a block from a file is:
fread(ptr,m,n,fptr);
Where ptr is an address of anarrayofastructurewhereblockwillbestoredafterreading,misthesizeofan
arrayorstructuretoberead,nisthenumberofsucharraysorstructurestobereadandfptrisafilepointerofa
file opened in binary mode for reading.
Example:program to demonstrate writing of an entirearray to a file.
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
FILE *fptr;
char filename[20];
int a[10],i;
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p rintf("Enter the name of the file:");
scanf("%s",&filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"wb");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot create file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
for(i=0;i<10;i++)
{
a[i]=i+1;
}
fwrite(&a,sizeof(a),1,fptr);
fclose(fptr);
getch();
}
Example:program to demonstrate reading of an entire array from a file.
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
FILE *fptr;
int a[10],i;
char filename[10];
clrscr();
printf("Enter file name;");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"rb");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot open file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
printf("Reading from file........");
fread(&a,sizeof(a),1,fptr);
for(i=0;i<10;i++)
{
printf("%d\t",a[i]);
}
}
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Example:program to demonstrate writing an entirestructure to a file.
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
struct student
{
char name[20];
int rollno;
float marks;
};
struct student s;
FILE *fptr;
int rno=1;
char filename[20];
clrscr();
printf("Enter filename:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"wb");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot create file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
printf("Enter name,roll no. and marks:");
scanf("%s%d%f",s.name,&s.rollno,&s.marks);
fwrite(&s,sizeof(s),1,fptr);
fclose(fptr);
getch();
}
Example:program to demonstrate reading an entirestructure from a file.
#include<stdio.h>
# include<string.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
struct student
{
char name[20];
int rollno;
float marks;
};
struct student s;
FILE *fptr;
Prepared by:Ravi Kr Singh10
int rno=1;
char filename[20];
clrscr();
printf("Enter filename:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"rb");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot create file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
while(fread(&s,sizeof(s),1,fptr)>0)
{
p rintf("Record no.=%d\n",rno);
printf("Name=%s\n",s.name);
printf("roll no.=%d\n",s.rollno);
printf("Marks=%f\n",s.marks);
printf("\n\nPress any key to see the next record");
rno++;
getch();
}
f close(fptr);
getch();
}
lternative method:
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#include<stdio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
struct student
{
char name[20];
int rollno;
float marks;
};
struct student s[3];
FILE *fptr;
int i;
char filename[20];
clrscr();
printf("Enter filename:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"rb");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot create file");
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g etch();
exit(0);
}
fread(&s,sizeof(s),3,fptr);
fclose(fptr);
f or(i=0;i<3;i++)
{
printf("%s\t%d\t%.2f\n",s[i].name,s[i].rollno,s[i].marks);
}
getch();
}
Example:program to demonstrate writing array of structureto a file.
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
struct student
{
char name[20];
int rollno;
float marks;
};
struct student s[3];
FILE *fptr;
int i;
char filename[20];
clrscr();
printf("Enter filename:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"wb");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot create file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
for(i=0;i<3;i++)
{
printf("Enter information of %d students:\n\n",i+1);
printf("Name:");
scanf("%s",s[i].name);
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p rintf("Enter Roll no.:");
scanf("%d",&s[i].rollno);
printf("Enter marks:");
scanf("%f",&s[i].marks);
}
fwrite(&s,sizeof(s),3,fptr);
fclose(fptr);
getch();
}
Example:program to demonstrate reading array of structurefrom a file.
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
struct student
{
char name[20];
int rollno;
float marks;
};
struct student s[3];
FILE *fptr;
int i;
char filename[20];
clrscr();
printf("Enter filename:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"rb");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot create file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
fread(&s,sizeof(s),3,fptr);
for(i=0;i<3;i++)
{
printf("Record no.=%d\n",i+1);
printf("Name:%s\n",s[i].name);
printf("Roll no.:%d\n",s[i].rollno);
printf("Marks:%f\n",s[i].marks);
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}
f close(fptr);
getch();
}
Direct/Random Access
eading and writing in all previous programs was sequential. Thatiswhilereadingorwriting,allitemswere
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read from beginning of fileinasequence.Wecanaccessaparticulardataitemplacedinanylocationwithout
starting from the beginning. Such type of access to a data item is called direct random access.
ilepointer:Beforegoingaheadletusdiscussaboutfilepointer.Afilepointerisapointertoaparticularbyte
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inafile.Everytime,whenwewritetoafile,thefilepointermovestotheendofthedataitemswrittensothat
writingcancontinuefromthatpoint.Whenafileisclosedandsubsequentlyopenedforreading,thefilepointer
issettothebeginningofthefilesothatwecanreadthefilefromthebeginning.However,ifthefileisopened
inappendmode,thenthefilepointerwillbepositionedattheendoftheexistingfile,sothatnewdataitemscan
be written from there onwards.
Different functions used in random access are given below:
i. fseek( )
I t sets the file pointer to a new position. This function is used to move the file pointer to different positions. The
syntax is
fseek(fptr,offset,mode)
where
•fptr is a file pointer.
•offset is a long integer that specifies the numberof bytes by which the file pointer is moved.•
mode specifies from which position the offset is measure.
Mode Offset is measured form
0(SEEK_SET) Beginning of the file
1(SEEK_CUR) Current position of the file
2(SEEK_END) End of the file
xample:
E
fseek(fptr,0,SEEK_SET) -> Moves the file pointer at the beginning of the file.
fseek(fptr,0,SEEK_END) -> Moves the file pointer at the end of the file.
fseek(fptr,10,SEEK_SET)-> Moves the file pointer 10 bytes right from the beginning of the file.
fseek(fptr,-2,SEEK_CUR)-> Moves the file pointer 2 bytes left from the current position of the
file.
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fseek(fptr,2,SEEK_CUR)-> Moves the file pointer 2 bytes right from the current position of the file.
Example of fseek: Program to read and display thecontent of a file starting from 15thcharacter.
# include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
FILE *fptr;
char ch,filename[20];
clrscr();
printf("Enter path:");
scanf("%s",filename);
fptr=fopen(filename,"r");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot read file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
fseek(fptr,15,SEEK_SET);
while((ch=fgetc(fptr))!=EOF)
{
putchar(ch);
}
getch();
}
ii. rewind( )
This function positions the file pointer in the beginning of the file. Its syntax is
rewind(fptr);
iii. ftell( ) function
xample: Program to demonstrate the use of ftell function
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In some situation, it may be required to find the current location of the file pointer within the file. The ftell( )
function lets us know the current position of the file pointer. The syntax of ftell( ) function is
ftell(fptr);
xample: Program to demonstrate the use of ftell function
E
#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
void main()
{
FILE *fptr;
char ch,filename[20];
long int pos=0;
clrscr();
printf("Enter path:");
scanf("%s",filename);
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f ptr=fopen(filename,"r");
if(fptr==NULL)
{
printf("Cannot read file");
getch();
exit(0);
}
fseek(fptr,15,SEEK_SET);
pos=ftell(fptr);
printf("File pointer position is %ld",pos);
getch();
}
Some other operations on data file
1. Renaming the file: The function rename() is used to rename file.
Syntax: rename(“Old_file_name”,”new_file_name”);
Example: rename(“student.dat”,”employee.dat”);
2. Removing / Deleting files: The function remove() is used to remove or delete the file.
Syntax: remove(“file_name”);
Example: remove(“student.dat”);
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