COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

COURSE - MATERIAL

FILES
Definition :It is collection of records (or) It is a place on hard disk where data is stored permanently.
Types of Files: (1)Text file
(2)Binary File
1. Text File : It contains alphabets and numbers which are easily understood by human beings.
2. Binary file : It contains 1’s and 0’s which are easily understood by computers.
 Based on the data that is accessed, files are classified in to
(1) Sequential files
(2) Random access files
(1) Sequential files: Data is stored and retained in a sequential manner.
(2) Random access Files : Data is stored and retrieved in a random way.
Operations on files : 1. Naming the file
2. Opening the file
3. Reading from the file
4. Writing into the file
5. Closing the file
Syntax for opening and naming file.
1) FILE *File pointer;
Eg : FILE * fp;
2) File pointer = fopen (“File name”, “mode”);
Eg : fp = fopen (“sample.txt”, “w”);

FILE *fp;
fp = fopen (“sample.txt”, “w”);
Modes of the opening the file :
r - File is opened for reading
w - File is opened for writing
a - File is opened for appending (adding)
r+ - File is opened for both reading & writing
w+ - File is opened for both writing & reading
a+ - File is opened for appending & reading
rt - text file is opened for reading
wt - text file is opened for writing
at - text file is opened for appending
141
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
r+t - text file is opened for reading & writing
w+t - text file is opened for both writing & reading
a+t - text file is opened for both appending & reading
rb - binary file is opened for reading
wb - binary file is opened for writing
ab - binary file is opened for appending
r+b - binary file is opened for both reading & writing
w+b - binary file is opened for both writing & reading
a+b - binary file is opened for both appending & reading.
1) Write mode of opening the file
FILE *fp;
fp =fopen (“sample.txt”, “w”);
a) If the file does not exist then a new file will be created
b) If the file exists then old content gets erased & current content will be stored.
2. Read mode of opening the file:
FILE *fp
fp =fopen (“sample.txt”, “r”);
a) If the file does not exists, then fopen function returns NULL value.
b) If the file exists then data is read from the file successfullly
3. Append mode of opening a file
FILE *fp;
fp =fopen (“sample.txt”, “a”);
a) If the file doesn’t exists, then a new file will be created.
b) If the file exists, the current content will be appended to the old content
Mode Exist Not exist
r Read fp = “NULL”
Current New file will be created
w
Content

New file will be created

a Old content
Current content

142
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
I/O STREAMS:
Stream : flow of data
scanf( )
Keyboard Input stream ‘C’
Program
Monitor Output stream

printf ( )
I/0 functions:
1) high level I/o
 These are easily understood by human beings
 Advantage: portability.
2) Low level I/o
 These are easily understood by computer
 Advantages. Execution time is less
 Disadvantage: Non protability
High level I/o Functions
1) fprintf ( ) - to write data into a file
2) fscanf ( ) - To read data from a file
3) putc ( )/ fputc() - to write a character into a file
4) getc ( ) /fgetc() - to read a character from a file
5) putw ( ) - To write a number into a file
6) getw ( ) - To read number from a file
7) fputs ( ) - To write a string into a file
8) fgets ( ) - To read a string from a file
9)fread() - To read an entire record from a file
10)fwrite() - To write an entire record into a file

fprint ( ) & fscanf ( ) functions

1) fprint ( )
Syntax : fprintf (file pointer, “ control string”, variable list)
Eg: FILE *fp;
fprintf (fp, “%d%c”, a,b);

143
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL

2) fscanf ( )
Syntax : fscanf(file pointer, “control string”, & variable list);
Eg: FILE *fp;
fscanf (fp, “%d%c”, &a,&b);

Program for storing the details of an employee in a file and print the same

main ( )
{
FILE *fp;
int eno;
char ename [30];
float sal;
clrscr ( );
fp =fopen (“emp.txt”, “w”);
printf (“enter the details of eno, ename, sal”);
scanf (“%d%s%f”, &eno, ename, &sal);
fprintf (fp, “%d%s%f”, eno, ename, sal);
fclose (fp);
fp = fopen (“emp.txt”, “r”);
fscanf (fp, “%d%s%f”, &eno, ename, &sal);
printf (“employee no: = %d”, eno);
printf (“employee name = %s”, ename);
printf (“salary = %f”, sal);
fclose (fp);
getch( );
}
Program for storing the details of 60 employers in a file and print the same
main ( )
{
FILE *fp;
int eno, i;
char ename [80];
float sal;
clrscr ( );
144
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
fp = fopen (“emp1. txt”, “w”);
for (i=1; i<60; i++)
{
printf (“enter the eno, ename, sal of emp%d”, i);
scanf (“%d%s%f”, &eno, ename, &sal);
fprintf (fp, “%d %s %f”, eno, ename, sal);
}
fclose (fp);
fp = fopen (“emp1.txt”, “r”);
for (i=1; i<60; i++)
{
fscanf(fp, “%d %s %f”, &eno, ename, &sal);
printf (“details of employee %d are \n”, i);
printf (“eno = %d, ename = %s, sal = %f”, eno, ename, sal);
}
fclose (fp);
getch ( );
}

putc( ) and getc( ) functions:

1) putc ( ): It is used for writing a character into a file
Syntax :
putc (char ch, FILE *fp);
Eg : FILE *fp;
char ch;
putc(ch, fp);
2) get c ( ) : It is used to read a character from file
Syntax :
char getc (FILE *fp);
Eg: FILE *fp;
char ch;
ch = getc(fp);

145
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL

Keyboard getchar ( ) putc ( )

file
putchar ( )
Monitor getc ( )

Program :
main ( )
{
FILE *fp;
char ch;
clrscr ( );
fp = fopen (“characters.txt”, “w”);
printf (“enter text. press ctrl+z at the end”);
while ((ch = getchar ( ))! = EOF)
{
putc(ch, fp);
}
fclose (fp);
fp =open (“characters. txt”, “r”);
printf (“file content is \n”);
while ((ch = getc (fp))! = EOF)
{
putchar (ch);
}
fclose (fp);
getch ();
}
Output:
Enter text press ctrl+z at the end.
Hello how r u ^z
File Content is
Hello How r u

146
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
putw ( ) and getw ( ) functions:
1. putw( ) : It is used for writing a number into file.
Syntax: putw (int num, FILE *fp);
Eg: FILE *fp;
int num;
putw(num, fp);
2. getw ( ): It is used for reading a number from a file
Syntax :
int getw (FILE *fp);
Eg : FILE *fp;
int num;
num = getw(fp);
File
Keyboard scanf (“%d”) putw ( )

Monitor printf (“%d”) getw ( )

Program for storing no’s from 1 to 10 and print the same

main ( )
{
FILE *fp;
int i;
clrscr ( );
fp = fopen (“number. txt”, “w”);
for (i =1; i< = 10; i++)
{
putw (i, fp);
}
fclose (fp);
fp =fopen (“number. txt”, “r”);
printf (“file content is ”);
for (i =1; i< = 10; i++)
{
i= getw(fp);
printf (“%d”,i);
147
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
}
fclose (fp);
getch ( );
}
Program for copying the contents of one file into another file
main ( )
{
FILE *fp1, *fp2;
char ch;
clrscr ( );
fp1 = fopen (“file1.txt”, “w”);
printf (“enter text press ctrl+z at the end”);
while ((ch = getchar ( ))! = EOF)
{
putc(ch, fp1);
}
fclose (fp1);
fp1 =fopen (“file1. txt”, “r”);
fp2 =fopen (“file2. txt”, “w”);
while ((ch = getc (fp1))! = EOF)
{
putc(ch,fp2);
}
fclose (fp1);
fclose (fp2);
fp2 = fopen (“file2.txt”, “r”);
printf (“File2 contents are”);
while ((ch = getc(fp2))! = EOF)
putchar (ch);
fclose (fp2);
getch ();
}

148
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
Program for displaying the contents of a file
main ( )
{
FILE *fp;
char ch ;
clrscr ( );
fp = fopen (“file1.txt”,”r”);
if (fp = = NULL)
{
printf (“File does not exist”);
}
else
{
printf (“file content is”)
while ((ch = getc(fp))! = EOF)
putchar (ch);
}
fclose (fp);
getch ( );
}
Program to merge two files into a third file. (the contents of file1, file2 are placed in file3)
main ( )
{
FILE *fp1, *fp2, *fp3;
char ch;
clrscr ( );
fp1 = fopen (“file1.txt”, “w”);
printf (“enter text into file1”);
while ((ch = getchar ( ))! = EOF)
{
putc(ch, fp1);
}
fclose (fp1);
fp2 = fopen (“file2.txt”, “r”);
149
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
printf (“enter text into file2”);
while ((ch = getchar ( ))! = EOF)
putc(ch, fp2);
fclose (fp2);
fp1 =fopen (“file1. txt”, “r”);
fp2 =fopen (“file2. txt”, “r”);
fp3 =fopen (“file3. txt”, “w”);
while ((ch = getc (fp1))! = EOF)
putc(ch,fp3);
while ((ch = getc (fp2))! = EOF)
putc(ch,fp3);
fclose(fp1);
fclose (fp2);
fclose (fp3);
fp3 = fopen (“file3.tx”, “r”);
printf (“File3 contents is”);
while ((ch = getc(fp3))! = EOF)
purchar (ch);
fclose (fp3);
getch ();
}

fput c ( ) and fgetc ( ) functions :

1) fputc( ) : It is used for writing a character in to a file .
Syntax :
fputc (char ch, FILE *fp);
Eg : FILE *fp;
char ch;
fputc (ch.fp);
2. fgetc( ) : This is used for reading a character from a file
Syntax :
fputc (char ch, FILE *fp);
Eg : FILE *fp;
char ch;
150
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
ch = fgetc(fp);

fgets ( ) and fputs ( ) functions :

1) fgets ( ) : It is used for reading a string from a file
Syntax :
fgets (string variable, No. of characters, File pointer);
Eg : FILE *fp;
char str [30];
fgets (str,30,fp);
2) fputs ( ) : It is used for writing a string into a file
Syntax :
fputs (string variable, file pointer);
Eg : FILE *fp;
char str[30];
fputs (str,fp);
File
Keyboard gets ( ) fputs ( )

puts ( )
Monitor fgets ( )

Program :
main ( )
{
FILE *fp;
char str [30];
int i,n;
clrscr ( );
printf (“enter no of strings”);
scanf (“%d”, & n);
fp = fopen (‘strings.txt”, “w”);
for (i=1; i<=n; i++)
{
printf (”enter string %d”,i);
gets (str);
fputs (str, fp);
151
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
}
fclose (fp);
fp = fopen (”strings.txt”, ”r”);
for (i=1; i<=n; i++)
{
fgets (str, 30, fp);
printf (”string %d =”, i);
puts (str);
}
fclose (fp);
getch ( );
}
fread ( ) and fwrite ( ) functions
1. fread ( ) : It is used for reading entire record at a time.
Syntax : fread( & structure variable, size of (structure variable), no of records, file pointer);
Eg : struct emp
{
int eno;
char ename [30];
float sal;
} e;
FILE *fp;
fread (&e, sizeof (e), 1, fp);
2. fwrite ( ) : It is used for writing an entire record at a time.
Syntax : fwrite( & structure variable , size of structure variable, no of records, file pointer);
Eg : struct emp
{
int eno:
char ename [30];
float sal;
} e;
FILE *fp;
fwrite (&e, sizeof(e), 1, fp);

152
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
program for storing the details of 60 students into a file and print the same using
fread ( ) and fwrite ( )
struct student
{
int sno;
char sname [30];
float marks;
};
main ( )
{
struct student s[60];
int i;
FILE *fp;
clrscr ( );
fp = fopen (“student1. txt”, “w”);
for (i=0; i<60; i++)
{
printf (“enter details of student %d”, i+1);
scanf (“%d%s%f”. &s[i].sno,s[i].sname, &s[i].marks);
fwrite (&s[i], sizeof (s[i]), 1, fp);
}
fclose (fp);
fp = fopen (“student1. txt”, “r”);
for (i=0; i<60; i++)
{
printf (“details of student %d are”, i+1);
fread (&s[i], sizeof (s[i]) ,1,fp);
printf(“student number = %d”, s[i]. sno.);
printf(“student name = %s”, s[i]. sname.);
printf(“marks = %f”, s[i]. marks);
}
fclose (fp)
getch( );
}
153
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
ERROR HANDLING IN FILES:-
 Some of the errors in files are
1. Trying to read beyond end of file
2. Device over flow
3. Trying to open an invalid file
4. Performing a invalid operation by opening a file in a different mode.

Functions for error handling.

1) ferror ( )
2) perror ( )
3) feof ( )
1. ferror ( )
It is used for detecting an error while performing read / write operations.
Syntax :
int ferror (file pointer);
eg : FILE *fp;
if (ferror (fp))
printf (“error has occurred”);
it returns zero if success and a non- zero otherwise.
2. perror ( )
It is used for printing an error.
Syntax :
perror (string variable);
Eg : FILE *fp;
char str[30] = ”Error is”;
perror (str);
O/P : Error is : error 0

Program :
154
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
main ( )
{
FILE *fp;
char str[30] = “error is”;
int i = 20;
clrscr ( );
fp = fopen (“sample. txt”, “r”);
if (fp = = NULL)
{
printf (“file doesnot exist”);
}
else
{
fprintf (fp, “%d”, i);
if (ferror (fp))
{
perror (str);
printf (“error since file is opened for reading only”);
}
fclose (fp);
getch ( );
}
O/P: Error is : Error1 compiler generated.
Error since file is opened for reading by us.
3. feof ( )
It is used for checking whether end of the file has been reached (or) not.
Syntax :
int feof ( file pointer);
Eg : FILE *fp;
if (feof (fp))
printf (“reached end of the file”);
If returns a non zero if success and zero otherwise.

Program:
155
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
main ( )
{
FILE *fp;
int i,n;
clrscr ( );
fp = fopen (“number. txt”, “w”);
for (i=0; i<=100;i= i+10)
{
putw (i, fp);
}
fclose (fp);
fp = fopen (“number. txt”, “r”);
printf (“file content is”);
for (i=0; i<=100; i++)
{
n = getw (fp);
if (feof (fp))
{
printf (“reached end of file”);
break;
}
else
{
printf (“%d”, n);
}
}
fclose (fp);
getch ( );
}
Outpute : File content is
10 20 30 40 50
60 70 80 90 100
Reached end of the file.

156
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
Other file functions
Random accessing of files
1. ftell ( )
2. rewind ( )
3. fseek ( )
1. ftell ( ) : It returns the current postion of the file pointer
Syntax : int n = ftell (file pointer)
Eg : FILE *fp;
int n;
_____
_____
_____
n = ftell (fp);
Note : ftell ( ) is used for counting the no of characters entered into a file.

2. rewind ( )
It makes the file pointer move to the beginning of the file.
Syntax: rewind (file pointer);
Eg : FILE *fp;
-----
-----
rewind (fp);
n = ftell (fp);
printf (“%d”, n);
o/p: 0 (always).
3. fseek ( )
It is used to make the file pointer point to a particular location in a file.
Syntax: fseek(file pointer,offset,position);
offset :
 The no of positions to be moved while reading or writing.
 If can be either negative (or) positive.
Positive - forward direction.
Negative – backward direction .
position :
 it can have 3 values.
0 – Beginning of the file
1 – Current position
157
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
2 – End of the file

Eg :
1. fseek (fp,0,2) - fp is moved 0 bytes forward from the end of the file.
2. fseek (fp, 0, 0) – fp is moved 0 bytes forward from beginning of the file
3. fseek (fp, m, 0) – fp is moved m bytes forward from the beginning of the file.
4. fseek (fp, -m, 2) – fp is moved m bytes backward from the end of the file.
Errors :
1. fseek (fp, -m, 0);
2. fseek(fp, +m, 2);
Write a program for printing some content in to the file and print the following ?
1. Number of characters entered into the file.
2. Reverse the characters entered into the file.

main ( )
{
FILE *fp;
char ch;
int n;
clrscr ( );
fp = fopen (“reverse. txt”, “w”);
printf (“enter text press ctrl+z of the end”);
while ((ch = getchar( ) ) ! EOF)
{
putc (ch, fp);
}
n = ftell (fp)
printf ( “No. of characters entered = %d”, n);
rewind (fp);
n = ftell (fp);
printf (“fp value after rewind = %d”,n);
fclose (fp);
fp = fopen (“reverse.txt”, “r”);
fseek (fp, -1, 2);
158
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
printf (“reversed content is”);
do
{
ch = getc (fp);
printf (“%c”, ch);
} while (!fseek (fp, -2, 1);
fclose (fp);
getch ( );
}
Output : Enter text press ctrl z at the end.
How are you ^z
No. of characters entered = 11
fp value after rewind =0
Reversed content is uoy era woh.
Command line arguments
 Arguments given at command prompt.
 main ( ) takes 2 arguments.
1) int argc – argument count.
2) char *argv [ ] – argument vector.
Program :
main (int arg c, char * argv [])
{
int i;
clrscr ( );
printf (“no. of arguments = %d”, argc);
printf (“arguments given at cmd prompt are”);
for (i=0; i<argc; i++)
{
printf (“%s \t”, argv [i]);
}
getch ( );
}
Program : for reversing characters in a file given at command prompt
main ( int argc, char *argv [ ] )
159
 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
COURSE - MATERIAL
{
FILE *fp;
char ch;
clrscr ( );
fp = fopen (argv[1], “w”);
printf (“enter text press ctrl+z at the end”);
while ((ch = getchar ( ))! = EOF)
putc (ch, fp);
fclose (fp);
fp = fopen (argv[1], “r”);
fseek ( fp, argv[2], 0);
do
{
ch = getc (fp);
putchar (ch);
} while (! fseek (fp, -2, 1));
fclose (fp);
getch ( );
}

160