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34 views4 pages

CH 11 Deitel How To Program

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rabiasultan24277
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© © All Rights Reserved
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CH 11

Detailed Explanation of Chapter 11: File Processing

1. Introduction

 File processing allows for long-term data storage on secondary devices (e.g., hard drives,
SSDs).
 Files provide a persistent way to store data compared to volatile variables.
 Types of file access:
1. Sequential Access: Processed in a linear manner, record-by-record.
2. Random Access: Access any record directly, ideal for transaction processing
systems.

2. Files and Streams

 C views files as sequential streams of bytes.


 Each file ends with an end-of-file marker or a platform-specific byte count.
 Standard streams include:
o stdin: Standard input (keyboard).
o stdout: Standard output (screen).
o stderr: Standard error (screen).

3. File Handling Basics

 Opening a File:
o Use fopen(filename, mode) to open files. Common modes:
 "r": Open for reading.
 "w": Open for writing (creates file or overwrites existing content).
 "a": Append mode (writes to the end of the file).
 "r+", "w+", "a+": Read/write combinations.
 Closing a File:
o Always close files with fclose() to ensure data integrity and release system
resources.
 Error Handling:
o fopen() returns NULL if file opening fails. Always check the return value of file
functions.
4. Sequential-Access Files

 Records in sequential files are written and read in order.


 Writing Data:
o Use fprintf() to write formatted data.
o Example:

c
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fprintf(filePtr, "%d %s %.2f\n", id, name, balance);

 Reading Data:
o Use fscanf() to read formatted data.
o Example:

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fscanf(filePtr, "%d%s%f", &id, name, &balance);

 Limitations:
o Modifying records is challenging due to varying record lengths; rewriting the file
is often required.

5. Random-Access Files

 Definition: Use fixed-length records to enable direct access without traversing previous
records.
 Advantages:
o Insert, update, or delete records without rewriting the entire file.
o Ideal for systems requiring fast access, such as banking or reservation systems.
 Key Functions:
o fseek(FILE *stream, long offset, int origin):
 Moves the file pointer to a specific byte position.
 origin values: SEEK_SET (beginning), SEEK_CUR (current), SEEK_END
(end).
o fwrite() and fread():
 fwrite() writes fixed-size records.
 fread() reads fixed-size records.

Example of Writing and Reading:

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struct Record { int id; char name[20]; float balance; };
FILE *fp = fopen("data.dat", "wb+");

// Write a record
struct Record rec = {1, "Alice", 100.5};
fwrite(&rec, sizeof(rec), 1, fp);

// Read a record
fseek(fp, 0, SEEK_SET);
fread(&rec, sizeof(rec), 1, fp);
fclose(fp);

6. File Position Pointer

 The file position pointer determines where the next read/write occurs.
 Use rewind(FILE *stream) to reset the pointer to the beginning of the file.

7. Common File-Processing Errors

 Opening a nonexistent file for reading.


 Opening a file without proper permissions.
 Using write mode ("w") when update mode ("r+") is required, leading to data loss.

8. Secure Programming Tips

 Always validate file-opening operations.


 Check return values for functions like fwrite, fread, and fseek.
 Use appropriate file modes to prevent accidental overwriting of data.

9. Case Study: Transaction-Processing System

 A transaction-processing program manages bank account records.


 Features:
o Create a formatted list of accounts.
o Update existing accounts or add new ones.
o Delete accounts and list records for printing.
Questions

Definitions and Concepts

1. What is the purpose of file processing in C?


2. Define sequential-access and random-access files. Highlight their differences.
3. What is a file position pointer, and how is it used?
4. Explain the use of the fopen function. What are its common modes?
5. Define the fseek function. What are its parameters?
6. What is the difference between fprintf and fwrite? Provide examples.
7. How does rewind differ from fseek?

Short Answer Questions

8. How do you check if a file has been opened successfully?


9. What does the SEEK_SET argument in fseek indicate?
10. What happens if you open a file in "w" mode that already exists?
11. List the functions used to write data to a file in C. Give examples.
12. Why is it important to close a file after processing?
13. What are the differences between text files and binary files?

Practical Questions

14. Write a program snippet to open a file for writing and store a string in it.
15. How can you read a record from a random-access file? Provide an example.
16. Write a program to create a sequential file that stores student IDs and grades.
17. Use fseek to move the file pointer to the third record in a random-access file.
18. Demonstrate how to use fwrite to write a structure to a binary file.

Secure Programming Questions

19. Why should you check the return value of fopen, fwrite, and fread?
20. What precautions should be taken to avoid overwriting existing data?

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