naming spawned copies of files.

[The Mishanator]

i have created a header that allows me to spawn copies of a file a given number of times with a random new name. however, the name it gives the files is not really controlled by anything i do and i don't understand where it comes from. here is the code for spawn.h:

#include <fstream>
using namespace std;

bool copy_paste(const char SRC[], const char DEST[])
{
	ifstream src;
	ofstream dest;
	src.open(SRC, ios::binary);
	dest.open(DEST, ios::binary);        
	dest << src.rdbuf();
	dest.close();
	src.close();
}

void spawn(const char SRC[], int copies)
{
	for(int i = 0; i != copies + 1; i++)
	{
		const char newName[] = {i};
		copy_paste(SRC, newName);
	}
}

so i would use it in something like

#include "spawn.h"
int main()
{
	spawn("somefile.extension", 5);
}

this is a very basic version of what i want the end to be so i know there are some redundant pieces. would someone please tell me how to control the name of the output file... i want it to increment (for example: a, b, c, ...) and have the same potential extension.

thanks in advance

[giulix]

It is incorrect to say that the name of the file is not controlled by anything you do. It is controlled by this conversion of an int to a char

...
		const char newName[] = {i};
...

that is, you take an int and output its ASCII value. Now, for low positive integers, that means a control character, so I guess you're seeing quite strange file names....

To give it a proper name, you've got to convert the number to a string. sprintf is a way to do it:

char str[10];
sprintf(str, "%d", i);

This is C. I'm sure you'll easily figure out how this translates to C++

[The Mishanator]

part of the problem i think is that i and newName must be chars. only i don't know how to increment "const char" in a for loop.

by not controlled, i meant that it doesnt behave in the way i want it to.

---------- Post added at 05:21 PM CDT ---------- Previous post was at 03:01 PM CDT ----------

also i was trying to compile this code in windoze and it wouldnt compile

bool copy_paste(const char SRC[], const char DEST[])

so i had to change it to

void copy_paste(const char SRC[], const char DEST[])

why could this be?

[giulix]

No idea, I despise windoze. As for your other question, you increment the integer as you already do, but when it's time to construct the file name you convert the integer to a string, like the example provided.

[The Mishanator]

yes, it's sort of inconvenient.. it compiles just fine (no warnings even) with gcc. but windows gets 66 errors or so.

[giulix]

Well, add another 6 and you get the idea where they're heading to...

[The Mishanator]

hahaaha. yes, linux FTW