Unleashing the Power of fgetc(): A Deep Dive into File Stream Reading

The Anatomy of fgetc()

fgetc() is a fundamental function in C programming that reads characters from a file stream. It is defined in the <cstddef> header file and takes a single parameter: the file stream from which to read the character.

int fgetc(FILE *stream);

But what happens when you call fgetc()? Let’s take a closer look.

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When fgetc() succeeds, it returns the read character as an integer value. However, when it fails, it returns EOF (End of File), indicating that the end of the file has been reached or an error has occurred.

#define EOF (-1)

But what about the nuances of failure? If the failure is caused by reaching the end of the file, fgetc() sets the eof indicator. If the failure is due to other errors, it sets the error indicator instead.

Putting fgetc() into Practice

Let’s consider an example. Imagine running a program that utilizes fgetc() to read characters from a file stream.

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    FILE *file = fopen("example.txt", "r");
    int c;

    while ((c = fgetc(file))!= EOF) {
        putchar(c);
    }

    fclose(file);
    return 0;
}

The possible output might look something like this:

This is an example file.
It contains multiple lines.
Each line will be read by fgetc().

As you can see, fgetc() is a powerful tool for reading characters from file streams. By understanding its parameters, return values, and potential pitfalls, you can unlock its full potential and take your coding skills to the next level.

• Learn more about file streams and input/output operations in C.
• Explore other functions for reading from file streams, such as fgets() and fread().

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