How to Read All Bytes of a File into a Char Array Using ifstream::read()?

Reading All Bytes of a File into a Char Array

Given a file path stored in the inputFile string and a character array buffer with a predefined size, this question explores how to read the file's bytes into the buffer.

The preferred approach for general file reading is utilizing std::vector and std::istreambuf_iterator. However, there are scenarios where reading bytes as a stream is necessary.

ifstream::read() for Byte Access

To capture the file as a byte stream, ifstream::read() is employed:

<code class="cpp">// Open file
std::ifstream infile(inputFile);
infile.seekg(0, std::ios::end);
size_t length = infile.tellg();
infile.seekg(0, std::ios::beg);

// Read file
infile.read(buffer, length);</code>

Understanding Seekg() and Tellg()

seekg() and tellg() are utilized to determine the file size. However, it is important to note that tellg() does not guarantee the exact file size in all situations.

Considerations for Binary Mode

When opening the file, consider enabling binary mode using std::ios_base::binary to prevent character conversions that may impact the byte count.

Handling Buffered Reads

If multiple buffered reads are employed, it is crucial to track the number of characters read using std::ifstream::gcount().

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