passing fstream as argument

Question

I cant pass fstream as an argument to a function

Like fname(fstream , char []); /* Prototype */ fname(fstream , char []); /* Prototype */

and call fname(fs, p);

it throws error,

In copy constructor ‘std::basic_ios<char>::basic_ios(const std::basic_ios<char>&)’:
/usr/include/c++/4.8/bits/ios_base.h:786:5: error: ‘std::ios_base::ios_base(const std::ios_base&)’ is private
     ios_base(const ios_base&);

I later learned that i have to use fstream& . I am just wondering does streams are treated differently than objects ? if yes can someone just tell some proper source of reading so that I don't mess up again. Thanks a lot.

Answer 1

As the Error says

error: 'std::ios_base::ios_base(const std::ios_base&)' is private ios_base(const ios_base&); ,

fstream does not have a copy constructor (The copy constructor is defined as private). You need to pass the fstream object by reference rather than by value .

This would effectively mean, your prototype signature needs to be changed

fname(fstream& , char []);

Answer 2

Stream object is not copiable. What should happen in your copying stream which, say, associated with a file?