fstream::open() doesnt work - error reading characters from string

Question

I am using vs2012 and need to take user input as file name to open the file. (I use using namespace std; in the beginning of my programs so cout << basically means std::cout)

This code works for one of my projects but for others, the exact same code gives the error: 0xcccccccc "Error reading characters from string"

//this does not work
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <fstream>
using namespace std;


int main(){

    ifstream routesFile;
    string routesFileName;
        
    cout << "Please enter a filename for route database: ";
    cin >> routesFileName;

    routesFile.open(routesFileName.c_str()); 
    
    if (routesFile.fail())               
        cout << "Cannot open cannot open routes database file" << endl;
    
    cin.ignore();
    cin.get();
    return 0;
}

//this works
using namespace std;
#include <string>
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream> 
#include <sstream>
#include "strutils.h"


ifstream routesCheck(bool &exit)
{
    
    ifstream routesFile;
    string routesFileName;
    bool check = false;
    
    while(check == false)
    {
        
        cout << "Please enter a filename for route database: ";
        cin >> routesFileName;
        
        if(routesFileName == "EXIT")
        {exit = true; break;}

        routesFile.open(routesFileName.c_str()); 
    
        if (routesFile.fail())               
            cout << "Cannot open cannot open routes database file" << endl;
        
        else 
        {check = true; return routesFile;}

    }

}


ifstream timesCheck(bool &exit)
{
    
    ifstream timesFile;
    string timesFileName;
    bool check = false;
    
    while(check == false)
    {
        
        cout << "Please enter a filename for times database: ";
        cin >> timesFileName;

        if(timesFileName == "EXIT")
        {exit = true; break;}
    
        timesFile.open(timesFileName.c_str()); 
    
        if (timesFile.fail())               
            cout << "Cannot open cannot open times database file" << endl;
        
        else 
        {check = true; return timesFile;}

    }

}

double startTime(bool &exit)
{
    bool check = false;
    string startCheck = "", startCheckDummy="", foo=""; // foo is for converting char to string so that string to double converter can work
    double start = 0.0;

    while(check == false)
    {
        startCheck = ""; startCheckDummy=""; foo=""; start = 0.0;
        cout << "Please enter start time of arrival: ";
        cin >> startCheckDummy;

        if(startCheckDummy == "EXIT")
        {exit = true; break;}
        
        if(startCheckDummy.at(2) == ':' && startCheckDummy.at(0) >= 48 && startCheckDummy.at(0) <= 57 &&
           startCheckDummy.at(1) >= 48 && startCheckDummy.at(1) <= 57 && startCheckDummy.at(3) >= 48 && startCheckDummy.at(3) <= 57 && 
           startCheckDummy.at(4) >= 48 && startCheckDummy.at(4) <= 57)
        {
            startCheck += startCheckDummy.at(0);
            startCheck += startCheckDummy.at(1);
            startCheck += startCheckDummy.at(3);
            startCheck += startCheckDummy.at(4);

            foo = startCheck.at(0);
            start += atof(foo)*10;
            foo = startCheck.at(1);
            start += atof(foo);
            foo = startCheck.at(2);
            start += atof(foo)*0.1;
            foo = startCheck.at(3);
            start += atof(foo)*0.01;
            
            if(start >= 00.00 && start <= 23.59)
            {check = true; return start;}
            else
                cout << "Time is not in correct format" << endl;
        }
        else
            cout << "Time is not in correct format" << endl;
        
    }

    
}

void display(ifstream &routesFile, ifstream &timesFile, const double &routeStart, const string &depLoc) //delete const & if program doesnt work
{
    string r, t, depLocCheck, arrivalLoc, startCheckDummy, startCheck, foo;
    int routeID, timeID, startBabe = 0;
    double start = 0.0;
    cout << "The search results are: " << endl;
    
    while (getline(routesFile,r))
    {   
        istringstream routes(r);
         
        routes >> routeID >> depLocCheck >> arrivalLoc;
        
            if(depLocCheck == depLoc)
            {
                while (getline(timesFile,t))
                {
                    istringstream times(t);
                    times >> timeID >> startCheckDummy;
                    
                    startCheck = "";
                
                    startCheck += startCheckDummy.at(0);
                    startCheck += startCheckDummy.at(1);
                    startCheck += startCheckDummy.at(3);
                    startCheck += startCheckDummy.at(4);

                    start = atof(startCheck) / 100.0;
                    startBabe = atoi(startCheck) / 100;

                    if(timeID == routeID && start >= routeStart)
                    {
                        if(startBabe == start)
                        {
                            if(startBabe < 10)
                                {cout << depLoc << " " << arrivalLoc << " " << "0" << start << ".00" << endl;}
                            else
                                {cout << depLoc << " " << arrivalLoc << " " << start << ".00" << endl;}
                        }
                        else if(startBabe < 10)
                        {
                            cout << depLoc << " " << arrivalLoc << " " << "0" << start << endl;
                            if(startCheckDummy.at(4) == '0')
                                {cout << depLoc << " " << arrivalLoc << " " << start << "0" << endl;}
                        }
                        else if(startCheckDummy.at(4) == '0')
                            {cout << depLoc << " " << arrivalLoc << " " << start << "0" << endl;}
                        else
                            {cout << depLoc << " " << arrivalLoc << " " <<  start << endl;}
                    }
                    
                    start = 0.0;
                    
                    startBabe = 0;

                }
                timesFile.clear();
                timesFile.seekg(0);
            }

    }
    routesFile.clear();
    routesFile.seekg(0);
}


int main()
{
    bool exit = false;
    string depLoc;
    double start;
    ifstream routesFile, timesFile;
    
    routesFile = routesCheck(exit);

    timesFile = timesCheck(exit);

    cout << "Please enter departure location: ";
    cin >> depLoc;

    start = startTime(exit);

    while(!exit)
    {
        display(routesFile, timesFile, start, depLoc);
        cout << "Please enter departure location: ";
        cin >> depLoc;

        if(depLoc == "EXIT")
            exit = true;
        else
            start = startTime(exit);
    }

    cin.get();
    cin.ignore();
    return 0;
}

I read that 0xccccccc error happens when theres a memory leak. I really cannot understand how it works for one of my projects but not for the others. I thought it had to do with where i put the input files but opening files using other methods work for other projects. So, i dont think it has to do with location. What might be the reason why it works for only one project? How do i fix it for other projects?

Answer 1

First of all, the program compiles and runs just fine here.

Since I could not reproduce what you raise, I could only presume that you typed the string too long for it to hold. std::cin holds internal buffer of size x for user to input from standard device. String holds internal buffer of size y when an instance is created. x might not necessarily equal to or less than y. Therefore, program may fault in case that user passes long text that the length of which surpassed the capacity of string.

Answer 2

It is solved. I have updated vs2012 and added strutils.h to the new project. I still get the same error message but somehow the file opens without an issue. Still have no clue why.