Store several strings in an array of structures C++ - c++

Question

I am doing a project with I/O and structs. My text file is below. I need to make my program store each string in a different part of the array of structs I have created. I am having a problem making it separate them in the array when it senses a blank line.
Steps for the program: 1. Read each line with data and store it in the struct array until it reaches a blank line. 2. Output each string in a different group or on a different line.
Text file:
ecl:gry pid:860033327 hcl:#fffffd
byr:1937 iyr:2017 cid:147 hgt:183cm
iyr:2013 ecl:amb cid:350 pid:028048884
hcl:#cfa07d byr:1929
hcl:#ae17e1 iyr:2013 cid:150
eyr:2024
ecl:brn pid:760753108 byr:1931
hgt:179cm
hcl:#cfa07d eyr:2025 pid:166559648
iyr:2011 ecl:brn hgt:59in cid:230
My code:
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <sstream>
#include <string>
const int SIZE = 4;
struct Passports {
std::string singlePass;
};
int main()
{
Passports records[SIZE];
std::string fileName = "some_file.txt";
std::ifstream inFile(fileName);
std::string line, data;
if (inFile.is_open()){
while (!inFile.eof()) {
getline(inFile, line);
std::istringstream ss(line);
for (int i = 0; i < SIZE; i++) {
while (ss >> records[i].singlePass) {
std::cout << records[i].singlePass;
}
}
}
}
else {
std::cout << "Error opening file! " << std::endl;
}
}

Answer 1

You should model the data using a struct.
struct Record
{
std::string input_line1;
std::string input_line2;
friend std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& input, Record& r);
};
std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& input, Record& r)
{
std::getline(input, r.input_line1);
std::getline(input, r.input_line2);
input.ignore(1000000, '\n'); // ignore the blank line.
return input;
}
Your input code would look like:
std::vector<Record> database;
Record r;
while (inFile >> r)
{
database.push_back(r);
}
By placing the detailed input inside of the struct, you can modify the input method later without having to change the input code in main().
Detailed Parsing
You could add in a field or two to advance your program (no need to add all the fields at this point, then can be added later).
struct Passport
{
std::string ecl;
friend std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& input, Passport& p);
};
std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& input, Passport& p)
{
std::string text_line1;
std::string text_line2;
std::getline(input, text_line1);
std::getline(input, text_line2);
size_t position = text_line1.find("ecl:");
if (position != std::npos)
{
// extract the value for ecl and assign to p.ecl
}
return input;
}
There are many different methods for parsing the string, the above is alluding to one of them.