Possible to output console result into text file? - c++

Question

I am required to store the below console data into a text file:
enter image description here
However, the name of the textfile of where the output will be placed in is typed in by the user. I am unable to find a proper way to store all the console data in the requested text file. Since I use width and special spaces I am unsure how to go about doing this.
My Code:
if(message == "5"){
cout << "\n[View Data...]" << endl;
cout << "filtering criteria:" << optionTwo << endl;
cout << "sorting criteria:" << optionThree << endl;
cout << "sorting order:" << optionFour << endl;
cout << "" << endl;
if(optionTwo == "Point2D"){
std::cout.width(5); std::cout << std::right << "X";
std::cout.width(6); std::cout << std::right << "Y";
std::cout.width(9); std::cout << std::right << "Dist.";
std::cout.width(3); std::cout << std::right << "Fr" ;
std::cout.width(7); std::cout << std::right << "Origin" << endl;
}
}
if(message == "6"){
cout << "Please enter filename: " ;
cin >> message6;
}

Answer 1

When you are sending text into cout you are basically writing to a file already, just a system standard one called stdout. You simply need to open a different output file stream and send the output the same way.
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
using namespace std;
ofstream out = ofstream("file.txt", ios::out);
out.width(5);
out << std:;right << "X";
You do not strictly need to include the ios::out since it is the default mode for ofstream objects. You can read more at the cppreference

Answer 2

You can use filestreams for this:
std::cin >> message6; // read file name from the user
std::ofstream file {message6}; // open file with that name
file << "hello world"; // write data to the file
Similar to writing data to cout, you can use stream modifiers for file as well.

Answer 3

I don't know what kind of string you're using but, you can use the std::ostream for that:
ofstream myfile;
cout << "Please enter filename: " ;
cin >> message6;
myfile.open (message6);
Then instead of using cout, you'd use:
myfile << "Your string.\n";
But if you want to redirect he actual standard output of the program to a file. You can do it through calling arguments. And that can be set in the execution panel in your IDE or the terminal when the program is called
your_program >> output_file.txt