Summoning and Displaying a text file, inside a menu function - c++

Question

I'm quite new to C++ and my assignment is pretty tough. I must create a menu (in which I'm struggling quite badly), not only that but I should also read and display a textfile. So far, the only method I used only displays the first lines of the text file. Can you help me out? Thanks in advance.
The break function when added to the first case also makes the loop an infinite wall of texts! I dont know what to do..
// Assignment 1.cpp : Tally Ho Generator
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
int runMenu;
int main()
{
int menuInput;
bool menu = true;
ifstream inFile;
string ABOUT;
// Menu Interface
cout << "~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\n";
cout << " The Tally Ho Probability Generator (MCD4720_Assignment 1)\n";
cout << "~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\n";
cout << " [1] End Testing the Program\n";
cout << " [2] Display About Information\n";
cout << " [3] Read and store data from files\n";
cout << " [4] Generate a Dice Tally Table\n";
cout << " [5] Save Tally Statistics to a file\n";
cout << " [6] Load Tally Statistics from a file\n";
cout << "~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\n";
cout << "Which Option would you like (1-6)\n";
cin >> runMenu;
// Menu Input Function
while (menu != false) {
switch (runMenu)
{
case 1:
{
inFile.open("C:\\Users\\William\\Documents\\MCD Assignment 4720 1\\TallyAbout.txt");
while (getline(inFile, ABOUT)) {
cout << ABOUT << endl;
inFile.close();
}
break;
}
case 2:
{}
case 3:
{}
case 4:
{}
case 5:
{}
case 6:
{}
default: {
cout << " Input unrecognized, please choose again \n";
cin >> runMenu;
break;
}
}
}
cin.ignore();
cin.get();
return 1;
}

Answer 1

So far, the only method I used only displays the first lines of the text file
That is because you close the file after reading the first line:
while (getline(inFile, ABOUT)) {
cout << ABOUT << endl;
inFile.close(); // <------ here !!
}
You do not need to close the file explicitly. The file is closed in the destructor of inFile.
The break function when added to the first case also makes the loop an infinite wall of texts! I dont know what to do..
That is because break breaks out of the switch. No other case will be handled. In particular, your default case where you ask for user input will not be executed. Actually you never modify the value of menu and while(menu != false) is an infinite loop. Move the part that has to be done for any case out of the switch:
while (menu != false) {
switch (runMenu)
{
case 1:
{
inFile.open("C:\\Users\\William\\Documents\\MCD Assignment 4720 1\\TallyAbout.txt");
while (getline(inFile, ABOUT)) {
cout << ABOUT << endl;
inFile.close();
}
break;
}
//...
default: {
cout << " Input unrecognized, please choose again \n";
break;
}
}
cin >> runMenu;
// put logic here, for example:
menu = (runMenu == 1);
}
You should modify the output accordingly. Currently it says " Input unrecognized, please choose again ", but if I understand correctly, the user has to choose to continue or not on every iteration. Also using one and not two variables for menu and runMenu would be less error-prone.

Answer 2

Try this:
case 1:
{
inFile.open("C:\\Users\\William\\Documents\\MCD Assignment 4720 1\\TallyAbout.txt");
while (getline(inFile, ABOUT)) {
cout << ABOUT << endl;
}
inFile.close();
break;
}
You are closing the file after you read the first line
The difference now is that you close the file after you read all lines