c++ while loop won't exit once condition is met - c++

Question

I'm trying to use a while loop to ensure a file has been opened with "ifstream inputFile(fileName);". If I enter a correct file name first, the while loop condition (!inputFile) correctly evaluates to false, and is skipped. If I enter a bad file name, the while loop correctly evaluates to true and is entered. Inside the while loop, if I enter a correct file name, the value of inputFile does change from 0 to 1 (I check with a cout statement) - but the while loop doesn't stop.
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
int main(void) {
string fileName;
cout << "\nEnter a file name: ";
cin >> fileName;
ifstream inputFile(fileName);
while(!inputFile) {
cout << "File not found, please enter another file: ";
cin >> fileName;
ifstream inputFile(fileName);
// just added to check values
cout << "fileName is: " << fileName << endl;
cout << "inputFile is: " << inputFile << endl;
}
}

Answer 1

The probleme here is that you define 2 variables inputFile in two different scopes. The first one is evaluated in the while condition, the second one is created and destroyed at every while iteration, and never evaluated.
Consider trying:
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
int main(void) {
string fileName;
cout << "\nEnter a file name: ";
cin >> fileName;
ifstream inputFile(fileName);
while(!inputFile) {
cout << "File not found, please enter another file: ";
cin >> fileName;
inputFile.open(fileName); // <== Here is the change
// just added to check values
cout << "fileName is: " << fileName << endl;
cout << "inputFile is: " << inputFile << endl;
}
}