C++ ofstream: Can't find output file - c++

Question

I have created the a default DirectX12 application (the spinning 3D cube) and within my void DX::DeviceResources::Present() I am trying to write the backbuffer to a file:
// Present the contents of the swap chain to the screen.
void DX::DeviceResources::Present()
{
// The first argument instructs DXGI to block until VSync, putting the application
// to sleep until the next VSync. This ensures we don't waste any cycles rendering
// frames that will never be displayed to the screen.
HRESULT hr = m_swapChain->Present(1, 0);
UINT backBufferIndex = m_swapChain->GetCurrentBackBufferIndex();
ComPtr<ID3D12Resource> spBackBuffer;
m_swapChain->GetBuffer(backBufferIndex, IID_PPV_ARGS(&spBackBuffer));
//before writing the buffer, I want to check that the file is being
//created
ofstream myfile;
myfile.open("WHEREISTHEFILE.txt");
myfile << "Writing this to a file.\n";
myfile.close();
// If the device was removed either by a disconnection or a driver upgrade, we
// must recreate all device resources.
if (hr == DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED || hr == DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_RESET)
{
m_deviceRemoved = true;
}
else
{
DX::ThrowIfFailed(hr);
MoveToNextFrame();
}
}
The problem occurs here:
ofstream myfile;
myfile.open("WHEREISTHEFILE.txt");
myfile << "Writing this to a file.\n";
myfile.close();
I just want to write a file first (as illustrated how here), before trying to write the contents of the back buffer. Now, for some reason, I cannot find the output file... I have searched everywhere, all directories in my project and even in the Microsoft DirectX SDK folder.
There are no exceptions thrown and I can step through each line while debugging without error.
Where could it be?

Answer 1

It should be in the directory of your project. If you are using Visual Studio, you can right-click your solution and click Open folder in File explorer.
Image: Open folder in File explorer
(I embedded it like this because I need 10 reputation to post an image directly)
Also with your code now, there is no way to determine whether your program is actually able to open the output file or not. I suggest you use something like this:
std::ofstream outputFile("./myOutput.txt");
if (outputFile.fail())
{
std::cout << "Failed to open outputfile.\n";
}
outputFile << "I like trains.";
outputFile.close();
The first line is an initialisation that does the same as .open(). Also mind the "./" in front of the path, this should not be mandatory but it can't hurt to do this (this means your current directory).
The important part about this piece of code is the .fail() check, if your program failed to open the outputfile, you will ofcourse not be able to find it anywhere. Hope this helped!

Answer 2

Where could it be?
Usually the file location is relative to your current working directory, i.e. WHEREISTHEFILE.txt should be located in whatever directory you were in when you started the program.
You can determine that directory inside your program via GetCurrentDirectory(), and change it to something else via SetCurrentDirectory().
But you did not check if the .open() was successful, so the writing could have failed altogether, for example due to insufficient permissions...?!