error reading data from input file to array - c++

Question

The input file contains 14 state initials (TN,CA,NB,FL,etc..) that is to be rad into the array. The code below clears compiler but when i tell the program the filename it shoots out a bunch of blank spaces with two spaces containing some fuzz and a third contain a '#' symbol. i assume the problem is with my function not entirely sure what specifically though any help greatly appreciated!
input file set up with state initials one on top of the other:
TN
PA
KY
MN
CA
and so on
void readstate( ifstream& input, string []);
int main()
{
string stateInitials[14];
char filename[256];
ifstream input;
cout << "Enter file name: ";
cin >> filename;
input.open( filename );
if ( input.fail())
{
cout << " file open fail" << endl;
}
readstate ( input, stateInitials);
input.close();
return (0);
}
void readstate ( ifstream& input, string stateInitials[])
{
int count;
for ( count = 0; count <= MAX_ENTRIES; count++)
{
input >> stateInitials[count];
cout << stateInitials[count] << endl;
}
}

Answer 1

You are treating a character array as though it were a string array.
While you can hack put the strings next to each other inside the same char array, that is not the standard way it is done. Here is a modified version of your code, which creates one char[] to hold each initial.
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <string>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#define MAX_ENTRIES 14
using namespace std;
void readstate( ifstream& input, char* []);
int main()
{
char** stateInitials = new char*[14];
char filename[256];
ifstream input;
cout << "Enter file name: ";
cin >> filename;
input.open( filename );
if ( input.fail())
{
cout << " file open fail" << endl;
}
readstate ( input, stateInitials);
// After you are done, you should clean up
for ( int i = 0; i <= MAX_ENTRIES; i++) delete stateInitials[i];
delete stateInitials;
return (0);
}
void readstate ( ifstream& input, char* stateInitials[])
{
int count;
string temp_buf;
for ( count = 0; count <= MAX_ENTRIES; count++)
{
stateInitials[count] = new char[3];
input >> temp_buf;
memcpy(stateInitials[count], temp_buf.c_str(), 3);
cout << stateInitials[count] << endl;
}
}