Read in a file for word search game C++ - c++

Question

I am attempting read in a file and create a 2D vector to store the game board for a word search game but I can't seem to get it to read more than the first line. I'm sure it is something small but I put in a test display for the 'board' vector and all that shows up is the first line of the text file.
Here is some of my code:
'Board.cpp'
#include "stdafx.h"
#include "Board.h"
#include <fstream>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
Board::Board(void)
: rows(0)
{
}
Board::~Board(void)
{
}
void Board::readInFile(void)
{
ifstream indata;
indata.open("Puzzle.txt");
indata >> rows;
for(int i = 0; i < rows; i++){
char tmpChar;
for(int j = 0; j < rows; j++){
indata >> tmpChar;
row.push_back(tmpChar);
}
board.push_back(row);
}
indata.close();
}
'Board.h'
#pragma once
#include <vector>
using namespace std;
class Board
{
public:
Board(void);
~Board(void);
void readInFile(void);
protected:
vector<vector<char>> board;
vector<char>row;
protected:
int rows;
};
Here is how the text file is set up:
16
BDXWASEESPHWEBGB
SIGJVAWDFLCTZIAM
ENKVESMARNAEBRRI
IKOEOPZLUKMVJDDL
KLIRELOBSNPOFWEC
SBOHKLLRHSIFPANA
RSKWMEEEPEITPTPE
EZPIELLLYMOOQCDH
TAWDLGGLZBUNDHOJ
ASIOJNFOPKAJAPBP
WLRCIILROZXLSCID
SKATEBOARDGCLCIA
LLABESABIVOTNVVE
VOFRISBEETMIEVZG
BWADEVAUCYCSWING
XNJFJPZHBTBFTSAW

Answer 1

There are much better ways to handle input files. Firstly, rather than using a vector<char>, just use a std::string, and rather than using a vector<vector<char> >, just use a vector<string>. I'm not sure I understand why row is a member of the class if it is only being used to fill the board. Anytime you need the last item in board you can just do board.back() or *board.rbegin().
void Board::readInFile(void)
{
ifstream indata("Puzzle.txt", ios::in);
if(!ifstream.is_open())
return;
indata >> rows; //you don't really need to do this if you take
//the row count out of the file, but if you can't
//change the file, leave it in so as not to corrupt
//the loop that follows
string line;
while(getline(indata, line)){
board.push_back(line);
}
indata.close();
}
Really, you don't need to have the file store the rows variable.
Your function would also be more reusable if readInFile took the filename as a parameter so it could open anything instead of only one specific filename.