Reading Binary file

[Shalaka Joshi]

Hi,

I have binary file say, "test.bin". I write "FF" in the file and expect
my code to read 255 for me.

char * lbuf;
int lreadBytes ;
long lData;

FILE *pFile = fopen ("c:\\testbin","rb");

// Read data from binary file
lreadBytes = fread(lbuf,1 ,1,pFile);

if(lreadBytes!= 0)
{
lData = atol(lbuf); // converting char* to long
}

This does not work. lData is not 255 as i expect
How do I convert char* to long when reading the binary data?

Thanks and Regards,
Shalaka

 

[Tom St Denis]

Hi,

I have binary file say, "test.bin". I write "FF" in the file and expect
my code to read 255 for me.

char * lbuf;
int lreadBytes ;
long lData;

FILE *pFile = fopen ("c:\\testbin","rb");

// Read data from binary file
lreadBytes = fread(lbuf,1 ,1,pFile);

if(lreadBytes!= 0)
{
lData = atol(lbuf); // converting char* to long
}

What do you think is in lbuf[0] at this point [provided it pointed
somewhere valid]?

Also where does lbuf point? This isn't a valid code snippet.

What is actually in the file? The byte 0xFF or the ASCII characters
FF?

Tom

 

[Shalaka Joshi]

Hi,

thanks for ur response..

lbuf reads the value correctly and shows me the "ascii" code
corresponding to "ff" .
In file I have 0xFF and not the ASCII FF.

Best Regards,
Shal

Hi,

I have binary file say, "test.bin". I write "FF" in the file and expect
my code to read 255 for me.

char * lbuf;
int lreadBytes ;
long lData;

FILE *pFile = fopen ("c:\\testbin","rb");

// Read data from binary file
lreadBytes = fread(lbuf,1 ,1,pFile);

if(lreadBytes!= 0)
{
lData = atol(lbuf); // converting char* to long
}

What do you think is in lbuf[0] at this point [provided it pointed
somewhere valid]?

Also where does lbuf point? This isn't a valid code snippet.

What is actually in the file? The byte 0xFF or the ASCII characters
FF?

Tom

 

[Nelu]

Hi,

I have binary file say, "test.bin". I write "FF" in the file and expect
my code to read 255 for me.

If you write "FF" into the file why do you expect the value to be 255?
It may be 255 if you write 0xff into the file. "FF" probably means two
bytes, each one being equal to the character code of 'F'.

char * lbuf;
int lreadBytes ;
long lData;

FILE *pFile = fopen ("c:\\testbin","rb");

// Read data from binary file
lreadBytes = fread(lbuf,1 ,1,pFile);

You read into the memory location lbuf points to, but you haven't
allocated lbuf so you may not be allowed to write there.
If you read only one character and don't want to be bothered with
malloc then I suggest you declare lbuf as:

char lbuf

and read into &lbuf.

if(lreadBytes!= 0)
{
lData = atol(lbuf); // converting char* to long
}

atol needs a string. What you provide (beside not being allocated) is
also not-null terminated so it's not a string. Even if it was correct,
atol returns the value of the number represented by the string, so, if
the string is "34512", atol would return the long 34512. In your case
F is not a long, and if you used 0xFF (which is a number not a string)
then your value would be the (probably ASCII) character corresponding
to 255 and not the string "255".

This does not work. lData is not 255 as i expect
How do I convert char* to long when reading the binary data?

Also, char is signed and 255 may well be out of its range (considering
x86 with char between -127 and 127).

It depends how you want to convert char * to long. You can convert the
value of a pointer to an int and cast that value to long (probably not
what you want) and, if char * refers to a string, then you can use
atol (but you are messing things up above).

 

[Shalaka Joshi]

Sorry this is just a snapshot of the code. I have allocated memory to
lbuf.

well, I have 0xff into the file. So the value is 255.

I know atol is not working here, but my question is, I have a binary
file which has 0xff in it. When I read the file it reads ascii code in
lbuf (of type char*) corresponding to "0xff ".

Now if I have a variable of type long which I want to assign the value
255. How do I extract lbuf value into my variable?

 

[Andrew Poelstra]

Hi,

I have binary file say, "test.bin". I write "FF" in the file and expect
my code to read 255 for me.

char * lbuf;
int lreadBytes ;
long lData;

FILE *pFile = fopen ("c:\\testbin","rb");

// Read data from binary file
lreadBytes = fread(lbuf,1 ,1,pFile);

if(lreadBytes!= 0)
{
lData = atol(lbuf); // converting char* to long
}

What do you think is in lbuf[0] at this point [provided it pointed
somewhere valid]?

Also where does lbuf point? This isn't a valid code snippet.

What is actually in the file? The byte 0xFF or the ASCII characters
FF?

Hi,

thanks for ur response..

lbuf reads the value correctly and shows me the "ascii" code
corresponding to "ff" .
In file I have 0xFF and not the ASCII FF.

Don't top post. I've fixed it here.

lbuf is most certainly not reading the value correctly, even though
you may think that it is.

You need to allocate memory before you use it.

 

[Andrew Poelstra]

Sorry this is just a snapshot of the code. I have allocated memory to
lbuf.

well, I have 0xff into the file. So the value is 255.

I know atol is not working here, but my question is, I have a binary
file which has 0xff in it. When I read the file it reads ascii code in
lbuf (of type char*) corresponding to "0xff ".

Now if I have a variable of type long which I want to assign the value
255. How do I extract lbuf value into my variable?

1) Stop topposting.
2) Open your file in notepad or whatever your text editor is and paste
it into your message. We would like to see the contents of this file.
3) Allocate memory for lbuf. You've been told this twice by my count.

 

[Fred Kleinschmidt]

Sorry this is just a snapshot of the code. I have allocated memory to
lbuf.

well, I have 0xff into the file. So the value is 255.

I know atol is not working here, but my question is, I have a binary
file which has 0xff in it. When I read the file it reads ascii code in
lbuf (of type char*) corresponding to "0xff ".

Now if I have a variable of type long which I want to assign the value
255. How do I extract lbuf value into my variable?

If you write "FF" into the file why do you expect the value to be 255?
It may be 255 if you write 0xff into the file. "FF" probably means two
bytes, each one being equal to the character code of 'F'.


You read into the memory location lbuf points to, but you haven't
allocated lbuf so you may not be allowed to write there.
If you read only one character and don't want to be bothered with
malloc then I suggest you declare lbuf as:

char lbuf

and read into &lbuf.



atol needs a string. What you provide (beside not being allocated) is
also not-null terminated so it's not a string. Even if it was correct,
atol returns the value of the number represented by the string, so, if
the string is "34512", atol would return the long 34512. In your case
F is not a long, and if you used 0xFF (which is a number not a string)
then your value would be the (probably ASCII) character corresponding
to 255 and not the string "255".



Also, char is signed and 255 may well be out of its range (considering
x86 with char between -127 and 127).

It depends how you want to convert char * to long. You can convert the
value of a pointer to an int and cast that value to long (probably not
what you want) and, if char * refers to a string, then you can use
atol (but you are messing things up above).

Assuming you fix up the code so that it properly allocates the buffer, etc.,
and you do read the contents in, you can get the integer value using a
simple cast.
For example:
unsigned char c = 0xff;
long i = (long)x;

 

[Keith Thompson]

Assuming you fix up the code so that it properly allocates the buffer, etc.,
and you do read the contents in, you can get the integer value using a
simple cast.
For example:
unsigned char c = 0xff;
long i = (long)x;

The cast isn't necessary:

unsigned char c = 0xff;
long i = x;