Reading from An Ini file

I want to read an ini file which is as follows:
I need a function which takes the ini-File name & the section to read as parameters to this function.
and I want to read each string(Full string) in the section one by one.
I want no windows specific code as I want the code to be compiled under Linux as well.

;32 Bit - 7.0 Line
[builder]
version=3
menus=11
bindings=2
bellOnError=1
bellOnWarning=1

[Options]
VirtualDesktop=0
AlwaysOnTop=0

Could any one help me on this regard.

As far as getting the file name...are you searching for it? or do you have it already? I'm not exactly sure how to search for files in a non windows fashion...you can do system calls, but i'm not sure what the unix equivilant to the DOS FIND command is. As far as reading in the parameters, that's easier.

Code:

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#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <string>

char * buffer=new char[256];//multiples work best, 8,16,32,64,128,etc.
char * parameters=new char[128];
char * builderParameters=new char[128];
char * options=new char[128];
ifstream fin("file.ini");//open reading of 'file.ini'

int main()
{
//sorry about not tabbing this, but i don't feel like hitting space five times every line
fin>>buffer;
//now that i've read in 256 characters, i can search through them
buffer=strchr(buffer,']');
strcpy(buffer,parameters);
parameters=strtok(parameters,'[');//now that i have parameters from after the first ']', remove parameters from other categories by taking off everything after the next '[' (category)
strcpy(parameters,builderParameters);
delete [] parameters;
parameters=NULL;
char * parameters=new char[256];//clean variables to prevent memory leaks
buffer=strchr(buffer,'[');//go back to the buffer and fine the options section that was read from the ini file
//since i don't know if you have any more sections i'll just stop at that, otherwise repeat the strtok process of the parameters variable
strcpy(buffer,parameters);
strchr(parameters,']');//don't do parameters=... in this case because it would overwrite and spill memory, we just want to move through the variable to the ']' so that you just get your parameters, not "options]" included
strcpy(parameters,options);
//good luck
return 0;
}

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Approach the INI file as any other database text file. You read each line and find the value and update the variable.

Kuphryn

If it were me I would probably write some functions that used only the C++ Standard Classes (little or no C functions) and read the data into a map of maps. You could have a map of sections and for each section a map of names and values. The entire file could be read when the file is opened; then the function to get a value from a section would be very easy.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Sam Hobbs
If it were me I would probably write some functions that used
only the C++ Standard Classes (little or no C functions) and read
the data into a map of maps. You could have a map of sections
and for each section a map of names and values. The entire file
could be read when the file is opened; then the function to get a
value from a section would be very easy.

---

This is an excellent suggestion since INI values typically have one
"key" to be associated with the "value". This method receives
my vote.

--Paul