storing in text file

Hi,
I'm having some problems storing data to a text file. I have created a program that creates linked lists, but i now need to take this list and save it to a text file. I cant seem to be able to get it to work.
Eventually i would like to be able to retrieve the data from a file and store it in a linked list but thats another problem.
Hope someone can help.
The code I have developed so far is shown below:
#include <iostream.h>

struct node
{
char first_name[30];
char last_name[30];
int age;
node *nxt;
};
node *start_ptr = NULL;
node *current; // Used to move along the list
int option = 0;



void add_node_at_end ()
{ node *temp, *temp2; // Temporary pointers

// Reserve space for new node and fill it with data
temp = new node;
cout << "Please enter the name of the person: ";
cin >> temp->first_name;
cout << "Please enter the age of the person : ";
cin >> temp->age;
cout << "Please enter the surname of the person : ";
cin >> temp->last_name;
temp->nxt = NULL;

// Set up link to this node
if (start_ptr == NULL)
start_ptr = temp;
else
{ temp2 = start_ptr;
// We know this is not NULL - list not empty!
while (temp2->nxt != NULL)
{ temp2 = temp2->nxt;
// Move to next link in chain
}
temp2->nxt = temp;
}
}

void display_list()
{ node *temp;
temp = start_ptr;
cout << endl;
if (temp == NULL)
cout << "The list is empty!" << endl;
else
{ while (temp != NULL)
{ // Display details for what temp points to
cout << "Name : " << temp->first_name << " ";
cout << "Age : " << temp->age << " ";
cout << "Surname : " << temp->last_name;
if (temp == current)
cout << " <-- Current node";
cout << endl;
temp = temp->nxt;

}
cout << "End of list!" << endl;
}
}


void main()
{
start_ptr = NULL;
do
{
cout << endl;
cout << "Please select an option : " << endl;
cout << "0. Exit the program." << endl;
cout << "1. Add a node to the end of the list." << endl;
cout << "2. Display List of nodes. " << endl;
cout << endl << " >> ";
cin >> option;

switch (option)
{
case 1 : add_node_at_end();break;
case 2 : display_list();

}
}
while (option != 0);
}

Got it to work eventually, silli mistakes, oops.
But now Ive got the problem of reading the data back in to the linked list.
Any suggestions?
Rich

Well, how did you write it? I would suggest just reading each record and adding it to the tail of the list. Storing a tail pointer will speed this up.

It nearly works but doesnt quite read the data back into the linked list correctly. Any help would be most appreciated
Thank You
Richard
This is my code so far.

#include <iostream>
using std::cout;
using std::cin;
using std::ios;
using std::cerr;
using std::endl;

#include <fstream>
using std::ofstream;
using std::ifstream;

#include<cstdlib>

struct node
{
char first_name[30];
char last_name[30];
int age;
node *nxt;
};
node *start_ptr = NULL;
node *current; // Used to move along the list
int option = 0;



void add_node_at_end ()
{
char fname[30];
node *temp, *temp2; // Temporary pointers

// Reserve space for new node and fill it with data
temp = new node;
cout << "Please enter the name of the person: ";
cin >> temp->first_name;

cout << "Please enter the surname of the person : ";
cin >> temp->last_name;
cout << "Please enter the age of the person : ";
cin >> temp->age;
temp->nxt = NULL;

// Set up link to this node
if (start_ptr == NULL)
start_ptr = temp;
else
{ temp2 = start_ptr;
// We know this is not NULL - list not empty!
while (temp2->nxt != NULL)
{ temp2 = temp2->nxt;
// Move to next link in chain
}
temp2->nxt = temp;
}
}



int output_file()
{
ofstream outClientFile("1.txt", ios::out);
if(!outClientFile)
{
cerr << "File could not be opened" << endl;
exit(1);
}
node *temp;
temp = start_ptr;
while (temp != NULL)
{
outClientFile << temp->first_name << " " <<
temp->last_name << " " <<
temp->age << " " << '\n';
if (temp == current)
cout << " <-- Current node";
cout << endl;
temp = temp->nxt;
}
return 0;
}

int input_file()
{
node *temp, *temp2;
temp = new node;
ifstream inClientFile("1.txt", ios::in);
if(!inClientFile)
{
cerr << "File could not be opened" << endl;
exit(1);
}
while(inClientFile >> temp->first_name >> temp->last_name >> temp->age)
{
temp->nxt = NULL;
if (start_ptr == NULL)
start_ptr = temp;
else
{ temp2 = start_ptr;
// We know this is not NULL - list not empty!
while (temp2->nxt != NULL)
{ temp2 = temp2->nxt;
// Move to next link in chain
}
temp2->nxt = temp;
}

}
return 0;
}


void display_list()
{ node *temp;
temp = start_ptr;
cout << endl;
if (temp == NULL)
cout << "The list is empty!" << endl;
else
{ while (temp != NULL)
{ // Display details for what temp points to
cout << "Name : " << temp->first_name << " ";
cout << "Surname : " << temp->last_name << " ";
cout << "Age : " << temp->age;
if (temp == current)
cout << " <-- Current node";
cout << endl;
temp = temp->nxt;

}
cout << "End of list!" << endl;
}

}


void main()
{
start_ptr = NULL;
do
{
cout << endl;
cout << "Please select an option : " << endl;
cout << "0. Exit the program." << endl;
cout << "1. Add a node to the end of the list." << endl;
cout << "2. Display List of nodes. " << endl;
cout << "3. Send data to text file. "<<endl;
cout << "4. Get data from file. " << endl;
cout << endl << " >> ";
cin >> option;

switch (option)
{
case 1 : add_node_at_end();break;
case 2 : display_list();break;
case 3 : output_file();break;
case 4 : input_file();

}
}
while (option != 0);
}