Chapter 12: Problem 51

T F ofstream objects, by default, delete the contents of a file if it already exists when opened.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer: Yes, ofstream objects, by default, delete the contents of a file if it already exists when opened. This is because the default file opening mode for ofstream is ios::out, which overwrites the file and deletes its contents before writing new data. To retain the existing contents of the file, use the ios::app file opening mode instead.

Step by step solution

Understand ofstream objects

ofstream stands for 'output file stream' and is used in C++ to create or modify files. By default, ofstream uses the file opening mode `ios::out` to specify how the file should be treated upon opening.

File opening modes

There are several file opening modes that can be used with ofstream objects, including: 1. ios::out - Open the file for output operations (default). 2. ios::app - Append data to the file; new content will be added to the end of the existing content. 3. ios::binary - Open the file in binary mode (used with images, audio files, etc.). 4. ios::in - Open the file for input operations. 5. ios::trunc - If the file exists, delete its contents and start writing from the beginning.

Analyze the given statement

The statement given in the exercise is "ofstream objects, by default, delete the contents of a file if it already exists when opened." We know that by default, ofstream objects use the ios::out file opening mode. It means that the file will be opened for output operations. If the file already exists, ios::out mode will overwrite the file and delete its contents before writing new data. Hence, the given statement is true.

Conclusion

It is correct to say that ofstream objects, by default, delete the contents of a file if it already exists when opened. If you want to retain the existing contents of the file, consider using ios::app file opening mode, which appends new data to the existing content instead of overwriting it.

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T F ofstream objects, by default, delete the contents of a file if it already exists when opened.

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understand ofstream objects

File opening modes

Analyze the given statement

Conclusion

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