C File Handling Overview

C programming language provides file handling techniques to store, manipulate, and read data or information from a file. In C programming, a file pointer is used to access files. By using file handling techniques, data can be stored in a file permanently or temporarily for later use.

Syntax

To open a file, use the following syntax:

FILE *fopen(const char *filename, const char *mode);

To close a file, use the following syntax:

int fclose(FILE *stream);

Example

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
   FILE *fp;
   fp = fopen("test.txt", "w");
   fprintf(fp, "This is a file created using C programming language.");
   fclose(fp);
   return 0;
}

Output

A file named "test.txt" will be created with the following content:

This is a file created using C programming language.

Explanation

In the above example, the fopen() function is used to open a file named "test.txt" in write mode. Then, the fprintf() function is used to write the text to the file. Finally, the fclose() function is used to close the file.

Use

File handling techniques are widely used in C programming to store data permanently or temporarily. They can be used to create, read, write, modify, and delete files. In addition, file handling techniques can also be used in conjunction with other C programming techniques such as arrays, structures, and pointers for more advanced data storage and manipulation purposes.

Important Points

• The fopen() function is used to open a file in a specified mode, such as r (read), w (write), a (append), and more.
• The fclose() function is used to close a file after use.
• The fprintf() and fscanf() functions are used to write and read data to and from a file, respectively.
• To check if a file is opened successfully or not, the NULL pointer is used.
• Files are handled in C programming using a file pointer.

Summary

C file handling techniques provide a powerful tool for storing, manipulating, and reading data in a file. By using techniques such as fopen(), fclose(), fprintf(), and fscanf(), data can be written to and read from a file, providing flexibility for data storage and manipulation. Understanding the basic syntax and use cases for file handling techniques is essential for any C programmer looking to create robust applications that require data storage and retrieval.