std::fread

 

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Defined in header <cstdio>
std::size_t fread( void* buffer, std::size_t size, std::size_t count, std::FILE* stream );

Reads up to count objects into the array buffer from the given input stream stream as if by calling std::fgetc size times for each object, and storing the results, in the order obtained, into the successive positions of buffer, which is reinterpreted as an array of unsigned char. The file position indicator for the stream is advanced by the number of characters read.

If the objects are not TriviallyCopyable, the behavior is undefined.

If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator for the stream is indeterminate. If a partial element is read, its value is indeterminate.

Parameters

buffer	-	pointer to the first object in the array to be read
size	-	size of each object in bytes
count	-	the number of the objects to be read
stream	-	input file stream to read from

Return value

Number of objects read successfully, which may be less than count if an error or end-of-file condition occurs.

If size or count is zero, fread returns zero and performs no other action.

fread does not distinguish between end-of-file and error, and callers must use std::feof and std::ferror to determine which occurred.

Example

Run this code

#include <cstddef>
#include <cstdio>
#include <fstream>
#include <iomanip>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
 
int main()
{
    // Prepare file
    std::ofstream("test.txt") << 1 << ' ' << 2 << '\n';
    std::FILE* f = std::fopen("test.txt", "r");
 
    std::vector<char> buf(4); // char is trivially copyable
    const std::size_t n = std::fread(&buf[0], sizeof buf[0], buf.size(), f);
 
    std::cout << "Read " << n << " object" << (n > 1 ? "s" : "") << ": "
              << std::hex << std::uppercase << std::setfill('0');
    for (char n : buf)
        std::cout << "0x" << std::setw(2) << static_cast<short>(n) << ' ';
    std::cout << '\n';
 
    std::vector<std::string> buf2; // string is not trivially copyable
//  This would result in undefined behavior:
//  std::fread(&buf2[0], sizeof buf2[0], buf2.size(), f);
}

Possible output:

Read 4 objects: 0x31 0x20 0x32 0x0A

See also

scanffscanfsscanf	reads formatted input from stdin, a file stream or a buffer (function)
fgets	gets a character string from a file stream (function)
fwrite	writes to a file (function)
C documentation for fread