Conversion issue with files

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Using 3 modules, we create 3 files say a,b and c.

a is having data like
item number, num of items ordered, num of items damaged, num of items on hand, on hold etc
a reads the fields mentioned above from database, copies to a char array. Now this char array is written to final file - the problem here is i can print and
see each field coming proper, but when it is copied to char array like :memcpy (&buffer[62], &field_name,sizeof(int)); : the char array, buffer, if i print,
shows value in some different format. The same value is written to file a and the file is also in some different format.
It has no extension (file a) . If i give file command to find out what kind of file it is it shows: data or International Language text.

b is having data like
seq num, cust num, store num, report id etc
the same method explained above for file a happens here
c is having data like
not alloc qty, DSN num etc.
the same method explained above for file a happens here

If I need to find out how the final file contains -ve val, i should first know what these char array contains
final module creates a file in write mode and copies content of 3 files like this :
sprintf (buff, "cat %s >> %s",
file_a/file_b/file_c, final_file);

the final file as mentioned is created and opened in write mode.
The final file is also in binary ormat or something, so we have a utility created
to read the content of the file
now, here comes the problem that this final file, when I open and try read using
read utility shows these -ve values

What I have tried:

I tried keeping some less records in initial input files and in debugging mode I tried printing values. But I didnt find any value coming -ve.

Posted 14-May-19 18:37pm

Member 14161770

Updated 15-May-19 17:11pm

v2

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Richard MacCutchan 15-May-19 3:18am

Look at the code that does the merge. I can only assume that you are writing the data in the wrong format.

3 solutions

Solution 1

So, you don't understand how you get this output, you only forgot to tell us what input you have and what is the code you use to merge the input.
We are not NSA, we can't see your screen, or access your HDD, we can't read your mind either.

Asking questions is a skill[^]
Some guidelines for posting questions in the forums[^]

Posted 14-May-19 19:42pm

Patrice T

Comments

TheRealSteveJudge 15-May-19 1:57am

Indeed a good answer to a poor question. 5*

Patrice T 15-May-19 2:11am

Thank you.
As you can see, some people don't like :)

CPallini 15-May-19 2:47am

Have my 5.

Patrice T 15-May-19 3:04am

Thank you

Solution 2

This are binary files. When you say that they are merged I guess that they are crap (random data).

Most database files are binary files, so revisit the creation process of this data files from the scratch.

Normally is the extension is the clear description of the format of the file.

Posted 14-May-19 20:12pm

KarstenK

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OriginalGriff · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-14T20:17:00

We can't tell "what format" that is in: we have no idea what the data is supposed to be, or how it is generated.

So you need to start with the app that generates the "final file" and use teh debugger to look at four things:
1) The input values it is actually using. Not the values in the "a, b, and c" files, or the values in the DB, but the actual values the app is using to create the file "d".
2) How it combines those values to produce a file.
3) The output values it actually generates. This probably means using a Hex editor to look at the data as byte / binary values rather than character based. (I use PSPad[^] - it's a good general developers text editor and works well with binary files - it's freeware). Text editors like Notepad don't help here, as they interpret some values as control characters or as "invisible" values.
4) The output values you expect "d" to contain.

We can't see any of that: we have no access to your input data, db or the "a, b, and c" files; no access to your source code; no access to your output data; no idea what you expected.

So, it's going to be up to you.
Fortunately, you have a tool available to you which will help you find out what is going on: the debugger. How you use it depends on your compiler system, but a quick Google for the name of your IDE and "debugger" should give you the info you need.

Put a breakpoint on the first line in the function, and run your code through the debugger. Then look at your code, and at your data and work out what should happen manually. Then single step each line checking that what you expected to happen is exactly what did. When it isn't, that's when you have a problem, and you can back-track (or run it again and look more closely) to find out why.

Sorry, but we can't do that for you - time for you to learn a new (and very, very useful) skill: debugging!

Quote:
1) The input values it is actually using. Not the values in the "a, b, and c" files, or the values in the DB, but the actual values the app is using to create the file "d".- I tried finding out this, but failed as the file conatians values as i mentioned above
2) How it combines those values to produce a file. - the command used is :sprintf (buff, "cat %s >> %s",
file_a, file_d);
3) The output values it actually generates.
4) The output values you expect "d" to contain.
3 & 4 - some are correct and fileds are coming -ve randomly

:sigh:
1) If you don't know what values you are using - and if you can't tell me then you don't - then you can't say "it's here" at all. You need to find out information (because we can't get at it!) starting with the source and working your way through as the problem could be at any point.
2) That doesn't generate a file. It generates a string inside a char array inside you application.

C++

#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
    printf("Hello World\n");
    char buff[100];
    char *file_a = "hello";
    char *file_d = "world";
    sprintf (buff, "cat %s >> %s", file_a, file_d); 
    printf("%s\n", buff);
    return 0;
}

Will show this:

Hello World                                                                                        
cat hello >> world

There is nothing there that generates files!
Even if you execute that string as a system command, it's not going to do anything particularly useful if the input file_a contains binary data as cat treats it as text!
3) And they are?
4) Am I supposed to guess what you expect?

Look, you have a debugger - I'm damn sure you do, and even if you don't know how to use it Google does - and that is the tool you need to use to find out exactly what is going on!
We can't sort out problems for you without actual information that you have access to and we don't.

At the moment, your car has broken down in the middle of nowhere.
You called the garage - me - and told me "it don't work!"
When I ask what car it is, what happened to it, what part doesn't work, where are you - all stuff a garage needs to know to come and fix your car - you have described your keyfob: "Well it's black, and made of plastic. It's got two buttons on it and I hung my house keys on the end". That doesn't help a mechanic, and your answers don't help me.

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