How Can I Reliably Read Lines from Text Files with Mixed Newline Encodings Using C ?

Handling Newline Encodings with std::ifstream

When working with text files, inconsistently encoded newlines can present challenges. This article addresses the issue of gracefully handling LF, CR, and CRLF line endings using the std::ifstream class.

std::istream& getline ( istream& is, string& str );

The getline function reads a line up to a newline character. However, it can leave residual CR or CRLF characters at the end of the line. To address this, the article proposes using a custom function called safeGetline:

std::istream& safeGetline(std::istream& is, std::string& t)
{
    // ...
}

The safeGetline function iterates through the input stream, checking each character and detecting the appropriate newline encoding. It handles all three common newline characters: LF, CR, and CRLF.

To test the safeGetline function, the article provides a sample program that opens a text file, reads its lines using safeGetline, and counts the total number of lines. This demonstrates the function's ability to handle various newline encodings encountered in real-world text files.

By utilizing the safeGetline function, programmers can write code that accommodates all common newline encoding formats, regardless of the platform or source of the text files.

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