Binary vs. Text File Writing in MS Visual C : What are the Key Differences?

Binary vs. Text Mode File Writing in MS Visual C

When writing data to a file, the file writing mode determines how data is interpreted and stored. In text mode, certain translations occur that are not present in binary mode.

In MS Visual C, the translations that occur in text mode include:

• Line feeds ('n') are translated to 'rn' sequences on output.
• Carriage return/line feed sequences are translated to line feeds on input.
• If the file is opened in append mode, the end of the file may be modified to remove a ctrl-z character (character 26) and interpret its presence as the end of the file.

Consider the following code example:

unsigned char buffer[256];
for (int i = 0; i < 256; i++) buffer[i] = i;
int size = 1;
int count = 256;

FILE *fp_binary = fopen(filename, "wb");
fwrite(buffer, size, count, fp_binary); // Binary mode

FILE *fp_text = fopen(filename, "wt");
fwrite(buffer, size, count, fp_text); // Text mode

In binary mode, the data in buffer will be written directly to the file without any translations. However, in text mode, the line feeds will be translated to 'rn' sequences, which are used for line breaks in Windows operating systems.

Understanding the difference between binary and text mode file writing is crucial for ensuring accurate data handling and preventing potential issues.

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