Description

The Files.h library is a compact, single-header C++ file-utilities module that provides line-oriented file operations and an in-memory vector<string> editing model. It offers simple, high-level functions for reading, writing, copying, moving, inserting, deleting, searching, updating, encrypting/decrypting, and converting files ↔ vectors of lines. Designed as a convenient toolkit for CLI tools, small scripts, or prototyping file manipulation logic without pulling in heavy libraries.

Technologies Used

  • Language: C++ (single-header style)

  • Standard library: <string>, <fstream>
  • Custom Utility Library: Utils.h
  • Primary data model: line-based vector<std::string> used as an editable in-memory representation of a file

Functionality / Features

Basic I/O

  • prtFile(path) — print file contents to cout.
  • clrFile(path) — truncate/clear a file.

Copy / Move

  • copyFileToFile(src, dest, override=false) — copy file contents (append or overwrite).
  • moveFileToFile(...) — copy then clear the source.
  • copyFileToVct(src, vct, override=false) / moveFileToVct(...) — load file lines into a vector<string> (optionally clearing vector).
  • getVectorFromFile(path, clearSrc=false) — convenience that returns a vector<string>.

Save / Persist

  • copyVctToFile(vct, dest, override=false, copyEmptyLns=true) — write vector back to file with options.
  • moveVctToFile(vct, dest, override=false) — write then clear the vector.

Line-level editing

  • appendLnInFile(path, ln), insertLnInFile(path, pos, ln), insertFileInFile(srcPath, destPath, pos).
  • updateLnInFile(path, lnPos, newLn) and updateLnInFile(path, ln, newLn) — update by index or by matching line.
  • delLnFromFile(path, lnPos) and delLnFromFile(path, ln) — delete by index or by exact line (sets line to empty and writes back).

String-level editing inside file

  • delStrFromFile(path, str) and delStrFromFile(path, str, count) — remove substring occurrences.
  • updateStrInFile(path, str, newStr) and updateStrInFile(path, str, newStr, count) — replace occurrences (global or limited).

Search & query helpers

  • isLnInFile(path, ln), isStrInLn(path, lnPos, str), isStrInFile(path, str).
  • getLnFromFile(path, pos), getFirstLnPosInFile(path, ln), isFileEmpty(path).

File encryption / decryption

  • encryptFile(path, key) / decryptFile(path, key) — applies Utils::Encrypt_Decrypt over each line and writes back.

Return semantics

  • Most functions return bool indicating success/failure; query functions return booleans or data (e.g., vector<string>, string, short) as appropriate.

Implementation Highlights

  • Line-first design: The library treats files as ordered collections of lines (vector<string>) — this simplifies insert/update/delete operations and maps naturally to many CLI/text-processing use cases.
  • Consistent read-edit-write pattern: Most mutating operations use copyFileToVct(...) → modify the vector → copyVctToFile(...) sequence. That keeps the code straightforward and reduces duplication.
  • Small, composable primitives: Core functions (copyFileToVct, copyVctToFile, appendLnInFile, prtFile) are simple and composable; higher-level behaviors (move, insert file, encrypt/decrypt) are built by combining them.
  • Flexible write modes: copyFileToFile and copyVctToFile accept override flags to choose overwrite vs append, and copyVctToFile can optionally skip empty lines — practical for varied file workflows.
  • String-level operations reuse standard std::string functions: substring search/erase/insert loops perform global or limited replacements/deletions directly on lines, keeping logic explicit and easy to trace.
  • Integration with Utils: Uses Utils::Encrypt_Decrypt for lightweight per-line encryption/decryption and relies on the broader Utils toolset when necessary.

Conclusion

  • Concrete, practical utility: File manipulation is a ubiquitous task; this project shows you can build reliable, reusable tooling that saves time across scripts and projects.
  • Demonstrates API design & composition: The header exposes a small, consistent surface area (mostly bool-returning helpers) and composes simple primitives to implement more complex behaviors — a good example of pragmatic API design.
  • Integrates knowledge across modules: It ties together file I/O, vector<string> data modeling, string manipulation (from Strings.h), and encryption (from Utils.h), which highlights your ability to compose modules into useful tools.

How to Use

  1. Download the header file from the section below.
  2. Include it in your C++ project using #include "...", with the appropriate path between the double quotes.
  3. Make sure that you have Utils.h also installed.

Source Code

You can find the source code for this header here.

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