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The C++ Standard, [filebuf], paragraph 2 [ISO/IEC 14882-2014], states the following:

The restrictions on reading and writing a sequence controlled by an object of class basic_filebuf<charT, traits> are the same as for reading and writing with the Standard C library FILEs.

The C Standard, subclause 7.19.5.3, paragraph 66 [ISO/IEC 9899:1999], places the following restrictions on FILE objects opened for both reading and writing [ISO/IEC 9899:1999]:

When a file is opened with update mode . . ., both input and output may be performed on the associated stream. However, output shall not be directly followed by input without an intervening call to the fflush function or to a file positioning function (fseek, fsetpos, or rewind), and input shall not be directly followed by output without an intervening call to a file positioning function, unless the input operation encounters end-of-file.

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No other std::basic_filebuf<T> function guarantees behavior as if a call were made to a standard C library file-positioning function, or std::fflush().

Note that calling Calling std::basic_ostream<T>::seekp() or std::basic_istream<T>::seekg() eventually results in a call to std::basic_filebuf<T>::seekoff() for file stream positioning. Given that std::basic_iostream<T> inherits from both std::basic_ostream<T> and std::basic_istream<T>, and std::fstream inherits from std::basic_iostream, either function is acceptable to call to ensure the file buffer is in a valid state before the subsequent IO I/O operation.

Noncompliant Code Example

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Alternately inputting and outputting from a stream without an intervening flush or positioning call is undefined behavior.

Automated Detection

Related Vulnerabilities

Search for vulnerabilities resulting from the violation of this rule on the CERT website.

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This rule supplements FIO39-C. Do not alternately input and output from a stream without an intervening flush or positioning call.

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Bibliography

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