std::ofstream variable definition problems

Question

I am having problems with my ofstream variable outfile. I define it globally, and then try to change it within a function:

ofstream outfile("C:\\folder1\\folder2\\file1.file");

void a() {
    ofstream outfile("C:\\folder3\\folder4\\file2.file");
}

main(){
    a();
    outfile << "TEST";
}

This does not work. If I try to remove the ofstream in the second declaration, I get errors.

NOTE: My debugger broke

Answer 1

This does not work. If I try to remove the ofstream in the second declaration, I get errors.

Sure, there's no such operator() overload for ofstream, supposed you've been writing

void a() {
    outfile("C:\\folder3\\folder4\\file2.file");
}

Note that there's also no assignment operator defined, such writing

void a() {
    outfile = ofstream("C:\\folder3\\folder4\\file2.file");
}

can't be used either.

The closest you can get is

void a() {
    outfile.close();
    outfile.open("C:\\folder3\\folder4\\file2.file");
}

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The real question is IMHO, why you need to declare outfile in the global scope. Usually it's not necessary at all.