Understanding fgetc program - c

Question

I'm reading a book about c programming and don't understand a shown example. Or more precisely I don't understand why it works because I would think it shouldn't.
The code is simple, it reads the content of a text file and outputs it in output area. As far as I understand it, I would think that the
ch = fgetc(stream);
ought to be inside the while loop, because it only reads one int a time? and needs to read the next int after the current one has been outputted. Well, it turns out that this code indeed works fine so I hope someone could explain my fallacy to me. Thanks!
#include <stdio.h>
int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
FILE *stream;
char filename[67];
int ch;
printf("Please enter the filename?\n");
gets(filename);
if((stream = fopen(filename, "r")) == NULL) {
printf("Error opening the file\n");
exit(1);
}
ch = fgetc(stream);
while (!feof(stream)) {
putchar(ch);
ch = fgetc(stream);
}
fclose(stream);
}

Answer 1

I think you are confuse because of feof():
Doc: int feof ( FILE * stream );
Checks whether the end-of-File indicator associated with stream is
set, returning a value different from zero if it is.
This indicator is generally set by a previous operation on the stream
that attempted to read at or past the end-of-file.
ch = fgetc(stream); <---"Read current symbol from file"
while (!feof(stream)) { <---"Check EOF read/returned by last fgetc() call"
putchar(ch); <---"Output lasts read symbol, that was not EOF"
ch = fgetc(stream); <---"Read next symbols from file"
}
<-- control reach here when EOF found
A much better way is to write your loop like:
while((ch = fgetc(stream))!= EOF){ <--" Read while EOF not found"
putchar(ch); <-- "inside loop print a symbol that is not EOF"
}
Additionally, Note: int fgetc ( FILE * stream );
Returns the character currently pointed by the internal file position
indicator of the specified stream. The internal file position
indicator is then advanced to the next character.
If the stream is at the end-of-file when called, the function returns
EOF and sets the end-of-file indicator for the stream (feof).
If a read error occurs, the function returns EOF and sets the error
indicator for the stream (ferror).

Answer 2

If the fgetc outside while is removed, like this:
while (!feof(stream)) {
putchar(ch);
ch = fgetc(stream);
}
ch will be un-initialized the first time putchar(ch) is called.
By the way, don't use gets, because it may cause buffer overflow. Use fgets or gets_s instead. gets is removed in C11.

Answer 3

The code you have provided has 'ch =fgetc(stream);' before the While loop and also
'ch = fgetc(stream);' within the body of the loop.
It would be logical that the statement within the loop is retrieving the ch from the stream one at a time as you correctly state.

Answer 4

It is inside and outside as you see. The one outside is responsible for reading the first character (which may be already the end of file, then the while wouldn't be entered anyway and nothing is printed), then it enters the loop, puts the character and reads the next one.. as long as the read character is not the end of file, the loop continues.

Answer 5

This is because of second fgetc which is getting call upto while (!feof(stream)).

Answer 6

fgetc() reads a char(byte) and return that byte,The reading of byte value depends on where the read pointer is available.
Once fgetc() successfully read one byte the read file pointer moves to the next byte .so if you read the file the next byte will be the output and it will continue upto it find the end of the file where it return EOF.

Answer 7

Actually this part here:
while (!feof(stream)) {
putchar(ch);
ch = fgetc(stream);
}
is pretty unsafe and you should avoid checking EOF like that (here why).
The way you should read a file using fgetc is like so:
int ch;
while ((ch = fgetc(stream)) != EOF)
{
printf("%c", ch)
}

Answer 8

This is non functional code. Last character from file is never outputted. fgetc will read last character and pointer will be at end of file. So, when while is checked, !feof will return false, and read character will not be outputed.
feofis not preventing reading after end of file: for empty files fgetc will be called before feof!
Unless there is some benefit in console handling, two better options exist:
Using feof:
while (!feof(stream)) {
ch=fgetc(stream);
putchar(ch);
}
Without using feof - because fgetc returns EOF when there are no more characters:
while ((ch=fgetc(stream))!=EOF) putchar(ch);