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<TITLE>Implicit Synchronization Using the unitbuf Format Flag</TITLE>
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<H2>35.3 Implicit Synchronization Using the unitbuf Format Flag</H2>
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<P>You can achieve a kind of automatic synchronization for output files by using the format flag <SAMP>ios_base::unitbuf</SAMP>. It causes an output stream to flush its buffer after each output operation as follows:</P>

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std::ofstream ostr("/tmp/fil");
std::ifstream istr("/tmp/fil");

ostr &lt;&lt; std::ios_base::unitbuf;                            //1

while (some_condition) {
  ostr &lt;&lt; "... some output ...";                                //2
  // process the output
  istr &gt;&gt; s;
  // ...
}
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<TR VALIGN="top"><TD><SAMP>//1</SAMP></TD><TD>Set the <SAMP>unitbuf</SAMP> format flag.
<TR VALIGN="top"><TD><SAMP>//2</SAMP></TD><TD>After each insertion into the file <SAMP>/tmp/fil,</SAMP> the buffer is automatically flushed, and the output is available to other streams that read from the same file.
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<P>Since it is not overly efficient to flush after every single token that is inserted, you might consider switching off the <SAMP>unitbuf</SAMP> flag for a lengthy output that is not supposed to be read partially.</P>

<UL><PRE>
ostr.unsetf(std::ios_base::unitbuf);                          //1

ostr &lt;&lt; "... some lengthy and complicated output ...";

ostr.flush().setf(std::ios_base::unitbuf);                    //2
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<TR VALIGN="top"><TD><SAMP>//1</SAMP></TD><TD>Switch off the <SAMP>unitbuf</SAMP> flag. Alternatively, using manipulators, you can use <SAMP>ostr &lt;&lt; std::ios_base::nounitbuf;</SAMP>
<TR VALIGN="top"><TD><SAMP>//2</SAMP></TD><TD>Flush the buffer and switch on the <SAMP>unitbuf</SAMP> flag again. Alternatively, you can use the <SAMP>std::ios_base::flush</SAMP> and <SAMP>std::ios::base::unitbuf</SAMP> manipulators.
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