Checking cin input stream produces an integer

_{Heh, this is an old question that could use a better answer.}

User input should be obtained as a string and then attempt-converted to the data type you desire. Conveniently, this also allows you to answer questions like “what type of data is my input?”

Here is a function I use a lot. Other options exist, such as in Boost, but the basic premise is the same: attempt to perform the string→type conversion and observe the success or failure:

template <typename T>
std::optional <T> string_to( const std::string& s )
{
  std::istringstream ss( s );
  T result;
  ss >> result >> std::ws;      // attempt the conversion
  if (ss.eof()) return result;  // success
  return {};                    // failure
}

Using the optional type is just one way. You could also throw an exception or return a default value on failure. Whatever works for your situation.

Here is an example of using it:

int n;
std::cout << "n? ";
{
  std::string s;
  getline( std::cin, s );
  auto x = string_to <int> ( s );
  if (!x) return complain();
  n = *x;
}
std::cout << "Multiply that by seven to get " << (7 * n) << ".\n";

limitations and type identification

In order for this to work, of course, there must exist a method to unambiguously extract your data type from a stream. This is the natural order of things in C++ — that is, business as usual. So no surprises here.

The next caveat is that some types subsume others. For example, if you are trying to distinguish between int and double, check for int first, since anything that converts to an int is also a double.

You can check like this:

int x;
cin >> x;

if (cin.fail()) {
    //Not an int.
}

Furthermore, you can continue to get input until you get an int via:

#include <iostream>



int main() {

    int x;
    std::cin >> x;
    while(std::cin.fail()) {
        std::cout << "Error" << std::endl;
        std::cin.clear();
        std::cin.ignore(256,'\n');
        std::cin >> x;
    }
    std::cout << x << std::endl;

    return 0;
}

EDIT: To address the comment below regarding input like 10abc, one could modify the loop to accept a string as an input. Then check the string for any character not a number and handle that situation accordingly. One needs not clear/ignore the input stream in that situation. Verifying the string is just numbers, convert the string back to an integer. I mean, this was just off the cuff. There might be a better way. This won't work if you're accepting floats/doubles (would have to add '.' in the search string).

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

int main() {

    std::string theInput;
    int inputAsInt;

    std::getline(std::cin, theInput);

    while(std::cin.fail() || std::cin.eof() || theInput.find_first_not_of("0123456789") != std::string::npos) {

        std::cout << "Error" << std::endl;

        if( theInput.find_first_not_of("0123456789") == std::string::npos) {
            std::cin.clear();
            std::cin.ignore(256,'\n');
        }

        std::getline(std::cin, theInput);
    }

    std::string::size_type st;
    inputAsInt = std::stoi(theInput,&st);
    std::cout << inputAsInt << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

There is a function in c called isdigit(). That will suit you just fine. Example:

int var1 = 'h';
int var2 = '2';

if( isdigit(var1) )
{
   printf("var1 = |%c| is a digit\n", var1 );
}
else
{
   printf("var1 = |%c| is not a digit\n", var1 );
}
if( isdigit(var2) )
{
  printf("var2 = |%c| is a digit\n", var2 );
}
else
{
   printf("var2 = |%c| is not a digit\n", var2 );
}

From here