27 Input/output library [input.output]

The header <fstream> defines four class templates and eight types that associate stream buffers with files and assist reading and writing files.

Header <fstream> synopsis

namespace std {
  template <class charT, class traits = char_traits<charT>>
    class basic_filebuf;
  using filebuf  = basic_filebuf<char>;
  using wfilebuf = basic_filebuf<wchar_t>;

  template <class charT, class traits = char_traits<charT>>
    class basic_ifstream;
  using ifstream  = basic_ifstream<char>;
  using wifstream = basic_ifstream<wchar_t>;

  template <class charT, class traits = char_traits<charT>>
    class basic_ofstream;
  using ofstream  = basic_ofstream<char>;
  using wofstream = basic_ofstream<wchar_t>;

  template <class charT, class traits = char_traits<charT>>
    class basic_fstream;
  using fstream  = basic_fstream<char>;
  using wfstream = basic_fstream<wchar_t>;
}

[ Note: The class template basic_filebuf treats a file as a source or sink of bytes. In an environment that uses a large character set, the file typically holds multibyte character sequences and the basic_filebuf object converts those multibyte sequences into wide character sequences.  — end note ]