std::basic_ostream<CharT,Traits>::seekp

 

C++

Compiler support

Freestanding and hosted

Language

Standard library

Standard library headers

Named requirements

Feature test macros (C++20)

Language support library

Concepts library (C++20)

Metaprogramming library (C++11)

Diagnostics library

General utilities library

Strings library

Containers library

Iterators library

Ranges library (C++20)

Algorithms library

Numerics library

Localizations library

Input/output library

Filesystem library (C++17)

Regular expressions library (C++11)

Concurrency support library (C++11)

Execution support library (C++26)

Technical specifications

Symbols index

External libraries

 

Input/output library

I/O manipulators

Print functions (C++23)

C-style I/O

Buffers

basic_streambuf

basic_filebuf

basic_stringbuf

basic_spanbuf (C++23)

strstreambuf (C++98/26*)

basic_syncbuf (C++20)

Streams

Abstractions

ios_base

basic_ios

basic_istream

basic_ostream

basic_iostream

File I/O

basic_ifstream

basic_ofstream

basic_fstream

String I/O

basic_istringstream

basic_ostringstream

basic_stringstream

Array I/O

basic_ispanstream (C++23)

basic_ospanstream (C++23)

basic_spanstream (C++23)

istrstream (C++98/26*)

ostrstream (C++98/26*)

strstream (C++98/26*)

Synchronized Output

basic_osyncstream (C++20)

Types

streamoff

streamsize

fpos

Error category interface

iostream_category (C++11)

io_errc (C++11)

 

std::basic_ostream

Global objects
coutwcout	cerrwcerr	clogwclog
Member functions
basic_ostream::basic_ostream
basic_ostream::~basic_ostream
basic_ostream::operator= (C++11)
Formatted output
basic_ostream::operator<<
Unformatted output
basic_ostream::put
basic_ostream::write
Positioning
basic_ostream::tellp
basic_ostream::seekp
Miscellaneous
basic_ostream::flush
basic_ostream::swap (C++11)
Member classes
basic_ostream::sentry
Non-member functions
operator<<(std::basic_ostream)
print(std::ostream) (C++23)
println(std::ostream) (C++23)
vprint_unicode(std::ostream) (C++23)
vprint_nonunicode(std::ostream) (C++23)

 

basic_ostream& seekp( pos_type pos );	(1)
basic_ostream& seekp( off_type off, std::ios_base::seekdir dir );	(2)

Sets the output position indicator of the current associated streambuf object.

Behaves as UnformattedOutputFunction (except without actually performing output). After constructing and checking the sentry object,

(since C++11)

1) if fail() != true, sets the output position indicator to absolute (relative to the beginning of the file) value pos by calling rdbuf()->pubseekpos(pos, std::ios_base::out). In case of failure, calls setstate(std::ios_base::failbit).

2) if fail() != true, sets the output position indicator to offset off relative to dir by calling rdbuf()->pubseekoff(off, dir, std::ios_base::out). In case of failure, calls setstate(std::ios_base::failbit).

Parameters

pos	-	absolute position to set the output position indicator to
off	-	relative position (positive or negative) to set the output position indicator to
dir	-	defines base position to apply the relative offset to. It can be one of the following constants: Constant Explanation beg the beginning of a stream end the ending of a stream cur the current position of stream position indicator

Return value

*this

Exceptions

1,2) May throw std::ios_base::failure in case of failure, if exceptions() & failbit != 0.

Example

Run this code

#include <iostream>
#include <sstream>
 
int main()
{
    std::ostringstream os("hello, world");
    os.seekp(7);
    os << 'W';
    os.seekp(0, std::ios_base::end);
    os << '!';
    os.seekp(0);
    os << 'H';
    std::cout << os.str() << '\n';
}

Output:

Hello, World!

Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR	Applied to	Behavior as published	Correct behavior
LWG 129	C++98	there was no way to indicate a failure	sets failbit on failure
LWG 136	C++98	seekp could set the input stream	only sets the output stream
LWG 537	C++98	1. the type of pos was pos_type& 2. the type of off was off_type&	1. corrected to pos_type 2. corrected to off_type
LWG 2341	C++98	the resolution of LWG issue 129 for overload (2) was removed	restored

See also

tellp	returns the output position indicator (public member function)
tellg	returns the input position indicator (public member function of std::basic_istream<CharT,Traits>)
seekg	sets the input position indicator (public member function of std::basic_istream<CharT,Traits>)