don't get the logic? .....

[xXmusicmanXx]

I have an assignment that asks me to make an encoder. the encoding itself is simple, and I get that. However, my instructor wants me to read something from a txt file using cin, and not hard wire the file. Basically, I am asking the user to enter the file they want to be encoded. To me, it seems like this last bit is logically impossible. How can you read something from a file that is essentially being "created" by the user (i.e. cin creates the file, so theoretically there is nothing in the file to encode!)? I can post the assignment, but I am having a hard time with this logic... I know how to do this program with a hard wired value, but I am not allowed to do that..Any help would be great. thanks in advance!

[Intrexa]

I have 3 files on my computer (I am a very simple man) called one.txt two.txt and three.txt (again, very simple man). Seeing as these are the only 3 files on my computer, I store everything in them, and they are not empty, and quite large.

What your instructor wants is for the program to launch, and ask me which file I want to encode, I type in two.txt, and then BAM! two.txt is unreadable.

//instead of
infile.open ("test.txt", ifstream::in);
//do this
infile.open (stringTheUserEntered, ifstream::in);

[xXmusicmanXx]

so i should assume the file is on the computer, but that only the user knows what file should be open? (in this case, encoded)