C++ User Input
So far your programs only send data out with cout. To make them interactive, you need to read data in from the keyboard. In C++ this is done with cin, which reads what the user types and stores it in a variable.
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Reading Input with cin
The object cin (short for character input) works as the opposite of cout. While cout uses the << operator to send data out, cin uses the >> operator to pull data in and place it into a variable.
Reading a number
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
int age;
cout << "Enter your age: ";
cin >> age;
cout << "You are " << age << " years old.";
return 0;
}You can read more than one value in a single statement by chaining several >> operators. The user separates their inputs with spaces or by pressing Enter between them.
Reading two numbers and adding them
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
int a, b;
cout << "Enter two numbers: ";
cin >> a >> b;
cout << "Sum: " << (a + b);
return 0;
}Reading a Full Line of Text
There is one catch with cin: when reading into a string, it stops at the first space. So typing "Mary Jane" would only store "Mary". To capture a whole line including spaces, use getline instead.
getline captures spaces
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
int main() {
string fullName;
cout << "Enter your full name: ";
getline(cin, fullName);
cout << "Hello, " << fullName << "!";
return 0;
}Exercise: C++ User Input
Which object is used to read keyboard input in C++?
