c++ - Can printing cout << '\n' garble text output? -

i have simple program test function i'm writing detects if text file maze valid. allowed characters '0', '1', ' ' (space) , '\n' (newline). however, when execute code sample text file, strange results. third line of following image should read "found illegal character [char] @ [location] in maze [number]" before printing imported maze shown, , matches file.

main.cpp:

#include <iostream> #include <fstream> #include <sstream>  using namespace std;  int main() {     string filename = "mazes/invalid4.txt";     string tempmaze;     int createdmazes = 0;     cout << "\nattempting open " << filename;     fstream thing;     thing.open(filename.c_str());     if(thing.is_open())     {         cout << "\nhurray!";         stringstream mazefromfile;         mazefromfile << thing.rdbuf();         tempmaze = mazefromfile.str();         for(int = 0; < tempmaze.size(); i++)         {             // test make sure characters allowed             if(tempmaze[i] != '1' && tempmaze[i] != '0' && tempmaze[i] != ' ' && tempmaze[i] != '\n')              {                 cout << "\nfound illegal character \"" << tempmaze[i] << "\" @ " << << " in maze " << ++createdmazes << ": \n" << tempmaze;                 return 1;             }         }         cout << " , no illegal characters!\n" << tempmaze << "\nfinished printing maze\n";         return 0;     }      else cout << "\naw...\n";     return 0; } 

is possible text files aren't breaking lines '\n'? what's going on here?

your text file has line endings crlf (\r\n). when output cr, move cursor beginning of line. in essence, you're first writing 'found illegal character \"', moving cursor beginning of line , writing rest on top of it. need handle line breaks differently fix this.