I am trying to save a level in my RTS game to a file. It says it cannot convert to char* when I use the write or read functions. Here is the data type: class Creature { public: //Position/stage of movement vars unsigned char x; //current integer position on map unsigned char y; float addx;//how much off center of square float addy;//if >= 1, subtract 1, add 1 to y, etc. use brain. float attackstage;//if >= 1, do attack, subtract 1 float harveststage; //Built-in values - set when creature is made char cname[20]; unsigned char nlen; //length of the name int hp; int maxhp; char damage; char armor; //subtract 10% from damage taken per 1 armor char movespeed; //percent of square moved per frame char attackspeed; //percent of attack round per frame char harvestspeed; //percent of harvest/cash in done per frame char sight; //RADIUS in map units of sight char range; //RADIUS char xsize;//size of the SPRITE!!! does not affect occupyedness char ysize;//of the squares it is near - could use picnum, but easier this way char picnum;//which surface in my array of ''em holds it unsigned flies : 1; // can it fly? int hsoGreeting[3]; //3 indexes to greeting sounds int hsoCommand[3]; //3 indexes to sounds when they are commanded int hsoFinished[3]; //3 indexes to sounds when they are made int hsoDeath[3]; //3 indexes to sounds when they die //What it is doing unsigned moving : 1;//only if moving around on map - harvest, etc. unsigned attacking : 1;//actually building up and doing damage unsigned pursuing : 1;//moving toward target, also moving = true unsigned harvesting : 1;//actually at the bank unsigned toharvest : 1;//going toward the bank, also moving=true unsigned cashingin : 1;//actually in the BO cashing in dough unsigned tocashin : 1;//going to the BO unsigned patrolling : 1;//if patrolling, also moving=true unsigned invading : 1;//with any others, will attack any in range unsigned char mx2;//where it''s moving to - for ALL MOVEMENT unsigned char my2; unsigned char px2;//other patrolling point besides mx2,my2 unsigned char py2;//swap if you get to mx2, my2 int target;//target enemy, bank char money;//amount of money the unit has char dir; //1 is up, then clockwise - set every frame depending on where it''s going, idle time float frame; //update when moving char pindex; //which player controls it int cindex; //which creature # it is //Member functions void Upkeep(); //take care of himself - add subfunctions if needed void Move(); void Patrol(); void Invade(); void Harvest(); void Draw(int MapX, int MapY);//draw it on the screen void Idle(); //do what happens in idle time //copy constructor Creature &operator=(const Creature&); }; Anything in here that would cause a problem? ~BenDilts( void );

Are you trying to simply write out the whole structure to a file? If so, that is almost never the way to do it. Many routines have no built-in way of converting ints to char*, that is something you have to do yourself. And when you have pointers in your class, writing the actual part of memory pointed to is useless anyway. Generally you would write it out member by member and then read them in the same way.

As an aside - why so many bitflags for the creature''s state? Can the creature actually do more than 1 of these things at once? If not, then why not just have a single State variable?

Hmm, I wasn''t paying enough attention. Are you trying to do this?

ofstream somefile("filename.ext");
somefile << aCreature;

If so, then you''re gonna be disappointed A stream is not some magic thing that can write whatever you throw at it, it can only handle your classes if you write a << operator for that class (or less commonly, a conversion to a type that ofstream -can- deal with). Or, if you pass it to one of the specific functions (ie. not the standard << operator) then you have to pass the function the type it is expecting, like any other function. So, if it expects a char*, and you feed it a Creature, of course it will choke If you write a << operator for Creature, that will almost definitely involve you writing out all the member variables. You will need to write a similar routine in reverse for ifstream too, if you want to use that method to read them in again.