function
<string>

std::getline (string)

(1)
istream& getline (istream& is, string& str, char delim);
(2)
istream& getline (istream& is, string& str);
(1)
istream& getline (istream&  is, string& str, char delim);istream& getline (istream&& is, string& str, char delim);
(2)
istream& getline (istream&  is, string& str);istream& getline (istream&& is, string& str);
Get line from stream into string
Extracts characters from is and stores them into str until the delimitation character delim is found (or the newline character, '\n', for (2)).

The extraction also stops if the end of file is reached in is or if some other error occurs during the input operation.

If the delimiter is found, it is extracted and discarded (i.e. it is not stored and the next input operation will begin after it).

Note that any content in str before the call is replaced by the newly extracted sequence.

Each extracted character is appended to the string as if its member push_back was called.

Parameters

is
istream object from which characters are extracted.
str
string object where the extracted line is stored.
The contents in the string before the call (if any) are discarded and replaced by the extracted line.

Return Value

The same as parameter is.

A call to this function may set any of the internal state flags of is if:

flagerror
eofbitThe end of the source of characters is reached during its operations.
failbitThe input obtained could not be interpreted as a valid textual representation of an object of this type.
In this case, distr preserves the parameters and internal data it had before the call.
Notice that some eofbit cases will also set failbit.
badbitAn error other than the above happened.
(see ios_base::iostate for more info on these)

Additionally, in any of these cases, if the appropriate flag has been set with is's member function ios::exceptions, an exception of type ios_base::failure is thrown.

Example

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// extract to string
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

int main ()
{
  std::string name;

  std::cout << "Please, enter your full name: ";
  std::getline (std::cin,name);
  std::cout << "Hello, " << name << "!\n";

  return 0;
}

Complexity

Unspecified, but generally linear in the resulting length of str.

Iterator validity

Any iterators, pointers and references related to str may be invalidated.

Data races

Both objects, is and str, are modified.

Exception safety

Basic guarantee: if an exception is thrown, both is and str end up in a valid state.

See also