title: ifstream cannot open file
body: <p>There are other topics similar to this one, but none with quite the same issue and none of those resolutions are working for me.
  Here is the opening code I am working with: </p>
  
  <pre><code>ifstream inputFile;
   string filename;
  
   cout &lt;&lt; " Tablerock Member Services" &lt;&lt; endl;
   cout &lt;&lt; "***************************\n\n" &lt;&lt; endl;
   cout &lt;&lt; " Please enter the name of the member file: ";
   cin &gt;&gt; filename;
  
   inputFile.open(filename);
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The filename is MemberInfo.txt (I unhid the tail end and I did try a direct path, MemberInfo, MemberInfo.txt, and MemberInfo.txt.txt)</p>
  
  <p>It is the the current directory, and no matter what I try, it still won't open. </p>
  
  <p>Any suggestions? </p>
  
  <p>Edit:
  Here is the full code so far(including items you probably don't need.)</p>
  
  <pre><code>#include &lt;iostream&gt;
  #include &lt;string&gt;
  #include &lt;fstream&gt;
  
  using namespace std;
  
  int FindInfo();
  
  int main()
  {
   //declare
   int choice = 0;
   char ans = '\0';
   auto stuff = 0;
   const int SEARCH_CHOICE = 1;
   const int ADD_CHOICE = 2;
   const int EDIT_CHOICE = 3;
   const int DISPLAY_CHOICE = 4;
   const int QUIT_CHOICE = 5;
  
   ifstream inputFile;
   string filename;
  
   cout &lt;&lt; " Tablerock Member Services" &lt;&lt; endl;
   cout &lt;&lt; "***************************\n\n" &lt;&lt; endl;
   cout &lt;&lt; " Please enter the name of the member file: ";
   cin &gt;&gt; filename;
  
   inputFile.open(filename.c_str());
  
   if(inputFile)
   {
      do
       {
  
       cout &lt;&lt; "\n";
       cout &lt;&lt; " 1. Find a member's information" &lt;&lt; endl;
       cout &lt;&lt; " 2. Add a member to the database" &lt;&lt; endl;
       cout &lt;&lt; " 3. Edit a member's information" &lt;&lt; endl;
       cout &lt;&lt; " 4. Display all records" &lt;&lt; endl;
       cout &lt;&lt; " 5. Quit" &lt;&lt; endl;
  
       cout &lt;&lt; " Please choose an option from the menu:";    
       cin &gt;&gt; choice;
  
       switch(choice)
       {
          case SEARCH_CHOICE:
          FindInfo();
          cout &lt;&lt; " Would you like to choose again?";
          cin &gt;&gt; ans;
          break;
  
          case ADD_CHOICE:
          cout &lt;&lt; " You chose option 2." &lt;&lt; endl;
          cout &lt;&lt; " Would you like to choose again?";
          cin &gt;&gt; ans;
          break;
  
          case EDIT_CHOICE:
          cout &lt;&lt; " You chose option 3." &lt;&lt; endl;
          cout &lt;&lt; " Would you like to choose again?";
          cin &gt;&gt; ans;
          break;
  
          case DISPLAY_CHOICE:
          cout &lt;&lt; " You chose option 4." &lt;&lt; endl;
          cout &lt;&lt; " Would you like to choose again?";
          cin &gt;&gt; ans;
          break; 
  
          case QUIT_CHOICE:
          cout &lt;&lt; " Press Q to exit the program or y/Y to select another option.";
          cin &gt;&gt; ans;
          break;
           }//end switch
       }while( ans == 'y' || ans == 'Y');
   }
  
   else while (inputFile == false)
   {
       cout &lt;&lt; "There was an error opening the file. \n Please enter the filename: ";
       cin &gt;&gt; filename;
       inputFile.open("filename");
   }
  
   return 0;
  }
  
  int FindInfo()
  {
      const int SIZE = 21;
      char lname[SIZE];
      char ans = '0';
  
  
      cout &lt;&lt; "\n\n Search for a member:" &lt;&lt; endl;
      cout &lt;&lt; "\n Please enter the last name of the member you are trying to find." &lt;&lt; endl;
      cout &lt;&lt; " Last Name: ";
      cin &gt;&gt; lname;    
      cout &lt;&lt; " You entered " &lt;&lt; lname &lt;&lt; "." &lt;&lt; endl;
      cout &lt;&lt; " Is this correct? (y/n)";
      cin &gt;&gt; ans;
  
      if( ans == 'y' || ans == 'Y')
      {
          cout &lt;&lt; " Great! Please wait while we find the member in our database..." &lt;&lt; endl;
      }
  
      else while( ans == 'n' || ans == 'N')
      {
          cout &lt;&lt; " Please enter the last name of the member you are trying to find." &lt;&lt; endl;
          cout &lt;&lt; " Last Name: ";
          cin &gt;&gt; lname;    
          cout &lt;&lt; " You entered " &lt;&lt; lname &lt;&lt; "." &lt;&lt; endl;
          cout &lt;&lt; " Is this correct? (y/n)";
          cin &gt;&gt; ans;
  
          if( ans == 'y' || ans == 'Y')
          {
              cout &lt;&lt; " Great! Please wait while we find the member in our database..." &lt;&lt; endl;
          }
  
      }
  
  
  
      return 0;
  }
  </code></pre>