ifstream in("afile.file");
int gridpoints;
in >> gridpoints;

bonavista.con

4 (gridpoints)
Bonavista to St. John's
437 237 A Near St. John's
434 233 B Near Whitbourne
429 234 C Near Clarenville
428 240 D Near Bonavista

#include <cstdlib>
#include <fstream>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using std::cerr;
using std::cout;
using std::endl;
using std::ifstream;
using std::string;

static string get_name_of_file_to_open(ifstream&);
static void read_and_display_file(ifstream&);

int
main()
{
   ifstream file("allroad.con");

   if(!file)
   {
      cerr << "Failed to open file allroad.con" << endl;

      return EXIT_FAILURE;
   }

   const string& filename = get_name_of_file_to_open(file);

   file.close();

   file.open(filename.c_str());

   if(!file)
   {
      cerr << "Failed to open " << filename << endl;

      return EXIT_FAILURE;
   }

   read_and_display_file(file);

   return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

static string
get_name_of_file_to_open(ifstream& file)
{
   string str;
   /* We assume the name of the file we want
      to open is the first string in this
      file and we assume our current reading
      position is at the beginning of the file. */
   file >> str;

   return str;
}

static void
read_and_display_file(ifstream& file)
{
   int num = 0;
   string str;

   /* We know the first line is a number and a single word. */
   file >> num >> str;

   cout << num << " " << str << endl;

   /* We know the second line is a string (that contains spaces),
      but we're actually still at the first line, so we need to
      skip to the second line by calling getline(). Then we call
      getline() again to read the second line. */
   getline(file, str); /* Skip to the second line. */
   getline(file, str); /* Read the second line. */

   cout << str << endl;

   int a = 0;
   int b = 0;
   char c = '\0';

   /* Now we loop the number of times as stated at the beginning of
      the file. The line all have the following format:
      int int char some_string_that_may_contain_spaces */
   for(int i = 0; i < num; ++i)
   {
      /* First we read the two ints and the char. */
      file >> a >> b >> c;

      /* The we read the remainder of the line into a std::string. */
      getline(file, str);

      cout << a << " " << b << " " << c << " " << str << endl;
   }  
}

CXX = g++
CXXFLAGS = -Wall -W -ansi -pedantic -g -O0 -c
LDFLAGS = -o $(EXEC)
EXEC = foo.exe
OBJECTS = main.o

all: $(OBJECTS)
	$(CXX) $^ $(LDFLAGS)

%.o: %.cpp
	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $<

clean:
	rm -f $(OBJECTS) $(EXEC) *~ *.stackdump

$ ./foo.exe 
4 (gridpoints)
Bonavista to St. John's
437 237 A  Near St. John's
434 233 B  Near Whitbourne
429 234 C  Near Clarenville
428 240 D  Near Bonavista

include <iostream>
#include <time.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string>
#include <fstream>
#include <string.h>
#include "ARoute.h" //used later in the program

using namespace std;
int main (){

	ifstream inData;
	int noRoutes;
	ARoute* routeName;

	//temporary holds for setting characteristics of classes below
	string nextLine;
	int a,b;
	char letter;

	inData.open("c:\\Wxsystem\\Roadgram\\Commands\\AllRoad.con"); 
	if (!inData.is_open()){
		Error("AllRoad.con failed to open");
		return -1;
	}

	inData >> noRoutes;					//gets number of routes
	if (inData.fail()){
		Error("Number routes unspecified");
		return -1;
	}
	routeName = new ARoute[noRoutes];	//creates array to store route data

	
	inData.ignore(100,'\n');			//skips remainder of line

	for(int i=0; i<noRoutes; i++){		//gets route names
		getline(inData,nextLine);		
		if (inData.fail()){
			Error("Retrieving routes");
			return -1;
		}
		routeName[i].setName(nextLine);	
	}
		
	inData.close();


//Start major loop for each route Z

		for(int Z=0; Z<noRoutes;Z++){		
	
		string file = "c:\\Wxsystem\\Roadgram\\Commands\\" + routeName[Z].getName() + ".con";//file to open
	

		inData.open(file.c_str()); 		if (!inData.is_open()) {
			Error(file+" failed to open");
			return -1;		
		}	

		inData >> a;			//gets number of grid points in route

		if (inData.fail()) {
			Error(file+ "\nFailed to get number of grid points");
			return -1;		
		}
		routeName[Z].setNumGridPts(a);

		inData.ignore(100,'\n');

		getline(inData,nextLine);	//gets grid point description
		if (inData.fail()) {
			Error(file+"\nFailed to get description");
			return -1;		
		}
		routeName[Z].setDescription(nextLine);



		for(int j=0; j<routeName[i].getNumGridPts(); j++){ //gets each grid points data
			inData >> a >> b;		//gets x and y directional grid points
			if (inData.fail()) {	
				Error(file+ "\nFailed to get either of the grid numbers");
				return -1;
			}
			routeName[Z].setxy(a,b,j);

			inData >> letter;		//gets reference letter of grid point.
			if (inData.fail()) {
				Error(file+"\n Failed to get grid point reference letter");
				return -1;
			}
			routeName[Z].setGridLetter(letter,j);

			getline(inData,nextLine);	//gets the name of grid point
			if (inData.fail()) {
				Error("Failed to get grid point name");
				return -1;		
			}
			routeName[Z].setGridName(nextLine,j);

			
		}
		inData.close();
	
	
	}