C++ program crashing on exit, Access violation in memory

Question

I have written a program to help me keep track of finances, I am using an array of structs to sore all the information and write it to a file. However, every time I select the option to close the program, it crashes with two separate errors.

Edit

This error occurs without running anything in the code. I open the program, select exit, and CRASH @ return 0;

Output-Debug

Exception thrown at 0x0121A2D0 in USAA_C.exe: 0xC0000005: Access violation writing location 0x0052004F.

Stack Trace

USAA_C.exe!std::_Container_base12::_Orphan_all() Line 222   C++
USAA_C.exe!std::_String_alloc<std::_String_base_types<char,std::allocator<char> > >::_Orphan_all() Line 671 C++
USAA_C.exe!std::_String_alloc<std::_String_base_types<char,std::allocator<char> > >::_Free_proxy() Line 647 C++
USAA_C.exe!std::_String_alloc<std::_String_base_types<char,std::allocator<char> > >::~_String_alloc<std::_String_base_types<char,std::allocator<char> > >() Line 611    C++
USAA_C.exe!std::basic_string<char,std::char_traits<char>,std::allocator<char> >::~basic_string<char,std::char_traits<char>,std::allocator<char> >() Line 1007   C++
USAA_C.exe!Transaction::~Transaction() Line 10  C++
[External Code] 
USAA_C.exe!main(int argc, char * * argv) Line 583   C++
[External Code] 
[Frames below may be incorrect and/or missing, no symbols loaded for kernel32.dll]

Structure

struct Transaction {
  Transaction(){}
  ~Transaction() {}
  int day;
  int month;
  int year;
  char status;
  string name;
  string method;
  string cat;
  double amount;
  double balance;
};

Initialization

const int maxRecs = 1200;
Transaction record[maxRecs];
Transaction temp[maxRecs];

The only code that runs from explicitly opening and closing.
PS: I am using VS 2015

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <iomanip>
#include <fstream>

using namespace std;

struct Transaction {
    Transaction(){}
    ~Transaction() {}
    int day;
    int month;
    int year;
    char status;
    string name;
    string method;
    string cat;
    double amount;
    double balance;
};

int main(int argc, char **argv) {
    int sel = 0; // Integer option selections
    int c = 0; // For loop iterator
    int i = 1; // iterator
    int count = 0; // Counter
    int numRecsYr = 0; // Counts number of records in year array
    int day = 0; // System day
    int month = 0; // Sytem month
    int year = 0; // System year
    int fileSize = 0;
    int bytesRead = 0;
    string filename1 = "usaa_c.dat"; // default data file name
    const int maxRecs = 10; // Maximum number of records to load
    const int MENU = 7; // Number of menu items
    Transaction record[maxRecs]; // Array for transaction records
    Transaction temp[maxRecs]; // Temp array for resolving pending transactions
    string mMenu[MENU] = { 
        "Add Transaction\n", 
        "View Account\n", 
        "Resolve Pending Transactions\n", 
        "Calculate Interest\n", 
        "Export to CSV File\n", 
        "Save Data\n", 
        "Exit\n\n" };
    ifstream inFile; // file input stream
    ofstream outFile; // file output stream

    // Initialize the Transaction arrays
    for (c = 0; c < maxRecs;c++) {
        record[c].day = 0;
        record[c].month = 0;
        record[c].year = 0;
        record[c].status = ' ';
        record[c].name = " ";
        record[c].method = " ";
        record[c].cat = " ";
        record[c].amount = 0.0;
        record[c].balance = 0.0;
        temp[c].day = 0;
        temp[c].month = 0;
        temp[c].year = 0;
        temp[c].status = ' ';
        temp[c].name = " ";
        temp[c].method = " ";
        temp[c].cat = " ";
        temp[c].amount = 0.0;
        temp[c].balance = 0.0;
    }

    // Get time info
    time_t rawtime = time(NULL);
    struct tm* timeinfo = new tm;
    localtime_s(timeinfo, &rawtime);
    day = timeinfo->tm_mday;
    month = timeinfo->tm_mon + 1;
    year = timeinfo->tm_year + 1900;

    // Set precision for monetary values
    cout << setprecision(2) << fixed << showpoint;

    // If a .dat does not exist create a new one
    // Else, read data into array
    do {
        inFile.open(filename1, ios::binary);
        if (!inFile) {
            cout << "File does not exist!\n\n";
            system("PAUSE");
            break;
        }
        else {
            inFile.seekg(0, inFile.end);
            fileSize = (int)inFile.tellg();
            inFile.seekg(0, inFile.beg);
            for (c = 0; bytesRead < fileSize, c < maxRecs;c++) {
                inFile.read(reinterpret_cast<char *>(&record[c]), sizeof(Transaction));
                bytesRead += (int)inFile.gcount();
            }
            inFile.close();
            file = true;
            break;
        }
    } while (file != true);

    // Count how many records are in the array
    for (c = 0; c < maxRecs;c++) {
        if (record[c].amount != 0.0) {
            count++;
        }
    }
    numRecsYr = count;

    // Main Program
    do {
        system("CLS");
        cout << endl << endl;
        // Main Menu
        cout << "Main Menu\n\n";
        i = 1;
        for (c = 0; c < MENU;c++) {
            cout << i++ << " " << mMenu[c];
        }
        cin >> sel;

        if (sel <= 0 || sel >= 8) {
            // Validate input
            cout << " - " << sel << " - is not a valid selection! Please try again!\n\n";
            system("PAUSE");
            break;
        }
        else if (sel == 1) {
            // Add Transaction
        }
        else if (sel == 2) {
            // View Account
        }
        else if (sel == 3) {
            // Resolve Pending Transactions
        }
        else if (sel == 4) {
            // Calculate Interest Rate
        }
        else if (sel == 5) {
            // Export Data to CSV File
        }
        else if (sel == 6) {
            // Save Data to File
            do {
            system("CLS");

            cout << "Saving Data to File...\n\n";
            outFile.open(filename1, ios::binary);
            if (!outFile) {
                cout << "There was an error opening the file!\n\n";
                system("PAUSE");
                break;
            }
            else {
                for (c = 0; c < numRecsYr;c++) {
                    outFile.write(reinterpret_cast<char *>(&record[c]), sizeof(Transaction));
                }
            }
            outFile.close();
            file = true;
            break;
        } while (file != true);
        }
        else if (sel == 7) {
            // Exit
            cout << "Goodbye!\n\n";
        }
    } while (sel != 7);
    return 0;
}

Answer 1

Your Transaction class contains non-POD data (string variables) but then with

inFile.read(reinterpret_cast<char *>(&record[c]), sizeof(Transaction));

you're trying to read them in from a file as if Transaction instances are simple binary blocks of data. They're not so that doesn't work. And in doing so you happen to be corrupting the string objects which in this case happens to cause a crash during the Transaction destructors when you exit the program.

You'll need to use a more sophisticated way to write and read the data to and from file - something that accesses the member variables individually and correctly.