How do I fix my C++ case switch menu?

Question

I am having a problem with my school project. I am writing it using VIM in UNIX on the school server. When I go to insert a record in my project, Last name gets skipped. First and last name are prompted simultaneously without waiting for Last Name to receive it's input. See below:

my menu is doing this:

MENU
(I)nsert new record
(L)ast name search
(S)ave database to a file
(R)ead database from a file
(Q)uit

Enter choice: i

Insert new record selected

Please enter employee's Last Name: Please enter employee's First Name:

It is skipping ahead of Last Name!

Do I need to add cout.flush() somewhere? When I add cout.flush() right under the last name section I get this error:

unixapps1:Lab1> make
g++ -o LSL lab1.cpp Employee.cpp
lab1.cpp: In function âEmployee createRecord()â:
lab1.cpp:41: error: âstruct std::istreamâ has no member named âflushâ

My menu code in my is this:

int main() {

  cout << "\n"
       << "************************************************************\n"
       << "Remember: Search for TODO's in VI before submitting project!\n"
       << "************************************************************\n\n";

  char menu_choice;
  string fileName;

  // Create a database
  LinkedSortedList<Employee> database;

  while (true) {
    // Display menu
    cout << "MENU\n"
     << "(I)nsert new record\n"
     << "(L)ast name search\n"
     << "(S)ave database to a file\n"
     << "(R)ead database from a file\n"
     << "(Q)uit\n\n";

    cout << "Enter choice: ";
    cin >> menu_choice;
    cout << endl;

    switch (toupper(menu_choice)) {

    case 'I':
      cout << "Insert new record selected\n\n";
      {database.insert(createRecord());}
      break;

    case 'L':
      cout << "Last name search selected\n\n";
      // TODO call function to search by last name
      // TODO call search for Last Name
      // TODO Print all matches found
      {string searchVal = "";
    database.find(searchVal);}
      break;

    case 'S':
      cout << "Save database to a file selected\n\n";
      // TODO call function to save database to file
      // File I/O Save to file
      cout << "Please enter a file name: " << endl;
      cin >> fileName;
      {char* file = (char*) fileName.c_str();
    writeFile(file, database);}
      break;

    case 'R':
      cout << "Read database from a file selected\n\n";
      // TODOOA call function to read database from file
      // File I/O Read file
      cout << "Please enter a file name: " << endl;
      cin >> fileName;
      {char* file = (char*) fileName.c_str();
    readFile(file, database);}
      break;

    case 'Q':
      exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);

      // default case:
    default:
      cout << "Invalid choice!\n\n"
       << "##### Please try again #####\n\n";
      break;

      cin >> menu_choice;
    }
  }
  return 0;
}

Here is my createRecord() function:

// Create the record to be inserted into the employee database
Employee createRecord() {
  // Temporary variables for getting input from user
  string stringInput = "";
  int intInput = 0;

  Employee newEmployee;

  cout << "Please enter employee's Last Name: " << endl;
  getline(cin, stringInput);
  newEmployee.setLastName(stringInput);

  cout << "Please enter employee's First Name: " << endl;
  getline(cin, stringInput);
  newEmployee.setFirstName(stringInput);

  cout << "Please enter employee's ID: ";
  getline(cin, stringInput);
  stringstream myStream(stringInput);
  myStream >> intInput;
  newEmployee.setId(intInput);

  cout << "Please enter employee's Salary: ";
  getline(cin, stringInput);
  myStream >> intInput;
  newEmployee.setSalary(intInput);

  cout << "Please enter employee's Department: ";
  getline(cin, stringInput);
  newEmployee.setDepartment(stringInput);

  cout << "Please enter employee's Phone Number: ";
  getline(cin, stringInput);
  newEmployee.setPhoneNumber(stringInput);

  cout << "Please enter employee's Address: ";
  getline(cin, stringInput);
  newEmployee.setAddress(stringInput);

  cout << "Please enter employee's Hire Date: ";
  getline(cin, stringInput);
  newEmployee.setHireDate(stringInput);
}

Answer 1

Have you tried using cin.get() instead of cout.flush()?

Answer 2

Looks like there is still a newline or parts thereof in the input stream.

Try using std::istream::ignore() to eat the remaining characters in the input stream.