PO> Hey I read your msg. and applied some of your code snipits to some
 PO> simple little programs some worked some didn't.  However I think I got
 PO> the jist of what you said but I want to make sure I understand.
Which didn't work?
-> ofstream savefile("hiscore.lst");
-> savefile << player_name << ',' << player_score;
 PO> ok 'ofstream savefile("hiscore.list");' creates some sortof pointer
 PO> titled 'savefile' which points to a file titled "hiscore.list"  ok,
NOOOOOOO!  It creates an OBJECT called "savefile" which ENCAPSULATES 
operations on a file called "hiscore.lst".
 PO> first question is the file "hiscore.lst" created as soon as this
 PO> pointer is initialize?  if not then when?
It doesn't matter, it will be created before or when necessary.  In general, 
it is created on construction.
 PO> the next line 'savefile << player_name << ',' << player_score;' calls
 PO> the pointer and writes the variables 'player_name' & 'player_score' to
 PO> the file "hiscore.lst" separated of course by a comma.
Mind you, the above also overwrites the file each time, meaning you'd want to 
have a way (function, class) of reading all the values in (so you can sort 
'em in memory with the new value), and then writing them all out...
 PO> I'm not real sure why this is important to me but I just wanted to
 PO> know.
There seems to be a paradigm problem here.  Are you writing C or C++?  The 
above is (almost) C++.  I say "almost" only because for "full" C++, you would 
have classes encapsulating player's name, score, etc., into a class called 
"Player", with a member function to save and to restore the high scores.  You 
would probably also have a class to help manipulate hi score files (i.e., 
finding where in the file the current hi score belongs, if anywhere).  The 
above starts on teaching the basics, later you can incorporate more as you 
understand more.
---
---------------