So I've done quite a bit of research on this and can't get my output to work correctly. I need to read in data from a file and have it stored into a Linked List. The while loop used should stop once it hits the $$$$$ sentinel. Then I am to display the data (by searching by ID Number[user input]) I am not that far yet I just want to properly display the data and get it read in for right now. My problem is when it displays the data is isn't stopping at the $$$$$ (even if I do "inFile.peek() != EOF and omit the $$$$$) I am still getting an extra garbage record. I know it has something to do with my while loop and how I am creating a new Node but I can't get it to work any other way. Any help would be appreciated. students.txt Nick J Cooley 324123 60 70 80 90 Jay M Hill 412254 70 80 90 100 $$$$$ assign6.h file #pragma once #include <iostream> #include <string> using namespace std; class assign6 { public: assign6(); // constructor void displayStudents(); private: struct Node { string firstName; string midIni; string lastName; int idNum; int sco1; //Test score 1 int sco2; //Test score 2 int sco3; //Test score 3 int sco4; //Test score 4 Node *next; }; Node *head; Node *headPtr; }; assign6Imp.cpp // Implementation File #include "assign6.h" #include <fstream> #include <iostream> #include <string> using namespace std; assign6::assign6() //constructor { ifstream inFile; inFile.open("students.txt"); head = NULL; head = new Node; headPtr = head; while (inFile.peek() != EOF) //reading in from file and storing in linked list { inFile >> head->firstName >> head->midIni >> head->lastName; inFile >> head->idNum; inFile >> head->sco1; inFile >> head->sco2; inFile >> head->sco3; inFile >> head->sco4; if (inFile != "$$$$$") { head->next = NULL; head->next = new Node; head = head->next; } } head->next = NULL; inFile.close(); } void assign6::displayStudents() { int average = 0; for (Node *cur = headPtr; cur != NULL; cur = cur->next) { cout << cur->firstName << " " << cur->midIni << " " << cur->lastName << endl; cout << cur->idNum << endl; average = (cur->sco1 + cur->sco2 + cur->sco3 + cur->sco4)/4; cout << cur->sco1 << " " << cur->sco2 << " " << cur->sco3 << " " << cur->sco4 << " " << "average: " << average << endl; } }