bool mergeOfl(ifstream &Din, string &Id, int &Experience, string &Married, float &Wage, string &Industry)
{

    string ipath = FILENAME + "input.txt";
    string path = FILENAME + "overflow.txt";
    string tpath = FILENAME + "temp.txt";

    string Id2 = "ID";
    int Experience2 = -1;
    string Married2 = "UNKNOWN";
    float Wage2 = -1.0;
    string Industry2 = "INDUSTRY";

    int temp;
    string msid;

    bool found = true;

    ofstream outfile(tpath.c_str());
    outfile.close();
    ifstream Din2(path.c_str());

    NUM_RECORDS += OFL_RECORDS;

    cout << "** Merging database subsections." << endl;

    headLine(tpath);


    //get the last record ID of the sorted section, ie the largest
    Din.seekg(-69, ios::end);
    Din >> msid;
    Din.seekg(71, ios::beg);
    Din2.seekg(0, ios::beg);

    cout << "** Largest sorted ID is: " << msid << endl;

    temp = atoi(msid.c_str());

    //cycle through the IDs from 1 to largest ID
    //if it doesnt exist in the sorted section, check the unsorted section
    for(int x = 1; x <= temp; x++)
    {
        //if we found the last ID, the sorted section can check the next line
        if(found == true)
        {
            Din >> Id >> Experience >> Married >> Wage >> Industry;
            //check sorted section
            if(atoi(Id.c_str()) == x)
            {
                if(Experience != -1)
                {
                    appLine(Id, Experience, Married, Wage, Industry, tpath);
                }
                else
                {
                    NUM_RECORDS--;
                }
                found = true;
            }
            //check unsorted section
            else
            {
                stringstream ss;
                ss << x;
                string tempid = modID(ss.str());


                if(linearSearch(Din2, tempid, Experience2, Married2, Wage2, Industry2) == true)
                {
                    appLine(tempid, Experience2, Married2, Wage2, Industry2, tpath);
                    //need to make sure we dont try to merge this record again
                    updateRecord(Din2, tempid, Experience2, Married2, Wage2, Industry2, 1, "-1");
                }
                    found = false;

            }
        }
        //if we didnt find the last ID, we need to stay on the current line in the sorted section
        else
        {
            //check sorted section
            if(atoi(Id.c_str()) == x)
            {
                if(Experience != -1)
                {
                    appLine(Id, Experience, Married, Wage, Industry, tpath);
                }
                else
                {
                    NUM_RECORDS--;
                }
                found = true;
            }
            //check unsorted section
            else
            {
                stringstream ss;
                ss << x;
                string tempid = modID(ss.str());


                if(linearSearch(Din2, tempid, Experience2, Married2, Wage2, Industry2) == true)
                {
                    appLine(tempid, Experience2, Married2, Wage2, Industry2, tpath);
                    //need to make sure we dont try to merge this record again
                    updateRecord(Din2, tempid, Experience2, Married2, Wage2, Industry2, 1, "-1");
                }

                found = false;
            }
        }

    }

    Din.close();
    Din2.close();
    Din2.open(path.c_str());

    string stemp;
    //int count = OFL_RECORDS - 1;

    //now we need to cycle through the rest of the unsorted section
    //and merge any unused records, starting with the smallest
    for(int x = 0; x < OFL_RECORDS; x++)
    {
        Din2.seekg(x * RECORD_SIZE, ios::beg);
        //cout << Din2.tellg() << endl;

        //this is where it breaks
        //din2 fails to pull in any new data, so ID is still the
        //last id from the sorted section
        Din2 >> Id >> Experience >> Married >> Wage >> Industry;
        if(Experience == -1)
        {
            continue;
        }
        else
        {
            //compare selected ID to every other ID...
            Din2.seekg(0, ios::beg);
            for(int y = 0; y < OFL_RECORDS; y++)
            {
                //except for our own
                if(y != x)
                {
                    Din2 >> Id2 >> Experience2 >> Married2 >> Wage2 >> Industry2;
                    //if the record has been deleted or already used, skip it
                    if(Experience2 == -1)
                    {
                        continue;
                    }
                    //elsewise compare it and choose the smaller ID record
                    else
                    {
                        if(atoi(Id2.c_str()) < atoi(Id.c_str()) && Experience2 != -1)
                        {
                            Id = Id2;
                            Experience = Experience2;
                            Married = Married2;
                            Wage = Wage2;
                            Industry = Industry2;
                        }
                    }


                    appLine(Id, Experience, Married, Wage, Industry, tpath);
                    //make sure we dont use the chosen record again
                    updateRecord(Din, Id, Experience, Married, Wage, Industry, 1, "-1");
                }
                //skipping our own ID
                else
                {
                    Din2 >> Id2 >> Experience2 >> Married2 >> Wage2 >> Industry2;
                }
            }
        }
    }

    Din2.close();

    //remove(ipath.c_str());
    //remove(path.c_str());
    //rename(tpath.c_str(), ipath.c_str());

    //reset the number of unsorted records
    OFL_RECORDS = 0;

    return true;

}