Read file from buffer into array

Hi
I have written a code that reads a file in two passes
In the first pass it counts the number of rows and colum to allocate memory for a 2d array.
After rewind, in the second pass it reads each char of the file and puts them in the array.

The size of the array can varry but is approx( 1000 plus x 360). While the size of each file should be well less than 1MB.

As i need to process several files i was told i could use the buffer  to put it in the array instead of  pasing through the file the second time  as this could possibly reduce computing time.

However, i have no idea on how to modify the code to read form buffer and copy into the dynamically created array.  Any help would me much appreciated. Thx

Ps. i have attached a samlpe text file of small dimensions.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
 
 
 
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
	{
	FILE *fin, *fout ; 
	int colCnt,rowCnt, col=0,row=0;
	int i,j;
	int**matrix;
	
 
	if(argc!=2)
		{
		printf("Check Arguments\n");
		exit(0);
		}
	if(!(fin=fopen(argv[1],"r")))
		{
		printf("Unable to open file\n");
		exit(1);
		}
	
	while((colCnt=fgetc(fin))!='\n')
		{
		if(colCnt=='\t')
			{
			++col;
			}
		}
	
	row++;
	while((rowCnt=fgetc(fin))!=EOF)
		{
		if(rowCnt=='\n')
			{
			++row;
			}
		}
 
	rewind(fin);
	
	printf("Number of cols = %d ",col);
	printf("Number of rows = %d\n ",row);
 
	matrix =(int**)malloc(row*sizeof(int*));
	if (matrix == NULL)  
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "ERROR - malloc failed: Exiting Program!\n\n");
        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
    }
 
	for(i=0;i<row;i++)
		{
		matrix[i]=(int*)malloc(col*sizeof(int));
		}
 
	for(i=0;i<row;i++)
		{
		for(j=0;j<col;j++)
			{
			fscanf(fin,"%d",&matrix[i][j]);
			printf("%d ",matrix[i][j]);
			}
		printf("\n");
		}
	fclose(fin);
	free(matrix);
	return 0;		
	}

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