tango.io.device.File

License:

Version:

Mar 2004: Initial release Dec 2006: Outback release Nov 2008: relocated and simplified

Author:

Kris, John Reimer, Anders F Bjorklund (Darwin patches), Chris Sauls (Win95 file support)

class File : Device, Device.Seek, Device.Truncate ¶#

Implements a means of reading and writing a generic file. Conduits are the primary means of accessing external data, and File extends the basic pattern by providing file-specific methods to set the file size, seek to a specific file position and so on. Serial input and output is straightforward. In this example we copy a file directly to the console:

// open a file for reading
auto from = new File ("test.txt");

// stream directly to console
Stdout.copy (from);

And here we copy one file to another:

// open file for reading
auto from = new File ("test.txt");

// open another for writing
auto to = new File ("copy.txt", File.WriteCreate);

// copy file and close
to.copy.close;
from.close;

You can use InputStream.load() to load a file directly into memory:

1
2
3

auto file = new File ("test.txt");
auto content = file.load;
file.close;

Or use a convenience static function within File:

1	auto content = File.get ("test.txt");

A more explicit version with a similar result would be:

// open file for reading
auto file = new File ("test.txt");

// create an array to house the entire file
auto content = new char [file.length];

// read the file content. Return value is the number of bytes read
auto bytes = file.read (content);
file.close;

Conversely, one may write directly to a File like so:

// open file for writing
auto to = new File ("text.txt", File.WriteCreate);

// write an array of content to it
auto bytes = to.write (content);

There are equivalent static functions, File.set() and File.append(), which set or append file content respectively

File can happily handle random I/O. Here we use seek() to relocate the file pointer:

// open a file for reading and writing
auto file = new File ("random.bin", File.ReadWriteCreate);

// write some data
file.write ("testing");

// rewind to file start
file.seek (0);

// read data back again
char[10] tmp;
auto bytes = file.read (tmp);

file.close;

Note that File is unbuffered by default - wrap an instance within tango.io.stream.Buffered for buffered I/O.

Compile with -version=Win32SansUnicode to enable Win95 & Win32s file support.

struct Style ¶#

Fits into 32 bits ...

Access access ¶#: access rights
Open open ¶#: how to open
Share share ¶#: how to share
Cache cache ¶#: how to cache

enum Access ¶#

Read ¶#: is readable
Write ¶#: is writable
ReadWrite ¶#: both

enum Open ¶#

Exists ¶#: must exist
Create ¶#: create or truncate
Sedate ¶#: create if necessary
Append ¶#: create if necessary
New ¶#: can't exist

enum Share ¶#

None ¶#: no sharing
Read ¶#: shared reading
ReadWrite ¶#: open for anything

enum Cache ¶#

None ¶#: don't optimize
Random ¶#: optimize for random
Stream ¶#: optimize for stream
WriteThru ¶#: backing-cache flag

Style ReadExisting [const] ¶#

Read an existing file

Style ReadShared [const] ¶#

Read an existing file

Style WriteExisting [const] ¶#

Write on an existing file. Do not create

Style WriteCreate [const] ¶#

Write on a clean file. Create if necessary

Style WriteAppending [const] ¶#

Write at the end of the file

Style ReadWriteExisting [const] ¶#

Read and write an existing file

Style ReadWriteCreate [const] ¶#

Read & write on a clean file. Create if necessary

Style ReadWriteOpen [const] ¶#

Read and Write. Use existing file if present

this() ¶#

Create a File for use with open()

Note that File is unbuffered by default - wrap an instance within tango.io.stream.Buffered for buffered I/O

this(char[] path, Style style = ReadExisting) ¶#

Create a File with the provided path and style.

Note that File is unbuffered by default - wrap an instance within tango.io.stream.Buffered for buffered I/O

Style style() ¶#

Return the Style used for this file.

char[] toString() [override] ¶#

Return the path used by this file.

void[] get(char[] path, void[] dst = null) [static] ¶#

Convenience function to return the content of a file. Returns a slice of the provided output buffer, where that has sufficient capacity, and allocates from the heap where the file content is larger.

Content size is determined via the file-system, per File.length, although that may be misleading for some nix systems. An alternative is to use File.load which loads content until an Eof is encountered

void set(char[] path, void[] content) [static] ¶#