Difference between revisions of "Category:File Handling"
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== General Explanation == | == General Explanation == | ||
| − | + | Using the commands and identifiers in these category allows you to modify a file directly. That means that mIRC opens a connection to the specified and locks this connection when you are opening a file using [[Fopen|/fopen]]. At the same moment, a (file-)pointer is set to the start of the file. You can now read the character the pointer points to (either by using [[$fread]] that reads the entire line until the next [[$crlf]] or by using [[$fgetc]] that reads the "next" character only - note that the pointer is automatically moved to the begin of the next line / next character by using these identifiers) or move the pointer to another position in the file (by using [[Fseek|/fseek]]). After you've modified you file, you '''have to''' close it again (to unlock it and so make it accessable by other applications) using [[Fclose|/fclose]]. | |
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== Difference to /write and $read == | == Difference to /write and $read == | ||
| − | + | Contrary to this, the "usual" way to access a file ([[Write|/write]] and [[$read]] that is) work in another way. For example, if you want to echo line number 4 and 5 of a file, you would use: | |
| + | [[echo]] -a $read(my.txt,4) $read(my.txt,5) | ||
| + | Internally, mIRC would do following: | ||
| + | *open the file (using fopen) | ||
| + | *move the pointer to the start of line 4 (using fseek) | ||
| + | *read this line using $fread | ||
| + | *close the file (using fclose) | ||
| + | *open the file again (using fopen) | ||
| + | *move the pointer to the start of line 5 (using fseek) | ||
| + | *read this line using $fread | ||
| + | *close the file (using fclose) again | ||
| + | That's obviously not efficient, as we don't need to close it after our first read. So using File Handling, we could directly do: | ||
| + | *open the file (using fopen) | ||
| + | *jump to line 4 (using fseek) | ||
| + | *read this line (using fread) | ||
| + | *read the next line (and the pointer is automatically there after reading line 4 - using fread) | ||
| + | *close the file (using flose) | ||
| + | If you want to read one or two lines only, there is no need to use this way, as $read is alot easier to handle, but if you have a file of e.g. 40mb and want to read 100 lines, there is a ''big'' difference between File Handling and $read (~ factor 10). | ||
== Example == | == Example == | ||
[[Category:mIRC Help]] | [[Category:mIRC Help]] | ||
Revision as of 22:16, 21 December 2005
General Explanation
Using the commands and identifiers in these category allows you to modify a file directly. That means that mIRC opens a connection to the specified and locks this connection when you are opening a file using /fopen. At the same moment, a (file-)pointer is set to the start of the file. You can now read the character the pointer points to (either by using $fread that reads the entire line until the next $crlf or by using $fgetc that reads the "next" character only - note that the pointer is automatically moved to the begin of the next line / next character by using these identifiers) or move the pointer to another position in the file (by using /fseek). After you've modified you file, you have to close it again (to unlock it and so make it accessable by other applications) using /fclose.
Difference to /write and $read
Contrary to this, the "usual" way to access a file (/write and $read that is) work in another way. For example, if you want to echo line number 4 and 5 of a file, you would use:
echo -a $read(my.txt,4) $read(my.txt,5)
Internally, mIRC would do following:
- open the file (using fopen)
- move the pointer to the start of line 4 (using fseek)
- read this line using $fread
- close the file (using fclose)
- open the file again (using fopen)
- move the pointer to the start of line 5 (using fseek)
- read this line using $fread
- close the file (using fclose) again
That's obviously not efficient, as we don't need to close it after our first read. So using File Handling, we could directly do:
- open the file (using fopen)
- jump to line 4 (using fseek)
- read this line (using fread)
- read the next line (and the pointer is automatically there after reading line 4 - using fread)
- close the file (using flose)
If you want to read one or two lines only, there is no need to use this way, as $read is alot easier to handle, but if you have a file of e.g. 40mb and want to read 100 lines, there is a big difference between File Handling and $read (~ factor 10).
