File.open - Revision history

Redspark: Removed fopen() reference

2025-09-29T15:05:39Z

Removed fopen() reference

Redspark: Update file mode descriptions for clarification

2025-09-29T15:04:34Z

Update file mode descriptions for clarification

JoeStrout: /* Arguments */

2024-07-22T13:46:47Z

Arguments

JoeStrout: Created page with "In Mini Micro and command-line MiniScript, the file.open function returns a FileHandle object that enables further reads, writes, or updates of the file..."

2021-01-05T21:21:20Z

Created page with "In Mini Micro and command-line MiniScript, the <c>file.open</c> function returns a FileHandle object that enables further reads, writes, or updates of the file..."

New page

In [[Mini Micro]] and [[command-line MiniScript]], the <c>[[file]].open</c> function returns a [[FileHandle]] object that enables further reads, writes, or updates of the file.

=== Arguments ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Parameter Name !! Default Value !! Meaning
|-
| path || "" || full or partial path to the file of interest
|-
| mode || "rw+" || file mode (see below)
|}

=== File Modes ===

The second parameter to <c>[[file]].open</c> specifies whether the file is opened for reading, writing, or both.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Mode !! Description !! Starting Position
|-
|<tt>r</tt> || open for reading (The file must exist) || beginning
|-
|<tt>w</tt> || open for writing (creates file if it doesn't exist). Deletes content and overwrites the file. || beginning
|-
|<tt>a</tt> || open for appending (creates file if it doesn't exist) || end
|-
|<tt>r+</tt> || open for reading and writing (The file must exist)|| beginning
|-
|<tt>w+</tt> || open for reading and writing. If file exists deletes content and overwrites the file, otherwise creates an empty new file || beginning
|-
|<tt>a+</tt> || open for reading and writing (append if file exists) || end
|}

When a file is opened with update mode ( '<tt>+</tt>' as the second or third character in the mode argument), both input and output may be performed on the associated stream.

Writing and appending modes will attempt to create a file of the given name, if no such file already exists. If this operation fails, <c>[[file]].open</c> will return <c>[[null]]</c>.

== Example ==

This appends a new line to an existing text file (creating it if it does not already exist).

<ms>f = file.open("test.txt", "a")
f.write char(13) + "Hello world!"
f.close</ms>

[[Category:Mini Micro]]
[[Category:Command-Line MiniScript]]

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ! Mode !! Description !! Starting Position
 |-
-|<tt>r</tt> || Opens an existing text file for reading. If the file does not exist, fopen() returns NULL. || beginning
+|<tt>r</tt> || Opens an existing text file for reading. If the file does not exist, it returns null. || beginning
 |-
 |<tt>w</tt> || Opens a text file for writing. If the file exists, its contents are truncated (emptied). If the file does not exist, a new file is created. || beginning

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ! Mode !! Description !! Starting Position
 |-
-|<tt>r</tt> || open for reading (The file must exist) || beginning
+|<tt>r</tt> || Opens an existing text file for reading. If the file does not exist, fopen() returns NULL. || beginning
 |-
-|<tt>w</tt> || open for writing (creates file if it doesn't exist). Deletes content and overwrites the file. || beginning
+|<tt>w</tt> || Opens a text file for writing. If the file exists, its contents are truncated (emptied). If the file does not exist, a new file is created. || beginning
 |-
-|<tt>a</tt> || open for appending (creates file if it doesn't exist) || end
+|<tt>a</tt> || Opens a text file for appending. Data is written to the end of the file. If the file does not exist, a new file is created. || end
 |-
-|<tt>r+</tt> || open for reading and writing (The file must exist)|| beginning
+|<tt>r+</tt> || Opens an existing text file for both reading and writing. The file must exist.|| beginning
 |-
-|<tt>w+</tt>  || open for reading and writing. If file exists deletes content and overwrites the file, otherwise creates an empty new file || beginning
+|<tt>w+</tt>  || Opens a text file for both writing and reading. If the file exists, its contents are truncated. If the file does not exist, a new file is created. || beginning
 |-
-|<tt>a+</tt> || open for reading and writing (append if file exists) || end
+|<tt>a+</tt> || Opens a text file for both appending and reading. Data is written to the end of the file. If the file does not exist, a new file is created. || end
 |}

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 | path || "" || full or partial path to the file of interest
 |-
-| mode || "rw+" || file mode (see below)
+| mode || "r+" || file mode (see below)
 |}