File Methods
File methods are used to read and write data to a file or portions of a file. Note that higher-level techniques for reading and writing to files are available from within the Application Builder user interface. For more information, see the book Introduction to Application Builder and “GUI Command Methods” on page 127.
Name
Syntax
Description
readFile
String readFile(String name)
Returns the contents in the given file name as a string. The string name is the absolute path to a file or a path given by the file scheme syntax.
openFileStreamReader
CsReader openFileStreamReader(String name)
Returns a CsReader that can be used to read line-by-line or character-by-character from the given file name.
openBinaryFileStreamReader
CsBinaryReader openBinaryFileStreamReader(String name)
Returns a CsBinaryReader that can be used to read from the given file byte-by-byte.
readMatrixFromFile
double[][] readMatrixFromFile(String name)
Reads the contents of the given file into a double matrix. The file has the same spreadsheet type format as available in the model tree Export node.
readStringMatrixFromFile
String[][] readStringMatrixFromFile(String name)
Reads the contents of the given file into a string matrix. The file has the same spreadsheet type format as available in the model tree Export node.
readCSVFile
String[][] readCSVFile(String name)
Reads a file with comma-separated values (CSV file) into a string matrix. Expects file to use the RFC 4180 format for CSV.
writeFile
writeFile(String name, String contents)
Writes the given string contents to the given file name.
writeFile
writeFile(String name, String contents, boolean append)
Writes the given string contents to the given file name. If append is true, then the contents are appended instead of overwritten.
writeFile
writeFile(String name, double[][] data)
Writes the array data to the given file. The spreadsheet format is used, which means it can be read by readMatrixFromFile.
writeFile
writeFile(String name, double[][] data, boolean append)
Writes the array data to the given file. The spreadsheet format is used, which means it can be read by readMatrixFromFile. If append is true, then the contents are appended instead of overwritten.
writeFile
writeFile(String name, String[][] data)
Writes the array data to the given file. The spreadsheet format is used, which means it can be read by readStringMatrixFromFile.
writeFile
writeFile(String name, String[][] data, boolean append)
Writes the array data to the given file. The spreadsheet format is used, which means it can be read by readStringMatrixFromFile. If append is true, then the contents are appended instead of overwritten.
openFileStreamWriter
CsWriter openFileStreamWriter(String name)
Returns a CsWriter that can write to the given file.
openFileStreamWriter
CsWriter openFileStreamWriter(String name, boolean append)
Returns a CsWriter that can write to the given file. If append is true, then the contents are appended instead of overwritten.
openBinaryFileStreamWriter
CsBinaryWriter openBinaryFileStreamWriter(String name)
Returns a CsBinaryWriter that can be used to write to the given file byte-by-byte.
openBinaryFileStreamWriter
CsBinaryWriter openBinaryFileStreamWriter(String name, boolean append)
Returns a CsBinaryWriter that can be used to write to the given file byte by byte. If append is true, then the contents are appended instead of overwritten.
writeCSVFile
writeCSVFile(String name, String[][] data)
Writes the given string array data to a CSV file. The RFC 4180 format is used for the CSV.
writeCSVFile
writeCSVFile(String name, String[][] data, boolean append)
Writes the given string array data to a CSV file. The RFC 4180 format is used for the CSV. If append is true, then the contents are appended instead of overwritten.
writeCSVFile
writeCSVFile(String name, double[][] data)
Writes the given double array data to a CSV file. The RFC 4180 format is used for the CSV.
writeCSVFile
writeCSVFile(String name, double[][] data, boolean append)
Writes the given double array data to a CSV file. The RFC 4180 format is used for the CSV. If append is true, then the contents are appended instead of overwritten.
exists
boolean exists(String name)
Tests whether a file with the given name exists.
If the name is not a file scheme path name or an absolute path, then the method first finds out whether a file with file scheme path embedded:/// + argument exists. If such a file does not exist, then it tests whether there is a file with a matching name in the current working directory.
deleteFile
deleteFile(String file)
Delete a file with the given name if it exists. The file is deleted on the server,. The name can use a file scheme path.
copyFile
copyFile(String sourceFile, String destFile)
Copies a file on the server. Both the source and target names can use file scheme paths.
importFile
importFile(String name)
importFile(String name, String[] fileTypes)
Displays a file browser dialog box and uploads the selected file to the file declaration with the given name. After this, the uploaded file can be accessed with upload:///<name>. The optional fileTypes argument can be used to filter which file types are available for selection in the file browser. The easiest way to get a list of valid file types is to use code completion in the Method Editor.
importFile
importFile(ModelEntity entity, String name)
Displays a file browser dialog box and uploads the selected file to the Filename text field in the given model object entity. This defines an input file that the application will need at a later stage. For example, the Filename of an interpolation function accessed with model.func(’<tag>’)). The uploaded file can be accessed with upload:///<tag>/filename.
writeExcelFile
writeExcelFile(String name, String[][] data)
Writes the given string array data starting from the first cell in the first sheet of an Excel file. This method requires LiveLink™ for Excel®.
writeExcelFile
writeExcelFile(String name, String sheet, String cell, String[][] data)
Writes the given string array data starting from the specified cell in the specified sheet of an Excel file. This method requires LiveLink™ for Excel®.
readExcelFile
String[][] readExcelFile(String name)
Reads the first sheet of an Excel file, starting from the first cell, into a String[][]. This method requires LiveLink™ for Excel®.
readExcelFile
String[][] readExcelFile(String name, String sheet, String cell)
Reads the specified sheet of an Excel file, starting from the specified cell, into a String[][]. This method requires LiveLink™ for Excel®.
getFilePath
String getFilePath(String name)
Returns the absolute server file path of the server proxy file corresponding to a certain file scheme path, or null if the server proxy file for the given path does not exist.
This method can be used to pass the path to, for example, a file using the temp:/// scheme to external code or an application.
In addition, this method is used to retrieve the file name of an uploaded file when using the file scheme upload:///inputFile, for example by using a File declaration together with a File Import form object.
getClientFileName
String getClientFileName(String name)
Returns the original name of an uploaded file on the client file system (or null if there is no uploaded file matching the given file scheme path).
This method is only useful for providing user interface feedback. For example, to get information on which uploaded file is being used. There is no guarantee that the original file would still exist on the client or even that the current client would be the same as the original client.
getClientFilePath
String getClientFilePath(String name)
Returns the original path of an uploaded file on the client file system (or null if there is no uploaded file matching the given file scheme path). Returns only the file name part of the path when called from an application running in a web browser.
This method is only useful for providing user interface feedback. For example, to get information on which uploaded file is being used. There is no guarantee that the original file would still exist on the client or even that the current client would be the same as the original client.
createDirectory
createDirectory(String name)
Creates a file directory name, see examples below in the Example Code section.
Example Code
This line of code copies the uploaded file file1 to the temp folder with new file name file2.mphbin and then prompts the user to save the file to any location.
copyFile("upload:///file1", "temp:///file2.mphbin");
fileSaveAs("temp:///file2.mphbin");
This line of code deletes the file file2.mphbin from the temp folder.
deleteFile("temp:///file2.mphbin");
This line of code creates a directory in the user folder, as specified in Preferences.
createDirectory("user:///a/b");
This line of code creates a directory in the Temp folder under C:.
createDirectory("C:\\Temp\\a\\b");
Note that the method fileSaveAs returns a boolean that indicates if saving the file was successful or not. Saving a file will fail if, for example, the user does not have access to the target folder.