preprocessFile: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 23:10, 20 November 2023

1.85

1.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

Hover & click on the images for description

Description

Description:: Reads and processes the content of the specified file. Preprocessor is C-like, supports comments using // or /* and */ and PreProcessor Commands. Due to the hard-drive access this command executes and the lack of caching this command should not be used in time-critical script loops.
⚠
If the file you are loading is not prepared using UTF-8 encoding and contains some characters with codes > 127, they might convert incorrectly.
Groups:: System

Syntax

Syntax:: preprocessFile fileName
Parameters:: fileName: String - path to the file and name of the file
Return Value:: String

Examples

Example 1:: _content = preprocessFile "myFunction.sqf";

Additional Information

See also:: fileExists preprocessFileLineNumbers loadFile Function SQF Syntax call spawn execVM PreProcessor Commands

Notes

: Report bugs on the Feedback Tracker and/or discuss them on the Arma Discord or on the Forums.
Only post proven facts here! Add Note

Alef - c: Posted on Mar 04, 2008 - 22:35 (UTC)
: File path is always relative to mission directory. If script dir\a.sqf includes dir\b.sqf, use "dir\b.sqf" and not "b.sqf".

Kju - c: Posted on Jul 08, 2011 - 10:59 (UTC)
: Use preprocessFileLineNumbers instead as it provides more context information on error.

Killzone_Kid - c: Posted on Dec 17, 2013 - 13:44 (UTC)
: The main difference between preprocessFile and preprocessFileLineNumbers is that the latter adds #line directive to the target file, which allows to log the __LINE__ error happened at and the __FILE__ error happened in.

BrotherhoodOfHam - c

Posted on Jul 25, 2014 - 18:43 (UTC)

Essentially what the preprocessFile command does is it refers to the contents of a file as a string:
Example 1:
boop.html:

<t align = 'center' valign = 'middle' shadow = '0' size = '2'>structured text</t>

init.sqf:

_text = parseText preprocessFile "boop.html"; hint _text;

This is especially useful for long strings, and it works on files with any file extension as long as they can be edited with a text editor.
Example 2:
init.sqf:

hint preprocessFile "description.ext"; copyToClipboard preprocessFile "mission.sqm";

The above is all valid. However, using *.jpg or any other files saved in an image format is not possible.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Command|= Comments
+{{RV|type=command
-____________________________________________________________________________________________
-| ofpr |= Game name
+|game1= ofp
+|version1= 1.85
-|1.85|= Game version
+|game2= ofpe
-____________________________________________________________________________________________
+|version2= 1.00
-| Returns preprocessed content of given file. Preprocessor is C-like, supports comments using // or /* and */ and macros defined with #define. |= Description
+|game3= arma1
-____________________________________________________________________________________________
+|version3= 1.00
-| [[String]] <nowiki>=</nowiki> '''preprocessFile''' "filename" |= Syntax
+|game4= arma2
+|version4= 1.00
+|game5= arma2oa
+|version5= 1.50
-| [[String]] |= Return value
+|game6= tkoh
-____________________________________________________________________________________________
+|version6= 1.00
-|x1= <pre>_content=preprocessFile "myFunction.sqf"</pre> |= Example 1
-____________________________________________________________________________________________
-| [[Function]], [[SQF syntax]], [[execVM]], [[loadFile]], [[PreProcessor Commands]] |= See also
+|game7= arma3
+|version7= 0.50
+|gr1= System
+|descr= Reads and processes the content of the specified file. Preprocessor is C-like, supports comments using {{hl|//}} or {{hl|/*}} and {{hl|*/}} and [[PreProcessor Commands]].
+Due to the hard-drive access this command executes and the lack of caching this command should not be used in time-critical script loops.
+{{Feature|warning|If the file you are loading is not prepared using UTF-8 encoding and contains some characters [[toArray | with codes]] > 127, they might convert incorrectly.}}
+|s1= [[preprocessFile]] fileName
+|p1= fileName: [[String]] - path to the file and name of the file
+|r1= [[String]]
+|x1= <sqf>_content = preprocessFile "myFunction.sqf";</sqf>
+|seealso= [[fileExists]] [[preprocessFileLineNumbers]] [[loadFile]] [[Function]] [[SQF Syntax]] [[call]] [[spawn]] [[execVM]] [[PreProcessor Commands]]
 }}
-<h3 style="display:none">Notes</h3>
+{{Note
-<dl class="command_description">
+|user= Alef
-<!-- Note Section BEGIN -->
+|timestamp= 20080304223500
+|text= File path is always relative to mission directory. If script dir\a.sqf includes dir\b.sqf, use "dir\b.sqf" and not "b.sqf".
+}}
-<!-- Note Section END -->
+{{Note
-</dl>
+|user= Kju
+|timestamp= 20110708105900
+|text= Use [[preprocessFileLineNumbers]] instead as it provides more context information on error.
+}}
-<h3 style="display:none">Bottom Section</h3>
+{{Note
-[[Category:Scripting Commands|PREPROCESSFILE]]
+|user= Killzone_Kid
-[[Category:Scripting Commands OFP 1.96|PREPROCESSFILE]]
+|timestamp= 20131217134400
-[[Category:Scripting Commands ArmA|PREPROCESSFILE]]
+|text= [[File:PreprocessFile.jpg|right]]The main difference between [[preprocessFile]] and [[preprocessFileLineNumbers]] is that the latter adds #line directive to the target file, which allows to log the {{hl|__LINE__}} error happened at and the {{hl|__FILE__}} error happened in.
+}}
+{{Note
+|user= BrotherhoodOfHam
+|timestamp= 20140725184300
+|text= Essentially what the preprocessFile command does is it refers to the contents of a file as a string:<br>
+Example 1:<br>
+boop.html:
+<syntaxhighlight lang="html"><t align = 'center' valign = 'middle' shadow = '0' size = '2'>structured text</t></syntaxhighlight>
+init.sqf:
+<sqf>
+_text = parseText preprocessFile "boop.html";
+hint _text;
+</sqf>
+This is especially useful for long strings, and it works on files with any file extension as long as they can be edited with a text editor.<br>
+Example 2:<br>
+init.sqf:
+<sqf>
+hint preprocessFile "description.ext";
+copyToClipboard preprocessFile "mission.sqm";
+</sqf>
+The above is all valid. However, using *.jpg or any other files saved in an image format is not possible.
+}}