Directive: Import external file as data.

DAT
  FILE "FileName"

• FileName is the name, without extension, of the desired data file. Upon compile, a file with this name is searched for in the editor tabs, the working directory and the library directory. FileName can contain any valid filename characters; disallowed characters are \, /, :, *, ?, ", <, >, and |.

Explanation

The FILE directive is used to import an external data file (usually a binary file) into the DAT block of an object. The data can then be accessed by the object just like any regular DAT block data.

Using FILE

FILE is used in DAT blocks similar to how BYTE would be used, except that following it is a filename in quotes instead of data values. For example:

DAT
  Str      byte       "This is a data string.", 0
  Data     file       "Datafile.dat" 

In this example, the DAT block is made up of a byte string followed by the data from a file called Datafile.dat. Upon compile, the Propeller Tool will search through the editor tabs, the working directory or the library directory for a file called Datafile.dat and will load its data into the first byte following the zero-terminated string, Str. Methods can access the imported data using the BYTE, WORD or LONG declarations as they would normal data. For example:

PUB GetData | Index, Temp
  Index := 0
  repeat 
    Temp := byte[Data][Index++]  'Read data into Temp 1 byte at a time
    <do something with Temp>     'Perform task with value in Temp
  while Temp > 0                 'Loop until end found 

This example will read the imported data, one byte at a time, until it finds a byte equal to 0.