preprocessFile

1.851.001.001.001.501.000.50

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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.

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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

Posted on March 4, 2008

Alef

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".

Posted on July 8, 2011

kju

Use preprocessFileLineNumbers instead as it provides more context information on error.

Posted on December 17, 2013

Killzone_Kid

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.

Posted on July 25, 2014

BrotherhoodOfHam

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.