text import and export

Kevin Altis (starnet!apple!scic.intel.com!kevin)
Wed, 30 Jun 1993 12:42:54 -0800

Here are a couple of scripts you may find useful for importing and
exporting text. The importTextFile allows you to specify the maximum number
of characters you want to import, if you don't supply a filename for either
routine, they'll prompt you.

Kevin Altis
Intel Corporation
SuperComputer Systems Division
Beaverton, Oregon

---


Scott Raney suggests...
>If you don't mind taking a bigger memory hit, an even easier way is:
>put shell("cat" && fName) into field "whatever"




-- *** text handlers for MetaCard 1.3Ax


-- note this doesn't return errors, just empty if something goes wrong
-- reads text until we reach maxSize
-- if maxSize < 1 then we read until we run out of memory, OUCH!
-- or end of file (eof) whichever comes first
-- Example:
-- put importtextfile("prague/readtest.text", -1) into cd fld "flounder"
function importTextFile fName, maxSize
  if fName = empty then
    answer file "Select text file"
    if the result = empty
    then put it into fName
    else return empty
  end if
  
  set cursor to watch
  open file fName
  read from file fName for maxSize
  close file fName
  return it
end importTextFile


on exportTextFile fName, theBuffer
  if fName = empty then
    ask file "Save text as:" with "untitled.txt"
    if the result = empty
    then put it into fName
    else exit exportTextFile
  end if
  
  open file fName
  write theBuffer to file fName
  close file fName
end exportTextFile