File I/O with FreeBASIC
In FreeBASIC, there are 4 possible ways to perform file I/O:
1. Using the built-in BASIC commands like `Open` , `Get`, `Put`, and `Close`. This way is mostly portable across all platforms supported by FreeBASIC. Open files are identified by "file numbers", that are specific to FreeBASIC and can't be passed into functions from below.
2. Using the C stream I/O functions like fopen, fread, ftell, fclose (see Stream I/O in C Standard Library Functions) of the C library FreeBASIC relies on. This is slightly faster than and adds a few features beyond method above, and still well portable. Open files are identified by file pointers, as in the C language, again unique to this access method. The `FileAttr` function can be used to return a stream I/O pointer from a file number as in 1. above.
3. Using the C low-level I/O functions like _open, _read, _write, _close (see Low Level I/O in C Standard Library Functions). Those functions should be portable, but so far headers are available for Win32 only, so code using them will not compile to any other platform by now.
4. Talk directly to the OS kernel (DOS: use DOS and DPMI INT's , Win32: use API calls like CreateFile, WriteFile). This is no longer portable. Files are identified by handles generated by and specific to the OS kernel.
This example shows methods 1. and 2. described above:
Example
`
'==== File I/O example / 2018-05-18 ====
Dim As String fileName = "test_123.tmp"
Dim As ULong buffer(0 To 99) '100 x 4 bytes
Dim As Integer numItems, result
Print !"\n==== Using the C Runtime (CRT) file I/O ====\n"
#include Once "crt/stdio.bi"
Dim As FILE Ptr filePtr
'open in binary writing mode
filePtr = fopen(fileName, "wb")
If filePtr <> 0 Then
'write 75 x 4 = 300 bytes
numItems = fwrite(@buffer(0), SizeOf(buffer(0)), 75, filePtr)
Print "Number of bytes written: " & Str(numItems * SizeOf(buffer(0)))
Print "Number of items written: " & Str(numItems)
fclose(filePtr)
Else
Print "Failed to open " & fileName & " for writing"
End If
'open in binary reading mode
filePtr = fopen(fileName, "rb")
If filePtr <> 0 Then
'skip the first 25 items
If fseek(filePtr, SizeOf(buffer(0)) * 25, SEEK_SET) <> 0 Then
Print "Failed to seek (set file stream position)"
End If
'try to read the next 100 items
numItems = fread(@buffer(0), SizeOf(buffer(0)), 100, filePtr)
Print "Number of bytes read: " & Str(numItems * SizeOf(buffer(0)))
Print "Number of items read: " & Str(numItems)
fclose(filePtr)
Else
Print "Failed to open " & fileName & " for reading"
End If
result = remove(fileName) 'delete file
If result = 0 Then Print "Removed: " & fileName
Print !"\n==== Using the FreeBASIC file I/O ====\n"
Dim As Long fileNum
Dim As Integer numBytes
fileNum = FreeFile
'open in binary writing mode
If Open(fileName, For Binary, Access Write, As fileNum) = 0 Then
'write 75 x 4 = 300 bytes
result = Put(fileNum, , buffer(0), 75) 'No @buffer(0)
numBytes = Seek(fileNum) - 1 'FreeBASIC file position is 1-based
Print "Number of bytes written: " & Str(numBytes)
Print "Number of items written: " & Str(numBytes \ SizeOf(buffer(0)))
Close(fileNum)
Else
Print "Failed to open " & fileName & " for writing"
End If
'open in binary reading mode
If Open(fileName, For Binary, Access Read, As fileNum) = 0 Then
'skip the first 25 items
Seek fileNum, 25 * SizeOf(buffer(0)) + 1 'Note: +1 & seek(...) not allowed
'try to read the next 100 items
result = Get(fileNum, , buffer(0), 100, numBytes)
Print "Number of bytes read: " & Str(numBytes)
Print "Number of items read: " & Str(numBytes \ SizeOf(buffer(0)))
Close(fileNum)
Else
Print "Failed to open " & fileName & " for reading"
End If
result = Kill(fileName) 'delete file
If result = 0 Then Print "Killed: " & fileName
Print !"\n==== End ====\n"
`
See also

- File I/O Functions
- C Standard Library Functions
- Get (File I/O Command)