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The domain \spadtype{TextFile} allows \Language{} to read and write
character data and exchange text with other programs.
This type behaves in \Language{} much like a \spadtype{File} of strings,
with additional operations to cause new lines.
We give an example of how to produce an upper case copy of a file.
\xtc{
This is the file from which we read the text.
}{
\spadcommand{f1: TextFile := open("/etc/group", "input")   \bound{f1}}
}
\xtc{
This is the file to which we write the text.
}{
\spadcommand{f2: TextFile := open("/tmp/MOTD", "output")  \bound{f2}}
}
\xtc{
Entire lines are handled using the \spadfunFromX{readLine}{TextFile} and
\spadfunFromX{writeLine}{TextFile} operations.
}{
\spadcommand{l := readLine! f1 \free{f1}\bound{l}}
}
\xtc{
}{
\spadcommand{writeLine!(f2, upperCase l) \free{f2 l}}
}
\xtc{
Use the
\spadfunFrom{endOfFile?}{TextFile} operation to check if you have
reached the end of the file.
}{
\begin{spadsrc}[\free{f1 f2}\bound{Copied}]
while not endOfFile? f1 repeat
    s := readLine! f1
    writeLine!(f2, upperCase s)
\end{spadsrc}
}
\xtc{
The file \spad{f1} is exhausted and should be closed.
}{
\spadcommand{close! f1  \free{Copied}\bound{closed1}}
}

\xtc{
It is sometimes useful to write lines a bit at a time.
The \spadfunFromX{write}{TextFile} operation allows this.
}{
\spadcommand{write!(f2, "-The-")  \free{Copied}\bound{tthhee}}
}
\xtc{
}{
\spadcommand{write!(f2, "-End-")  \free{tthhee}\bound{eenndd}}
}
\xtc{
This ends the line.
This is done in a machine-dependent manner.
}{
\spadcommand{writeLine! f2        \free{eenndd}\bound{LastLine}}
}
\xtc{
}{
\spadcommand{close! f2              \free{LastLine}\bound{closed2}}
}
% \xtc{
% Now that the file has been translated to upper case, let's compare it with
% the original.
% }{
% \spadcommand{)system cat /etc/motd  \free{closed2}\bound{showlow}}
% }
% \xtc{
% }{
% \spadcommand{)system cat /tmp/MOTD  \bound{showHI}\free{closed2}}
% }
\noOutputXtc{
Finally, clean up.
}{
\spadcommand{)system rm /tmp/MOTD   \free{closed2}}
}

For more information on related topics,  see
\xmpref{File},
\xmpref{KeyedAccessFile}, and
\xmpref{Library}.
\showBlurb{TextFile}
