fCreate (Function)

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External file management functions

Operating mode in Windows Vista (and later)

Related examples

See also

fCreate (Function)

In french: fCrée

Creates an external file. This file is automatically opened in read/write.

Remarks:

To handle text external files, we recommend that you use fLoadText/fSaveText and fLoadBuffer/fSaveBuffer.
To handle binary external files, we recommend that you use fCreate or fOpen.

Versions 15 and later

This function is now available for Android applications.

New in version 15

This function is now available for Android applications.

Versions 16 and later

This function is now available for Windows Phone applications.

New in version 16

This function is now available for Windows Phone applications.

Versions 17 and later

This function is now available for iPhone/iPad applications.

New in version 17

This function is now available for iPhone/iPad applications.

Versions 18 and later

This function is now available in Android Widget mode.

This function is now available in Windows Store apps mode.

New in version 18

This function is now available in Android Widget mode.

This function is now available in Windows Store apps mode.

This function is now available in Android Widget mode.

This function is now available in Windows Store apps mode.

Versions 21 and later

This function is now available in Universal Windows 10 App mode.

New in version 21

This function is now available in Universal Windows 10 App mode.

Example

See additional examples

// Create the external file
ResCreation = fCreate("C:\MyDirectories\File.txt")
IF ResCreation <> -1 THEN
...
END

// Create the external file
ResCreation = fCreate("\MyDirectories\File.txt")
IF ResCreation <> -1 THEN
...
END

Syntax

<Result> = fCreate(<File path> [, <Creation options>])

<Result>: Integer

Identifier of the external file. This identifier will be used by all the functions for handling the external files.
-1 if an error occurred. To get the details of the error, use ErrorInfo with the errMessage constant.

<File path>: Character string (with quotes)

Name and full (or relative) path of file (up to 260 characters). The extension of the file can be specified. By default, if the file extension is not specified, the external file will have no extension. A UNC path can be used.
Remark: If the external file already exists (same directory and same name), this file is destroyed and re-created. To avoid deleting an existing file, use fOpen associated with the foCreateIfNotExist constant.
Versions 15 and later
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: In Android, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories, as well as onto the external memory (SDCard).
New in version 15
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: In Android, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories, as well as onto the external memory (SDCard).
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: In Android, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories, as well as onto the external memory (SDCard).
This path must be a full path or a UNC path. It cannot be a relative path.

Versions 17 and later
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories.
New in version 17
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories.
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories.

<Creation options>: Combination of optional constants

Options for file creation:
Lock options: A lock can be implemented when the external file is opened:
foWriteLock The file will be created in write-only. The other applications that use this file will not be able to modify it.
foReadLock The file will be created in read-only. The other applications that use this file will not be able to read it.
Versions 25 and later
foAutomaticDeletion
New in version 25
foAutomaticDeletion
foAutomaticDeletion The file is locked when it is opened and it will be automatically deleted when it is closed (call to fClose or at the end of the application).
If several applications have opened this file, it will be automatically deleted when the last application closes it (call to fClose or at the end of the application).
Versions 17 and later
Type of external file to create. This type is used by fReadLine and fWriteLine to define the type of information to read and write in the external file:
foAnsi Ansi file. This constant is used to manage an Ansi file when the "Use Unicode strings at runtime" mode is enabled in the project configuration.
This mode is used by default in the WINDEV and WEBDEV projects.
foUnicode Unicode file. This constant is used to manage a Unicode file when the "Use Ansi strings at runtime" mode is enabled in the project configuration.
This mode is used by default in the WINDEV Mobile projects.
New in version 17
Type of external file to create. This type is used by fReadLine and fWriteLine to define the type of information to read and write in the external file:
foAnsi Ansi file. This constant is used to manage an Ansi file when the "Use Unicode strings at runtime" mode is enabled in the project configuration.
This mode is used by default in the WINDEV and WEBDEV projects.
foUnicode Unicode file. This constant is used to manage a Unicode file when the "Use Ansi strings at runtime" mode is enabled in the project configuration.
This mode is used by default in the WINDEV Mobile projects.
Type of external file to create. This type is used by fReadLine and fWriteLine to define the type of information to read and write in the external file:
foAnsi Ansi file. This constant is used to manage an Ansi file when the "Use Unicode strings at runtime" mode is enabled in the project configuration.
This mode is used by default in the WINDEV and WEBDEV projects.
foUnicode Unicode file. This constant is used to manage a Unicode file when the "Use Ansi strings at runtime" mode is enabled in the project configuration.
This mode is used by default in the WINDEV Mobile projects.

By default, if no constant is specified:
the external file can be freely accessed by the other applications,
the type of the file corresponds to the default mode.
This parameter is not available. The external file can be freely accessed by the other applications.

Remarks

Managing errors

fCreate generates an error in the following cases:

the file is locked by another computer or by another application,
the user has no write rights in the creation directory.
a Unicode string was used for <File path> in an operating system such as Windows 98 or Windows Me.

Operating mode in Windows Vista (and later)

If this function does not operate properly in Windows Vista (and later), check whether the file or directory used is not in one of the system directories (Windows directory or "Program Files" directory).

Indeed, in Windows Vista (and later), with the UAC mechanism (User Account Control) enabled, you must have the administrator privileges to handle and/or modify the files or directories in the system directories (Windows directory or "Program Files" directory).

Programming tip: To handle and/or modify the files or directories without administrator privileges, you should:

avoid writing to the Windows directory or to the "Program Files" directory,
use the system directory of the application (returned by SysDir with the srAppDataCommun constant, for example).

Remark: In Windows Vista (and later), the virtualization mechanism is used to make the applications compatible with Vista. If the file is created in a system directory without having sufficient rights, this file will actually be created in another directory (C:\Users\<LOGIN>AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows\). In this case, the file cannot be shared between several applications.

Related Examples:

Unit examples (WINDEV): Handling text files

[ + ] Handling "text" files with WINDEV:
- Create a text file
- Write into a text file
- Read in a text file

Unit examples (WEBDEV): Handling text files

[ + ] This example explains how to handle "non HFSQL" files with WEBDEV and it allows you to:
- Create a text file
- Write into a text file
- Read in a text file

Unit examples (WINDEV Mobile): Handling text files

[ + ] Handling external "text" files:
- Create a text file
- Write into a text file
- Read in a text file

Business / UI classification: Business Logic

Component: wd260std.dll