FileAccess

bool big_endian

If true, the file is read with big-endian endianness. If false, the file is read with little-endian endianness. If in doubt, leave this to false as most files are written with little-endian endianness. Note: This is always reset to system endianness, which is little-endian on all supported platforms, whenever you open the file. Therefore, you must set big_endian after opening the file, not before.

void close()

Closes the currently opened file and prevents subsequent read/write operations. Use flush() to persist the data to disk without closing the file. Note: FileAccess will automatically close when it's freed, which happens when it goes out of scope or when it gets assigned with null. In C# the reference must be disposed after we are done using it, this can be done with the using statement or calling the Dispose method directly.

FileAccess create_temp(int mode_flags, String prefix = "", String extension = "", bool keep = false) static

Creates a temporary file. This file will be freed when the returned FileAccess is freed. If prefix is not empty, it will be prefixed to the file name, separated by a -. If extension is not empty, it will be appended to the temporary file name. If keep is true, the file is not deleted when the returned FileAccess is freed. Returns null if opening the file failed. You can use get_open_error() to check the error that occurred.

bool eof_reached() const

Returns true if the file cursor has already read past the end of the file. Note: eof_reached() == false cannot be used to check whether there is more data available. To loop while there is more data available, use:

				while file.get_position() < file.get_length():
					# Read data
				

				while (file.GetPosition() < file.GetLength())
				{
					// Read data
				}
				

bool file_exists(String path) static

Returns true if the file exists in the given path. Note: Many resources types are imported (e.g. textures or sound files), and their source asset will not be included in the exported game, as only the imported version is used. See ResourceLoader.exists() for an alternative approach that takes resource remapping into account. For a non-static, relative equivalent, use DirAccess.file_exists().

void flush()

Writes the file's buffer to disk. Flushing is automatically performed when the file is closed. This means you don't need to call flush() manually before closing a file. Still, calling flush() can be used to ensure the data is safe even if the project crashes instead of being closed gracefully. Note: Only call flush() when you actually need it. Otherwise, it will decrease performance due to constant disk writes.

int get_8() const

Returns the next 8 bits from the file as an integer. This advances the file cursor by 1 byte. See store_8() for details on what values can be stored and retrieved this way.

int get_16() const

Returns the next 16 bits from the file as an integer. This advances the file cursor by 2 bytes. See store_16() for details on what values can be stored and retrieved this way.

int get_32() const

Returns the next 32 bits from the file as an integer. This advances the file cursor by 4 bytes. See store_32() for details on what values can be stored and retrieved this way.

int get_64() const

Returns the next 64 bits from the file as an integer. This advances the file cursor by 8 bytes. See store_64() for details on what values can be stored and retrieved this way.

int get_access_time(String file) static

Returns the last time the file was accessed in Unix timestamp format, or 0 on error. This Unix timestamp can be converted to another format using the Time singleton.

String get_as_text(bool skip_cr = false) const

Returns the whole file as a String. Text is interpreted as being UTF-8 encoded. This ignores the file cursor and does not affect it. If skip_cr is true, carriage return characters (\r, CR) will be ignored when parsing the UTF-8, so that only line feed characters (\n, LF) represent a new line (Unix convention).

PackedByteArray get_buffer(int length) const

Returns next length bytes of the file as a PackedByteArray. This advances the file cursor by length bytes.

PackedStringArray get_csv_line(String delim = ",") const

Returns the next value of the file in CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format. You can pass a different delimiter delim to use other than the default "," (comma). This delimiter must be one-character long, and cannot be a double quotation mark. Text is interpreted as being UTF-8 encoded. Text values must be enclosed in double quotes if they include the delimiter character. Double quotes within a text value can be escaped by doubling their occurrence. This advances the file cursor to after the newline character at the end of the line. For example, the following CSV lines are valid and will be properly parsed as two strings each:

				Alice,"Hello, Bob!"
				Bob,Alice! What a surprise!
				Alice,"I thought you'd reply with ""Hello, world""."
				

Note how the second line can omit the enclosing quotes as it does not include the delimiter. However it could very well use quotes, it was only written without for demonstration purposes. The third line must use "" for each quotation mark that needs to be interpreted as such instead of the end of a text value.

float get_double() const

Returns the next 64 bits from the file as a floating-point number. This advances the file cursor by 8 bytes.

int get_error() const

Returns the last error that happened when trying to perform operations. Compare with the ERR_FILE_* constants from Error.

PackedByteArray get_file_as_bytes(String path) static

Returns the whole path file contents as a PackedByteArray without any decoding. Returns an empty PackedByteArray if an error occurred while opening the file. You can use get_open_error() to check the error that occurred.

String get_file_as_string(String path) static

Returns the whole path file contents as a String. Text is interpreted as being UTF-8 encoded. Returns an empty String if an error occurred while opening the file. You can use get_open_error() to check the error that occurred.

float get_float() const

Returns the next 32 bits from the file as a floating-point number. This advances the file cursor by 4 bytes.

float get_half() const

Returns the next 16 bits from the file as a half-precision floating-point number. This advances the file cursor by 2 bytes.

bool get_hidden_attribute(String file) static

Returns true, if file hidden attribute is set. Note: This method is implemented on iOS, BSD, macOS, and Windows.

int get_length() const

Returns the size of the file in bytes. For a pipe, returns the number of bytes available for reading from the pipe.

String get_line() const

Returns the next line of the file as a String. The returned string doesn't include newline (\n) or carriage return (\r) characters, but does include any other leading or trailing whitespace. This advances the file cursor to after the newline character at the end of the line. Text is interpreted as being UTF-8 encoded.

String get_md5(String path) static

Returns an MD5 String representing the file at the given path or an empty String on failure.

int get_modified_time(String file) static

Returns the last time the file was modified in Unix timestamp format, or 0 on error. This Unix timestamp can be converted to another format using the Time singleton.

int get_open_error() static

Returns the result of the last open() call in the current thread.

String get_pascal_string()

Returns a String saved in Pascal format from the file, meaning that the length of the string is explicitly stored at the start. See store_pascal_string(). This may include newline characters. The file cursor is advanced after the bytes read. Text is interpreted as being UTF-8 encoded.

String get_path() const

Returns the path as a String for the current open file.

String get_path_absolute() const

Returns the absolute path as a String for the current open file.

int get_position() const

Returns the file cursor's position in bytes from the beginning of the file. This is the file reading/writing cursor set by seek() or seek_end() and advanced by read/write operations.

bool get_read_only_attribute(String file) static

Returns true, if file read only attribute is set. Note: This method is implemented on iOS, BSD, macOS, and Windows.

float get_real() const

Returns the next bits from the file as a floating-point number. This advances the file cursor by either 4 or 8 bytes, depending on the precision used by the Redot build that saved the file. If the file was saved by a Redot build compiled with the precision=single option (the default), the number of read bits for that file is 32. Otherwise, if compiled with the precision=double option, the number of read bits is 64.

String get_sha256(String path) static

Returns an SHA-256 String representing the file at the given path or an empty String on failure.

int get_size(String file) static

Returns file size in bytes, or -1 on error.

int get_unix_permissions(String file) static

Returns file UNIX permissions. Note: This method is implemented on iOS, Linux/BSD, and macOS.

Variant get_var(bool allow_objects = false) const

Returns the next Variant value from the file. If allow_objects is true, decoding objects is allowed. Internally, this uses the same decoding mechanism as the @GlobalScope.bytes_to_var() and @GlobalScope.bytes_to_var_with_objects() methods. Warning: Deserialized objects can contain code which gets executed. Do not use this option if the serialized object comes from untrusted sources to avoid potential security threats such as remote code execution.

bool is_open() const

Returns true if the file is currently opened.

FileAccess open(String path, int flags) static

Creates a new FileAccess object and opens the file for writing or reading, depending on the flags. Returns null if opening the file failed. You can use get_open_error() to check the error that occurred.

FileAccess open_compressed(String path, int mode_flags, int compression_mode = 0) static

Creates a new FileAccess object and opens a compressed file for reading or writing. Note: open_compressed() can only read files that were saved by Redot, not third-party compression formats. See GitHub issue #28999 for a workaround. Returns null if opening the file failed. You can use get_open_error() to check the error that occurred.

FileAccess open_encrypted(String path, int mode_flags, PackedByteArray key, PackedByteArray iv = PackedByteArray()) static

Creates a new FileAccess object and opens an encrypted file in write or read mode. You need to pass a binary key to encrypt/decrypt it. Note: The provided key must be 32 bytes long. Returns null if opening the file failed. You can use get_open_error() to check the error that occurred.

FileAccess open_encrypted_with_pass(String path, int mode_flags, String pass) static

Creates a new FileAccess object and opens an encrypted file in write or read mode. You need to pass a password to encrypt/decrypt it. Returns null if opening the file failed. You can use get_open_error() to check the error that occurred.

int resize(int length)

Resizes the file to a specified length. The file must be open in a mode that permits writing. If the file is extended, NUL characters are appended. If the file is truncated, all data from the end file to the original length of the file is lost.

void seek(int position)

Changes the file reading/writing cursor to the specified position (in bytes from the beginning of the file). This changes the value returned by get_position().

void seek_end(int position = 0)

Changes the file reading/writing cursor to the specified position (in bytes from the end of the file). This changes the value returned by get_position(). Note: This is an offset, so you should use negative numbers or the file cursor will be at the end of the file.

int set_hidden_attribute(String file, bool hidden) static

Sets file hidden attribute. Note: This method is implemented on iOS, BSD, macOS, and Windows.

int set_read_only_attribute(String file, bool ro) static

Sets file read only attribute. Note: This method is implemented on iOS, BSD, macOS, and Windows.

int set_unix_permissions(String file, int permissions) static

Sets file UNIX permissions. Note: This method is implemented on iOS, Linux/BSD, and macOS.

bool store_8(int value)

Stores an integer as 8 bits in the file. This advances the file cursor by 1 byte. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: The value should lie in the interval [0, 255]. Any other value will overflow and wrap around. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate. To store a signed integer, use store_64(), or convert it manually (see store_16() for an example).

bool store_16(int value)

Stores an integer as 16 bits in the file. This advances the file cursor by 2 bytes. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: The value should lie in the interval [0, 2^16 - 1]. Any other value will overflow and wrap around. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate. To store a signed integer, use store_64() or store a signed integer from the interval [-2^15, 2^15 - 1] (i.e. keeping one bit for the signedness) and compute its sign manually when reading. For example:

				const MAX_15B = 1 << 15
				const MAX_16B = 1 << 16

				func unsigned16_to_signed(unsigned):
					return (unsigned + MAX_15B) % MAX_16B - MAX_15B

				func _ready():
					var f = FileAccess.open("user://file.dat", FileAccess.WRITE_READ)
					f.store_16(-42) # This wraps around and stores 65494 (2^16 - 42).
					f.store_16(121) # In bounds, will store 121.
					f.seek(0) # Go back to start to read the stored value.
					var read1 = f.get_16() # 65494
					var read2 = f.get_16() # 121
					var converted1 = unsigned16_to_signed(read1) # -42
					var converted2 = unsigned16_to_signed(read2) # 121
				

				public override void _Ready()
				{
					using var f = FileAccess.Open("user://file.dat", FileAccess.ModeFlags.WriteRead);
					f.Store16(unchecked((ushort)-42)); // This wraps around and stores 65494 (2^16 - 42).
					f.Store16(121); // In bounds, will store 121.
					f.Seek(0); // Go back to start to read the stored value.
					ushort read1 = f.Get16(); // 65494
					ushort read2 = f.Get16(); // 121
					short converted1 = (short)read1; // -42
					short converted2 = (short)read2; // 121
				}
				

bool store_32(int value)

Stores an integer as 32 bits in the file. This advances the file cursor by 4 bytes. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: The value should lie in the interval [0, 2^32 - 1]. Any other value will overflow and wrap around. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate. To store a signed integer, use store_64(), or convert it manually (see store_16() for an example).

bool store_64(int value)

Stores an integer as 64 bits in the file. This advances the file cursor by 8 bytes. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: The value must lie in the interval [-2^63, 2^63 - 1] (i.e. be a valid int value). Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate.

bool store_buffer(PackedByteArray buffer)

Stores the given array of bytes in the file. This advances the file cursor by the number of bytes written. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate.

bool store_csv_line(PackedStringArray values, String delim = ",")

Store the given PackedStringArray in the file as a line formatted in the CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format. You can pass a different delimiter delim to use other than the default "," (comma). This delimiter must be one-character long. Text will be encoded as UTF-8. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate.

bool store_double(float value)

Stores a floating-point number as 64 bits in the file. This advances the file cursor by 8 bytes. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate.

bool store_float(float value)

Stores a floating-point number as 32 bits in the file. This advances the file cursor by 4 bytes. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate.

bool store_half(float value)

Stores a half-precision floating-point number as 16 bits in the file. This advances the file cursor by 2 bytes. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate.

bool store_line(String line)

Stores line in the file followed by a newline character (\n), encoding the text as UTF-8. This advances the file cursor by the length of the line, after the newline character. The amount of bytes written depends on the UTF-8 encoded bytes, which may be different from String.length() which counts the number of UTF-32 codepoints. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate.

bool store_pascal_string(String string)

Stores the given String as a line in the file in Pascal format (i.e. also store the length of the string). Text will be encoded as UTF-8. This advances the file cursor by the number of bytes written depending on the UTF-8 encoded bytes, which may be different from String.length() which counts the number of UTF-32 codepoints. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate.

bool store_real(float value)

Stores a floating-point number in the file. This advances the file cursor by either 4 or 8 bytes, depending on the precision used by the current Redot build. If using a Redot build compiled with the precision=single option (the default), this method will save a 32-bit float. Otherwise, if compiled with the precision=double option, this will save a 64-bit float. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate.

bool store_string(String string)

Stores string in the file without a newline character (\n), encoding the text as UTF-8. This advances the file cursor by the length of the string in UTF-8 encoded bytes, which may be different from String.length() which counts the number of UTF-32 codepoints. Returns true if the operation is successful. Note: This method is intended to be used to write text files. The string is stored as a UTF-8 encoded buffer without string length or terminating zero, which means that it can't be loaded back easily. If you want to store a retrievable string in a binary file, consider using store_pascal_string() instead. For retrieving strings from a text file, you can use get_buffer(length).get_string_from_utf8() (if you know the length) or get_as_text(). Note: If an error occurs, the resulting value of the file position indicator is indeterminate.

bool store_var(Variant value, bool full_objects = false)

Stores any Variant value in the file. If full_objects is true, encoding objects is allowed (and can potentially include code). Internally, this uses the same encoding mechanism as the @GlobalScope.var_to_bytes() and @GlobalScope.var_to_bytes_with_objects() methods. Note: Not all properties are included. Only properties that are configured with the PROPERTY_USAGE_STORAGE flag set will be serialized. You can add an usage flag to a property by overriding the Object._validate_property() method in your class. In GDScript you can also use the @GDScript.@export annotation. See PropertyUsageFlags for the possible usage flags.

READ = 1

Enum: ModeFlags

Opens the file for read operations. The file cursor is positioned at the beginning of the file.

WRITE = 2

Enum: ModeFlags

Opens the file for write operations. The file is created if it does not exist, and truncated if it does. Note: When creating a file it must be in an already existing directory. To recursively create directories for a file path, see DirAccess.make_dir_recursive().

READ_WRITE = 3

Enum: ModeFlags

Opens the file for read and write operations. Does not truncate the file. The file cursor is positioned at the beginning of the file.

WRITE_READ = 7

Enum: ModeFlags

Opens the file for read and write operations. The file is created if it does not exist, and truncated if it does. The file cursor is positioned at the beginning of the file. Note: When creating a file it must be in an already existing directory. To recursively create directories for a file path, see DirAccess.make_dir_recursive().

COMPRESSION_FASTLZ = 0

Enum: CompressionMode

Uses the FastLZ compression method.

COMPRESSION_DEFLATE = 1

Enum: CompressionMode

Uses the DEFLATE compression method.

COMPRESSION_ZSTD = 2

Enum: CompressionMode

Uses the Zstandard compression method.

COMPRESSION_GZIP = 3

Enum: CompressionMode

Uses the gzip compression method.

COMPRESSION_BROTLI = 4

Enum: CompressionMode

Uses the brotli compression method (only decompression is supported).

UNIX_READ_OWNER = 256

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Read for owner bit.

UNIX_WRITE_OWNER = 128

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Write for owner bit.

UNIX_EXECUTE_OWNER = 64

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Execute for owner bit.

UNIX_READ_GROUP = 32

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Read for group bit.

UNIX_WRITE_GROUP = 16

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Write for group bit.

UNIX_EXECUTE_GROUP = 8

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Execute for group bit.

UNIX_READ_OTHER = 4

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Read for other bit.

UNIX_WRITE_OTHER = 2

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Write for other bit.

UNIX_EXECUTE_OTHER = 1

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Execute for other bit.

UNIX_SET_USER_ID = 2048

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Set user id on execution bit.

UNIX_SET_GROUP_ID = 1024

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Set group id on execution bit.

UNIX_RESTRICTED_DELETE = 512

Enum: UnixPermissionFlags

Restricted deletion (sticky) bit.