Level 2, lesson 16

# 2.16 Writing binary files

Writing binary files is very easy. Of course you need a buffer, like we discussed in the previous section. The program is not much different than the previous one:

         1024 constant bufsize           \ actual buffersize
         bufsize string buffer           \ define buffer

         buffer bufsize char H fill      \ fill the buffer

         64 string filename              \ define string
         " infile.dat" filename copy     \ make filename

         output open
         if                              \ open output file
               output file               \ redirect input
               buffer bufsize type       \ write to file
         else                            \ issue error message
               ." File could not be opened" cr quit
         then

This will write 1024 "H"s to "infile.dat". The actual command that does all writing is 'TYPE'. The word 'TYPE' does not return anything. You can be assured that everything was alright, since if it wasn't, 4tH would have caught the error itself.