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Opens an existing file, creates a new file, or replaces an existing file, programmatically or interactively using a file dialog box. This function does not work for files inside an LLB.

You can optionally specify a dialog prompt or default file name. Use this function with the intermediate Write File or Read File functions. Use the Close File function to close the reference to the file.

Example

	prompt is the message that appears above the list of files and directories or folder in the file dialog box.
	file path (use dialog) is the absolute path to the file. If you do not wire file path (use dialog), the function displays a dialog box from which you can select a file. If you specify an empty or relative path, this function returns an error.
	operation is the operation to perform. Error 43 occurs if you cancel the dialog box. 0 open—Opens an existing file (default). Error 7 occurs if the file cannot be found. 1 replace—Replaces an existing file by opening the file and setting its end of file to 0. 2 create—Creates a new file. Error 10 occurs if the file already exists. 3 open or create—Opens an existing file or creates a new file if one does not exist. 4 replace or create—Creates a new file or replaces a file if it exists. This VI replaces a file by opening the file and setting its end of file to 0. 5 replace or create with confirmation—Creates a new file or replaces a file if it exists and you give permission. This VI replaces a file by opening the file and setting its end of file to 0.
	access specifies how you plan to access the file. The default is read/write. 0 Read/write. 1 Read-only. 2 Write-only.
	error in describes error conditions that occur before this VI or function runs. The default is no error. If an error occurred before this VI or function runs, the VI or function passes the error in value to error out. This VI or function runs normally only if no error occurred before this VI or function runs. If an error occurs while this VI or function runs, it runs normally and sets its own error status in error out. Use the Simple Error Handler or General Error Handler VIs to display the description of the error code. Use error in and error out to check errors and to specify execution order by wiring error out from one node to error in of the next node. status is TRUE (X) if an error occurred before this VI or function ran or FALSE (checkmark) to indicate a warning or that no error occurred before this VI or function ran. The default is FALSE. code is the error or warning code. The default is 0. If status is TRUE, code is a nonzero error code. If status is FALSE, code is 0 or a warning code. source specifies the origin of the error or warning and is, in most cases, the name of the VI or function that produced the error or warning. The default is an empty string.
	refnum out is the reference number of the open file. The value is Not A Refnum if the file cannot be opened.
	cancelled is TRUE if you cancel the file dialog box or if you do not select the replacement in an advisory dialog box.
	error out contains error information. If error in indicates that an error occurred before this VI or function ran, error out contains the same error information. Otherwise, it describes the error status that this VI or function produces. Right-click the error out front panel indicator and select Explain Error from the shortcut menu for more information about the error. status is TRUE (X) if an error occurred or FALSE (checkmark) to indicate a warning or that no error occurred. code is the error or warning code. If status is TRUE, code is a nonzero error code. If status is FALSE, code is 0 or a warning code. source describes the origin of the error or warning and is, in most cases, the name of the VI or function that produced the error or warning.

Example

Refer to the Write to Text File VI in the labview\examples\file\smplfile.llb for an example of using the Open/Create/Replace File function.