Accessing files with no extension

by Jon Ripley, May 2006

When using OPENIN, OPENUP and OPENOUT to create or access files that do not have a file extension the default action of BBC BASIC is to append a .bbc file extension. To create or access files with no file extension you must add a full stop to the file name.

To OPENIN, OPENUP or OPENOUT a file called MyFile use:

        hfile% = OPENIN "MyFile."
        hfile% = OPENOUT "MyFile."
        hfile% = OPENUP "MyFile."

The same applies when accessing files with no extension using a star command or OSCLI:

        *DISPLAY MyFile.
        *COPY MyOldFile. MyNewFile.

The default file extensions appended by the star commands or OSCLI when none is supplied are as follows:

*CHDIR (*CD)
none
*COPY
.BBC
*DELETE (*DEL, *ERASE)
.BBC
*DIR
.BBC
*DISPLAY
.BMP
*EXEC
.BBC
*GSAVE (*SCREENSAVE)
.BMP
*LIST / *TYPE
.BBC
*LOAD / *SAVE
.BBC
*LOCK / *UNLOCK
.BBC
*MKDIR (*MD)
none
*PLAY
.MID
*RENAME (*REN)
.BBC
*RMDIR (*RD)
none
*RUN
none
*SPOOL / *SPOOLON
.BBC