# File
## *class* File
An interface for working with files on Redivis. When the constructor is called directly, a `file_id` must be provided. Also returned by listing files associated with a particular table or query result.
## Constructors
| Method | Description |
|---|
Table$file(path) | Reference a file within a table. |
Query$file(path) | Reference a file within query results. |
Directory$get(path) | Get a file (or directory) within a directory. |
Directory$list([max_results, *, ...]) | List files (and/or directories) within a directory |
Query$list_files([max_results, *, ...]) | List files contained within a query result. The query result must contain at least one file_id variable. |
Table$list_files([max_results, *, ...]) | List files contained within a file index table. The table must contain at least one file_id variable. |
## Examples
```r
# See https://redivis.com/datasets/yz1s-d09009dbb/files for example data
t <- redivis$table("demo.example_data_files:yz1s:v1_3.example_file_types:4c10")
text_file <- t$file("pandas_core.py")
con <- text_file$open()
readLines(con)
binary_file <- t$file("bogota.tiff")
con <- binary_file$open("rb")
readBin(con)
file_contents <- text_file$read(as_text=TRUE) # Read all contents directly to memory
binary_file$download() # download to current working directory
# You can also use R's native open()
con <- open(redivis$table("table_ref")$file("filename"), "rb")
```
## Fields
| **`directory`** | A reference to the associated [Directory](/api/client-libraries/redivis-r/reference/directory.md) for this file. |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **`id`** | The globally unique identifier for the file, as a string. |
| **`name`** | The name of the file as a string, without any directory subpaths as present |
| **`path`** | The full path of the file |
| **`query`** | A reference to the [Query](/api/client-libraries/redivis-r/reference/query.md) from which this file was loaded from. Either this or `table` will be present. |
| **`properties`** | A named list containing properties associated with the file. This will always contain the following properties, derived from the file's original index table:
file\_id (str): The globally unique id of the filefile\_name (str): The full name of the file, including any extensionssize (int): The size of the file, in bytesadded\_at (POSIXct datetime): When the file was initially uploaded to Redivismd5\_hash (str): The md5 checksum of the file, as a base64 string
Additionally, if the file was loaded from a table or query with additional variables, those variables' values will exist in properties.
|
| **`table`** | A reference to the [Table](/api/client-libraries/redivis-r/reference/table.md) from which this file was loaded from. |
## Methods
| Name | Description |
|---|
file$download(path[, ...]) | Download the file. |
file$read([as_text, start_byte, end_byte]) | Read the file contents into memory, either as bytes (the default) or as a string if as_text=True. |
file$open([mode]) | Return an open connection to the file |
---
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