Hi,

Let's say I have a simple binary file whose structure is well-known. Here is
an example which stores points:

struct Point {
    long x;
    long y;
    long z;
}

struct BinFile {
    uint    magicNumber;  // Some identifier
    ulong   pointsNumber;
    Point[] points;       // Array of pointsNumber points.
}

What is the best way to read some file and fill a structure with it? Would
reading the file into a void[] and then casting it to the struct work with
things like internal struct padding?

29.08.2015 15:56, cym13 пишет:
> Hi,
>
> Let's say I have a simple binary file whose structure is well-known.
> Here is
> an example which stores points:
>
> struct Point {
>      long x;
>      long y;
>      long z;
> }
>
> struct BinFile {
>      uint    magicNumber;  // Some identifier
>      ulong   pointsNumber;
>      Point[] points;       // Array of pointsNumber points.
> }
>
> What is the best way to read some file and fill a structure with it? Would
> reading the file into a void[] and then casting it to the struct work with
> things like internal struct padding?
>
Try, for example, MessagePack https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-d.git

On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 13:56:10 UTC, drug wrote:
> Try, for example, MessagePack https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-d.git

Thanks, but it isn't answering the question at all. I'm not looking for a
serialization method, I'm looking for the best way to read a binary file.

29.08.2015 17:17, cym13 пишет:
> On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 13:56:10 UTC, drug wrote:
>> Try, for example, MessagePack https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-d.git
>
> Thanks, but it isn't answering the question at all. I'm not looking for a
> serialization method, I'm looking for the best way to read a binary file.
>
It depends on what is the best for you. But using MessagePack you can easily read the file and fill a structure with it.

On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 14:52:51 UTC, drug wrote:
> 29.08.2015 17:17, cym13 пишет:
>> On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 13:56:10 UTC, drug wrote:
>>> Try, for example, MessagePack https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-d.git
>>
>> Thanks, but it isn't answering the question at all. I'm not looking for a
>> serialization method, I'm looking for the best way to read a binary file.
>>
> It depends on what is the best for you. But using MessagePack you can easily read the file and fill a structure with it.

No, because messagepack is one format of binary file. That isn't going to be of any help for any other binary file format. It is not a way to read binary files. It is a serialization format.

29.08.2015 18:05, cym13 пишет:
> On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 14:52:51 UTC, drug wrote:
>> 29.08.2015 17:17, cym13 пишет:
>>> On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 13:56:10 UTC, drug wrote:
>>>> Try, for example, MessagePack https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-d.git
>>>
>>> Thanks, but it isn't answering the question at all. I'm not looking
>>> for a
>>> serialization method, I'm looking for the best way to read a binary
>>> file.
>>>
>> It depends on what is the best for you. But using MessagePack you can
>> easily read the file and fill a structure with it.
>
> No, because messagepack is one format of binary file. That isn't going
> to be of any help for any other binary file format. It is not a way to
> read binary files. It is a serialization format.
I see.

On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 12:56:08 UTC, cym13 wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Let's say I have a simple binary file whose structure is well-known. Here is
> an example which stores points:
>
> struct Point {
>     long x;
>     long y;
>     long z;
> }
>
> struct BinFile {
>     uint    magicNumber;  // Some identifier
>     ulong   pointsNumber;
>     Point[] points;       // Array of pointsNumber points.
> }
>
> What is the best way to read some file and fill a structure with it? Would
> reading the file into a void[] and then casting it to the struct work with
> things like internal struct padding?

Align(1) ?

On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 16:47:23 UTC, Laeeth Isharc wrote:
> Align(1) ?

That should do it, thanks :)

On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 16:55:44 UTC, cym13 wrote:
> On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 16:47:23 UTC, Laeeth Isharc wrote:
>> Align(1) ?
>
> That should do it, thanks :)

Do not forget to post code example, please, it's interesting to look at your solution...

On Saturday, 29 August 2015 at 12:56:08 UTC, cym13 wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Let's say I have a simple binary file whose structure is well-known. Here is
> an example which stores points:
>
> struct Point {
>     long x;
>     long y;
>     long z;
> }
>
> struct BinFile {
>     uint    magicNumber;  // Some identifier
>     ulong   pointsNumber;
>     Point[] points;       // Array of pointsNumber points.
> }
>
> What is the best way to read some file and fill a structure with it? Would
> reading the file into a void[] and then casting it to the struct work with
> things like internal struct padding?

https://github.com/atilaneves/cerealed

Just pass the bytes obtained from reading the file to `Decerealiser`.

Atila