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**Init( **//file, field //[//,filename//]//, error handler //**)**

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| **Init** | Initializes the ASCIIFileClass object. |
| //file// | The label of the file to display. |
| //field// | The fully qualified label of the //file //field to display. |
| //filename// | The label of the //file//'s NAME attribute variable. If omitted, the //file //has a constant NAME attribute. If null (''), the ASCIIFileClass prompts the end user to select a file. |
| //error handler// | The label of the ErrorClass object to handle errors encountered by this ASCIIFileClass object. |

The **Init **method initializes the ASCIIFileClass object and returns a value indicating whether it successfully accessed the //file// and is ready to proceed.

**Implementation:**

The Init method returns one (1) if it accessed the //file// and is ready to proceed; it returns zero (0) and calls the Kill method if unable to access the //file //and cannot proceed.

If the Init method returns zero (0), the ASCIIFileClass object is not initialized and you should not call its methods.

**Return Data Type:     **BYTE

**Example:**

**Filename   STRING(255),THREAD           !declare filename variable**

**FileActive BYTE                         !declare success/fail switch**

**AsciiFile  FILE,DRIVER('ASCII'),NAME(Filename),PRE(A1)**

**RECORD      RECORD,PRE()**

**Line         STRING(255)**

**            END**

**           END**

** CODE                                      !init ASCIIFileClass object with:**

** FileActive=ASCIIFile.Init(AsciiFile,    | ! file label**

**              A1:Line,                   | ! file field to display**

**              Filename,                  | ! NAME attribute variable**

**              GlobalErrors)                ! ErrorClass object**

** IF ~FileActive THEN RETURN.               !If init failed, don't proceed**

** ACCEPT                                    !If init succeeded, proceed**

**  IF EVENT() = EVENT:CloseWindow**

**   IF FileActive THEN ASCIIFile.Kill.      !If init succeeded, shut down**

**  END**

**  !program code**

** END**

**See Also:     **[[kill  shut down the asciifileclass object .htm|Kill]]