I'm writing code that includes file copying, but the method I'm currently using is far too slow. I'm currently just reading a file character by character, and spitting it out to another file, character by character. Unfortunately, that's brutally slow.

Any suggestions on a better method?

-Lukas

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As known from Borlands compilers: use "blockread" and "blockwrite" (fpc should know, doesn't it?) or do it in larger chunks and implement buffering.

HTH,
Marc

Any suggestions on a better method?

uses
  classes, sysutils;

....

procedure CopyFile(filename, newfilename: string);
var
  oldfile, newfile: TFilestream;
begin
  oldfile := TFileStream.Create(filename, fmOpenRead); //might need
fmShareXXX style stuff too
  try
    oldfile.Position := 0; //could use TStream.Seek(..) here also..
    newfile := TFileStream.Create(newfilename, fmCreate);
    try
      newfile.CopyFrom( oldfile, oldfile.size );
    finally
      newfile.free; // be careful.. file not actually closed till this
point...
    end;
  finally
    oldfile.free; //this closes the file..
  end;
end;

No legacy Assign[File] (or rewrite etc) in sight too.

Matt

you wrote

I'm writing code that includes file copying, but the method I'm currently using is far too slow. I'm currently just reading a file character by character, and spitting it out to another file, character by character. Unfortunately, that's brutally slow.

I've always used blockread and blockwrite for such things. Seems to work pretty fast.

Regards,
Jim