---
url: /process-functions/datasource-readFile.md
description: Reads a file, as text, lines, parsed JSON or XML, or base64.
---

# datasource.readFile 

Reads a file, as text, lines, parsed JSON or XML, or base64.

```js
datasource.readFile(filePath, readAs, encoding)
```

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `filePath` | `string` | The path of the file. |
| `readAs` | `string` | Optional. How to return the file; see the table below. Defaults to `"string"`. |
| `encoding` | `string` | Optional. The character encoding, such as `"UTF-8"` or `"ISO-8859-1"`. Detected automatically when left out or `"auto"`. |

## Returns

The file in the form `readAs` asks for, or `false` when the path is invalid.

| `readAs` | Returns |
|---|---|
| `"string"` | The whole file as one string. |
| `"lines"` | An array of strings, one per line. |
| `"json"` | The file parsed as JSON. |
| `"xml"` | The file parsed as XML. |
| `"base64"` | The file's contents, base64-encoded. |

## Examples

```js
// Read file as a string (default)
const text = datasource.readFile("input/report.txt");

// Read file as an array of lines
const lines = datasource.readFile("input/data.txt", "lines");
for (const line of lines) {
    console.log(line);
}

// Read and parse a JSON file
const config = datasource.readFile("input/config.json", "json");
console.log(config.name);

// Read and parse an XML file
const xmlData = datasource.readFile("input/data.xml", "xml");

// Read a binary file as Base64
const base64 = datasource.readFile("input/image.png", "base64");

// Read a file with specific encoding
const legacyData = datasource.readFile("input/legacy.txt", "string", "ISO-8859-1");
```