• cym13 (19/19) Aug 29 2015 Hi,
• drug (2/19) Aug 29 2015 Try, for example, MessagePack https://github.com/msgpack/msgpack-d.git
• cym13 (5/7) Aug 29 2015 Thanks, but it isn't answering the question at all. I'm not
• drug (3/7) Aug 29 2015 It depends on what is the best for you. But using MessagePack you can
• cym13 (4/16) Aug 29 2015 No, because messagepack is one format of binary file. That isn't
• drug (2/17) Aug 29 2015 I see.
• Laeeth Isharc (2/21) Aug 29 2015 Align(1) ?
• cym13 (2/3) Aug 29 2015 That should do it, thanks :)
• Suliman (3/7) Aug 29 2015 Do not forget to post code example, please, it's interesting to
• Atila Neves (5/24) Aug 30 2015 https://github.com/atilaneves/cerealed
• mzfhhhh (18/37) Aug 30 2015 struct Point {
• cym13 (56/97) Aug 31 2015 Thank you, this is what I was looking for :) I had to combine it

"cym13" <cpicard openmailbox.org> writes:

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?

drug <drug2004 bk.ru> writes:

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

"cym13" <cpicard openmailbox.org> writes:

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.

drug <drug2004 bk.ru> writes:

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.

"cym13" <cpicard openmailbox.org> writes:

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.

drug <drug2004 bk.ru> writes:

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.

"Laeeth Isharc" <Laeeth.nospam nospam-laeeth.com> writes:

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) ?

"cym13" <cpicard openmailbox.org> writes:

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

That should do it, thanks :)

"Suliman" <evermind live.ru> writes:

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...

"Atila Neves" <atila.neves gmail.com> writes:

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

"mzfhhhh" <mzfhhhh foxmail.com> writes:

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?

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

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

     this(ubyte [] buf)
     {
         auto f = cast(BinFile *)buf.ptr;
         this = cast(BinFile)*f;
         this.points = 
(cast(Point*)&f.points)[0..cast(uint)this.pointsNumber];
     }
}

"cym13" <cpicard openmailbox.org> writes:

On Monday, 31 August 2015 at 01:01:32 UTC, mzfhhhh wrote:
 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?

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

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

     this(ubyte [] buf)
     {
         auto f = cast(BinFile *)buf.ptr;
         this = cast(BinFile)*f;
         this.points = 
 (cast(Point*)&f.points)[0..cast(uint)this.pointsNumber];
     }
 }

Thank you, this is what I was looking for :) I had to combine it 
with align(1) though. Complete working example:

import std.conv;
import std.stdio;

align(1)
struct Point {
      long x;
      long y;
      long z;
}

struct BinFile {
     align(1):
         uint    magicNumber;  // Some identifier
         ulong   pointsNumber;
         Point[] points;       // Array of pointsNumber points.

     this(ubyte [] buf)
     {
         auto f = cast(BinFile *)buf.ptr;
         this = cast(BinFile)*f;
         this.points = (cast(Point*)&f.points)[0..pointsNumber];
     }
}

void main(string[] args) {
     /*
     auto f = File(args[1], "rb");
     ubyte[] buffer = [];
     foreach (chunk ; f.byChunk(4096))
         buffer ~= chunk;
     */

     ubyte[] buffer = [
         0xef, 0xbe, 0xad, 0xde,                          // 
magicNumber
         0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,  // 
pointsNumber
         0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,  // 
points[0].x
         0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,  // 
points[0].y
         0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,  // 
points[0].z
         0x00, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,  // 
points[1].x
         0x00, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,  // 
points[1].y
         0x00, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,  // 
points[1].z
     ];

     auto bf = BinFile(buffer);
     writefln("Magic number: %x", bf.magicNumber);
     writeln("Number of points: ", bf.pointsNumber);
     writeln("Points:");
     foreach (p ; bf.points)
         writeln("  ", p);
}

Thanks all!