language: Add ability to import string constant or data from an external file. #7024
Description
by tdhutt:
Hi,
A really useful feature which I always missed in C++, and would be great in Go is the
ability to have a string or []byte constant that is initialised at compile time with the
contents of an external file.
This would be really useful in a number of instances:
* Embedding graphics shader programs
* Embedding icons and other graphics needed for programs.
* Well, embedding anything really. Go currently has no decent way to do this.
Here is a syntax proposal:
const string = #`filename.txt`
const []byte = #`filename.dat`
(or any other combination of unambiguous characters: #"foo",
@"foo", @`foo`, $"foo", !"foo", etc.)
Or you could overload "import", since it is already a keyword and matches the
meaning well. Might be confusing for the reader though, and maybe make the parser more
complicated.
const string = import("filename.txt")
const []byte = import("filename.dat")
Or just make a new keyword and hope it doesn't break anyone's code.
const string = contents("filename.txt")
If the file is assigned to a []byte it has the obvious meaning. If it is assigned to a
string it is read as UTF-8 only.
I can't see any obvious downsides to this really. If I were to write a decent patch for
this would it be accepted?