SoFile(3IV)

NAME
     SoFile - node that reads children from a named file

INHERITS FROM
     SoBase > SoFieldContainer > SoNode > SoFile

SYNOPSIS
     #include <Inventor/nodes/SoFile.h>

          Fields from class SoFile:

     SoSFString          name

          Methods from class SoFile:

                         SoFile()
     SoGroup *           copyChildren() const
     static SoType       getClassTypeId()

          Methods from class SoNode:

     void                setOverride(SbBool state)
     SbBool              isOverride() const
     SoNode *            copy(SbBool copyConnections = FALSE) const
     virtual SbBool      affectsState() const
     static SoNode *     getByName(const SbName &name)
     static int          getByName(const SbName &name, SoNodeList &list)

          Methods from class SoFieldContainer:

     void                setToDefaults()
     SbBool              hasDefaultValues() const
     SbBool              fieldsAreEqual(const SoFieldContainer *fc) const
     void                copyFieldValues(const SoFieldContainer *fc, SbBool
                              copyConnections = FALSE)
     SbBool              set(const char *fieldDataString)
     void                get(SbString &fieldDataString)
     virtual int         getFields(SoFieldList &resultList) const
     virtual SoField *   getField(const SbName &fieldName) const
     SbBool              getFieldName(const SoField *field, SbName &fieldName)
                              const
     SbBool              isNotifyEnabled() const
     SbBool              enableNotify(SbBool flag)

          Methods from class SoBase:

     void                ref()
     void                unref() const
     void                unrefNoDelete() const
     void                touch()
     virtual SoType      getTypeId() const
     SbBool              isOfType(SoType type) const
     virtual void        setName(const SbName &name)
     virtual SbName      getName() const


DESCRIPTION
     This node represents a subgraph that was read from a named input file.
     When an SoFile node is written out, just the field containing the name of
     the file is written; no children are written out. When an SoFile is
     encountered during reading, reading continues from the named file, and
     all nodes read from the file are added as hidden children of the file
     node.

     Whenever the name field changes, any existing children are removed and
     the contents of the new file is read in. The file node remembers what
     directory the last file was read from and will read the new file from the
     same directory after checking the standard list of directories (see
     SoInput), assuming the field isn't set to an absolute path name.

     The children of an SoFile node are hidden; there is no way of accessing
     or editing them. If you wish to edit the contents of an SoFile node, you
     can modify the contents of the named file and then "touch" the name field
     (see SoField). Alternatively, you can use the copyChildren() method  to
     get a editable copy of the file node's children. Note that this does not
     affect the original file on disk, however.

FIELDS
     SoSFString          name
          Name of file from which to read children.


METHODS
                         SoFile()
          Creates a file node with default settings.

     SoGroup *           copyChildren() const
          Returns a new SoGroup containing copies of all of the file node's
          children.

     static SoType       getClassTypeId()
          Returns type identifier for this class.


ACTION BEHAVIOR
     SoGLRenderAction, SoCallbackAction, SoGetBoundingBoxAction,
     SoGetMatrixAction, SoHandleEventAction
          Traverses its children just as SoGroup does.

     SoRayPickAction
          Traverses its hidden children, but, if intersections are found,
          generates paths that end at the SoFile node.
     SoWriteAction
          Writes just the name field and no children.


FILE FORMAT/DEFAULTS
     File {
          name  "<Undefined file>"
     }

SEE ALSO
     SoInput, SoPath