.\" Generated by the Allegro makedoc utility
.TH load_datafile 3alleg4 "version 4.4.3" "Allegro" "Allegro manual"
.SH NAME
load_datafile \- Loads a datafile into memory. Allegro game programming library.\&
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B #include <allegro.h>

.sp
.B DATAFILE *load_datafile(const char *filename);
.SH DESCRIPTION
Loads a datafile into memory in one go. If the datafile has been encrypted,
you must first call packfile_password() to set the appropriate key. If the
datafile contains truecolor graphics, you must set the video mode or call
set_color_conversion() before loading it. Example:

.nf
   /* Load the resources for our game. */
   DATAFILE *dat = load_datafile("game.dat");
   if (!dat)
      abort_on_error("Couldn't load sound resources!");
   /* Use resources. */
   ...
   /* Destroy them when we don't need them any more. */
   unload_datafile(dat);
.fi
.SH "RETURN VALUE"
Returns a pointer to the DATAFILE, or NULL on error. Remember to free this
DATAFILE later to avoid memory leaks.

.SH SEE ALSO
.BR load_datafile_callback (3alleg4),
.BR unload_datafile (3alleg4),
.BR load_datafile_object (3alleg4),
.BR set_color_conversion (3alleg4),
.BR fixup_datafile (3alleg4),
.BR packfile_password (3alleg4),
.BR find_datafile_object (3alleg4),
.BR register_datafile_object (3alleg4),
.BR excustom (3alleg4),
.BR exdata (3alleg4),
.BR exexedat (3alleg4),
.BR exgui (3alleg4),
.BR exsprite (3alleg4),
.BR exunicod (3alleg4)