# Replacing readstring

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/replacing-readstring/71746>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Created:** [November 18, 2021, 9:22pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/replacing-readstring/71746 "2021-11-18T21:22:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Beliavsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Beliavsky](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Beliavsky)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 9:22pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/replacing-readstring/71746/1 "2021-11-18T21:22:09Z")

</div>

Trying to run [https://gist.github.com/rafaqz/fede683a3e853f36c9b367471fde2f56](https://gist.github.com/rafaqz/fede683a3e853f36c9b367471fde2f56) with Julia 1.6.1 fails because of the lines

```julia
filename = string(ARGS[1])
code = readstring(filename)

```

Julia says

```julia
ERROR: LoadError: UndefVarError: readstring not defined
Stacktrace:
 [1] top-level scope
   @ c:\julia\fortran-julia.jl:104
in expression starting at c:\julia\fortran-julia.jl:104

```

I know `readstring` has been removed and that I should call `read`, but I don’t know what the alternative code should be.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stevengj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stevengj/32/71_2.png) [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/replacing-readstring/71746/2 "2021-11-18T21:29:32Z")

</div>

> [@Beliavsky](#):
>
> I know `readstring` has been removed and that I should call `read` , but I don’t know what the alternative code should be.

`code = read(filename, String)`

(Note also that `ARGS[1]` is already a string; no need to call `string`.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kristoffer.carlsson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/kristoffer.carlsson/32/22_2.png) [@kristoffer.carlsson](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/kristoffer.carlsson)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 10:20pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/replacing-readstring/71746/3 "2021-11-18T22:20:48Z")

</div>

You can also in most cases use ` readchomp`. That this is easier to do than just reading the string is a travesty, imo.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![R.T.A.M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/r.t.a.m/32/22289_2.png) [@R.T.A.M](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/R.T.A.M)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 11:38pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/replacing-readstring/71746/4 "2023-11-11T23:38:14Z")

</div>

The Julia Manual still has references to readstring.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![StefanKarpinski](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stefankarpinski/32/24_2.png) [@StefanKarpinski](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/StefanKarpinski)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 12:26am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/replacing-readstring/71746/5 "2023-11-12T00:26:13Z")

</div>

My preferred fix would actually be to just redefine `readstring`—I still miss it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mkitti](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mkitti/32/12459_2.png) [@mkitti](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mkitti)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 9:33am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/replacing-readstring/71746/6 "2023-11-12T09:33:32Z")

</div>

Could you point out one example?