--- sidebar_position: 43 sidebar_label: Files --- # Functions for Working with Files {#functions-for-working-with-files} ## file {#file} Reads file as a String. The file content is not parsed, so any information is read as one string and placed into the specified column. **Syntax** ``` sql file(path) ``` **Arguments** - `path` — The relative path to the file from [user_files_path](../../operations/server-configuration-parameters/settings.md#server_configuration_parameters-user_files_path). Path to file support following wildcards: `*`, `?`, `{abc,def}` and `{N..M}` where `N`, `M` — numbers, `'abc', 'def'` — strings. **Example** Inserting data from files a.txt and b.txt into a table as strings: Query: ``` sql INSERT INTO table SELECT file('a.txt'), file('b.txt'); ``` **See Also** - [user_files_path](../../operations/server-configuration-parameters/settings.md#server_configuration_parameters-user_files_path) - [file](../table-functions/file.md)