# Files Helper

Create, read, inspect and convert files.

## Do things in Files Helper

Add a **Files Helper** step and choose an **Operation**. Choose the row to see the fields of each.

- [Files Helper](https://docs.gorunner.io/apps/files-helper#fields-f-process): Create file from text · Read file as text · To data URL · From data URL · File info · Detect MIME type

Later steps read a step’s output by its name: see [Use data from earlier steps](https://docs.gorunner.io/build/use-data-from-earlier-steps).

Not in your list? See [When an app isn’t here](https://docs.gorunner.io/apps/when-an-app-isnt-here#q-not-in-list).

## For developers

In the API, which calls apps pieces, Files Helper is `pieceId: "file-helper"` with `actionId: "process"`, set by `operation`. [Get an app](https://docs.gorunner.io/api/apps/get-app) returns every field.

It computes from its inputs only (`pure`). See [How versions and side effects work](https://docs.gorunner.io/apps#q-versions).

### Files Helper › Files Helper

Create, read, convert, and inspect files passed between steps.

### Create file from text

- **Text Content · Optional**: The text to save inside the new file (such as a report, a CSV, or some notes).
- **Filename · Optional**: The name to give the new file, including its ending (such as report.txt or data.csv).
- **MIME Type · Optional**: The file's type label (such as text/plain or image/png); leave blank to set it automatically.

### Read file as text

- **File · Required**: Upload a file, or switch to an expression to use one from a previous step (such as {{steps.http.result}}).
- **Text Encoding · Optional**: How to interpret the file's bytes when reading it as text. Latin-1/Windows-1252/UTF-16 are decoded to UTF-8; Base64/Hex return the encoded bytes. Options: UTF-8, Latin-1 (ISO-8859-1), Windows-1252, ASCII, UTF-16 LE, Base64, Hex. Default: UTF-8.

### To data URL, File info and Detect MIME type

- **File · Required**: Upload a file, or switch to an expression to use one from a previous step (such as {{steps.http.result}}).

### From data URL

- **Data URL · Required**: Paste a file encoded as a long data link starting with "data:" to turn it back into a file.

Source: https://docs.gorunner.io/apps/files-helper