//
// Usage==========================================

int stringcount=50;
String[] lines = new String[stringcount];
lines = requestStrings("file.txt", "default text", stringcount);

// Elsewhere...
if (!lines[0].equals("default text") && !lines[0].equals("empty")) {
 //do something
}

// ==============================================
//


String[] requestStrings(String filename, int len) {
 return requestStrings(filename, null, len);
}

String[] requestStrings(String filename, String filler, int len) {
 String[] vessel = new String[len];
 vessel[0] = "empty";
 
 if (filler != null) {
   vessel[0] = filler;
 }
 
 AsyncStringLoader asl =
   new AsyncStringLoader(filename, vessel);
 asl.start();
 return vessel;
}


/**
* Based on requestImage routine. Allows larger text files to be loaded
* in the same way as images.
*/
int requestTextFileMax = 4;
volatile int requestTextFileCount;

class AsyncStringLoader extends Thread {
 String filename;
 String[] shell;

 AsyncStringLoader(String filename, String[] vessel) {
   this.filename = filename;
   shell = vessel;
 }

 void run() {
   while (requestTextFileCount == requestTextFileMax) {
     try {
       Thread.sleep(10);
     } catch (InterruptedException e) { }
   }
   requestTextFileCount++;

   String[] actual = loadStrings(filename);

   // An error message should have already printed
   if (actual != null) {
     println(actual.length);
     //shell = (String[])expand(shell, actual.length);
     //expand(shell, actual.length);
     println(shell.length);
     if (shell.length == actual.length) {
       arrayCopy(actual, shell);
     } else {
       println("Array size does not match");
     }
     //println("done");
     //println(lines);
   }
   requestTextFileCount--;
 }
}