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+# $EPIC: fexist.txt,v 1.4 2008/05/28 19:46:15 jnelson Exp $
+======Synopsis:======
+$__fexist__(%%<file>%%) \\
+$__fexist__(%%"" <file>%%)
+======Technical:======
+   * The %%<file>%% argument is a [[what is a word|dword]] which is different from most function arguments.
+   * In the first case, %%<file>%% is a single extended word (you may surround it with double quotes if it contains spaces).  Any further arguments are ignored.
+   * In the second case, the first argument is an empty string, and the rest of the arguments are taken as a filename literally.  Do not backslash or double quote anything in%% <file>%%.
+   * Tilde-expansion is supported in both forms, both "~/file" for files in your home directory and "~user/file" for files in someone else's home directory.
+   * If %%<file>%% is not a symbolic link, it exists, and you have read access to it, the return value is 1.
+   * If %%<file>%% is a symbolic link and the file it points to exists, and you have read access to it, the return value is 1.
+   * In the other cases (the file doesn't exist, or you can't read it), the return value is -1.
+======Practical:======
+This function is used when you want to see if a particular file exists.
+This could be useful to make sure a file is present before trying to
+load it.  This function does not return 0!
+======Returns:======
+<file>
+-1   file does not exist or is not readable by you.
+   file exists and you can read it.
+</file>
+======Examples:======
+<file>
+$fexist(/etc/passwd)                   probably will return 1
+$fexist(~/.ircrc)                      probably will return 1 too
+$fexist(fake_file)                     returns -1
+</file>
+======History:======
+This function first appeared in EPIC3pre7.