new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/volume_io/Include/volume_io/files.h
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#ifndef  DEF_IO
+#define  DEF_IO
+
+#include  <stdio.h>
+#include  <def_mni.h>
+
+typedef  enum  { ASCII_FORMAT, BINARY_FORMAT }          File_formats;
+
+typedef  enum  { READ_FILE, WRITE_FILE, APPEND_FILE }   IO_types;
+
+/* ---------------- PRINT -------------------------------------- */
+
+#define  PRINT  (void) printf
+
+/* Error handling */
+
+#define  PRINT_ERROR  (void) printf
+
+Boolean  file_exists( char [] );
+void     remove_file( char [] );
+Status   open_file( char [], IO_types, File_formats, FILE ** );
+Status   open_file_with_default_suffix( char [], char[], IO_types, File_formats,
+                                        FILE ** );
+Status   set_file_position( FILE *, long );
+Status   close_file( FILE * );
+void     extract_directory( char [], char [] );
+void     get_absolute_filename( char [], char [], char [] );
+void     strip_off_directories( char [], char [] );
+Status   flush_file( FILE * );
+Status   input_character( FILE *, char * );
+Status   unget_character( FILE *, char );
+Status   input_nonwhite_character( FILE *, char * );
+Status   output_character( FILE *, char );
+Status   skip_input_until( FILE *, char );
+Status   output_string( FILE *, char [] );
+Status   input_string( FILE *, char [], int, char );
+Status   input_quoted_string( FILE *, char [], int );
+Status   output_quoted_string( FILE *, char [] );
+Status   input_binary_data( FILE *, void *, size_t, int );
+Status   output_binary_data( FILE *, void *, size_t, int );
+Status   input_newline( FILE * );
+Status   output_newline( FILE * );
+Status   input_line( FILE *, char [], int );
+Status   input_boolean( FILE *, Boolean * );
+Status   output_boolean( FILE *, Boolean );
+Status   input_short( FILE *, short * );
+Status   output_short( FILE *, short );
+Status   input_int( FILE *, int * );
+Status   output_int( FILE *, int );
+Status   input_real( FILE *, Real * );
+Status   output_real( FILE *, Real );
+Status   input_float( FILE *, float * );
+Status   output_float( FILE *, float );
+Status   input_double( FILE *, double * );
+Status   output_double( FILE *, double );
+Status   io_binary_data( FILE *, IO_types, void *, size_t, int );
+Status   io_newline( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats );
+Status   io_quoted_string( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats, char [], int );
+Status   io_boolean( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats, Boolean * );
+Status   io_short( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats, short * );
+Status   io_unsigned_char( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats, unsigned char *c );
+Status   io_unsigned_chars( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats, int,
+                            unsigned char *[] );
+Status   io_int( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats, int * );
+Status   io_double( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats, double * );
+Status   io_float( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats, float * );
+Status   io_real( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats, Real * );
+Status   io_ints( FILE *, IO_types, File_formats, int, int *[] );
+
+#endif