# execVM

## Category
Code Execution

## Arity
**Unary** — `execVM <filePath>`.

```
execVM <string>   // path to .sqf file
```

## Description
Reads an `.sqf` file from disk, compiles it, and spawns it asynchronously on the current scheduler. Returns a `ScriptHandle`. This is the primary way to load and execute external script files.

## How It Works
1. Reads the file content from the given path.
2. Compiles the source text into a `Code` value using the SQ# compiler.
3. Spawns the compiled code as a new fiber on the current scheduler.
4. Returns a `ScriptHandle`.

Equivalent to `spawn compile (readFile _path)` but as a single efficient operation.

## Usage

### Basic file execution
```sqf
_handle = execVM "scripts\init.sqf";
```

### With await
```sqf
_handle = execVM "scripts\setup.sqf";
await _handle;
systemChat "Setup complete";
```

### Loading multiple scripts
```sqf
{
    _handles pushBack (execVM _x);
} forEach [
    "scripts\ai.sqf",
    "scripts\spawns.sqf",
    "scripts\loot.sqf"
];
```

### Check if file exists before exec
```sqf
if (!isNil { execVM "optional\addon.sqf" }) then {
    // file exists and was spawned
};
```

## Thread Safety
Creates fiber on the current scheduler. File reading is synchronous (blocks briefly). The spawned code runs on the current scheduler.

## See Also
- [spawn](spawn.md) — spawn inline code
- [compile](compile.md) — compile string to code
- [call](call.md) — synchronous execution
- [await](await.md) — wait for handle