code: def load_instances(self, instances):
          
          instances = instances.encode()
  
          if os.path.exists(instances):
              try:
                  return self._load_instances_binary(instances)
              except CLIPSError:
                  return self._load_instances_text(instances)
          else:
              return self._load_instances_string(instances)
docs: Load a set of instances into the CLIPS data base.
  
          The C equivalent of the CLIPS load-instances command.
  
          Instances can be loaded from a string,
          from a file or from a binary file.