Watch directory using another thread

[Mike Doty]

Would it be better to use a timer to check for a directory change?
This uses 2 globals and not sure how to get around it to signal thread to end.
Also, this code is a bit different than some posted code so improvements are welcome.

#DIM ALL
#INCLUDE "win32api.inc"
GLOBAL gWaitInMilliseconds AS LONG
GLOBAL gDirectoryToWatch AS ASCIIZ * 64
FUNCTION PBMAIN AS LONG
  LOCAL hThread???, var&, h&, x&, lResult&
  gWaitInMilliseconds = 3000
  gDirectoryToWatch  = "\keep\email"
  MKDIR gDirectoryToWatch   'create directory
  ERRCLEAR
  THREAD CREATE WatchDirectory(var&) TO hThread???
  SLEEP 50
  THREAD CLOSE hThread TO lResult
 
  h = FREEFILE
  OPEN gDirectoryToWatch  + "\TEST" FOR APPEND AS #h
  FOR x = 1 TO 5                                         'write something every second
    PRINT  #h, "MORE"
    IF ERR THEN ? STR$(ERR)
    SLEEP 1000
  NEXT
  CLOSE #h
  gWaitInMilliseconds = 0   'signal thread to end
  SLEEP 4000  'give thread time to end
END FUNCTION
FUNCTION WatchDirectory (BYVAL x AS LONG) AS LONG
  LOCAL lDir AS DWORD, found AS DWORD
  DO
    lDir = FindFirstChangeNotification(gDirectoryToWatch, 0, %FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SIZE)
    Found = WaitForSingleObject(lDir, gWaitInMilliseconds)
    IF found = 0 THEN
      'directory changed
      BEEP
    END IF
    FindCloseChangeNotification(lDir)
  LOOP UNTIL gWaitInMilliseconds=0
  ? "Thread done"
END FUNCTION

[Michael Mattias]

Win32(SDK): Internet Cookie Monitor April 25, 2001

No GLOBALs, no timed looping.

(Will work with any directory, not just the Cookie directory).

[Dave Biggs]

Win32(SDK): Internet Cookie Monitor April 25, 2001

No GLOBALs,..

Well just a few..

 ' GLOBAL datanames
GLOBAL CookiePath AS ASCIIZ * %MAX_PATH
GLOBAL nChangeEntries AS LONG      ' number of valid entries in the CookieChange array
GLOBAL CookieChange() AS STRING
GLOBAL hWndMain       AS LONG      ' because we need to reference it from a thread function
GLOBAL hDlgAbout      AS LONG      ' when true, the modeless 'About' dialog box is running

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

[Michael Mattias]

But, but... that was so long ago, when I was young and foolish!

[Cliff Nichols]

BUSTED


Sorry couldn't help myself

5 globals can be forgiven (amongst the many out there that I have used)

Anyways had to razz a bit so hopefully no harm no foul

anyways for Mike Doty's question, I can not say for sure, but if you can test on a machine you consider "Extremely slow" and do not notice much of an impact, then I say run with it