Isfile 9.02

[Bernhard Fomm]

ISFILE now (in 9.02) only supports files and not directories.

Now I need ISFILEORDIR. Or did I miss something?

[Carlo Pagani]

What's wrong with Dir$

[Neil J Hosgood]

am I confused or does DIR$ not tell you if a file or directory exists ?

N.

[Neil J Hosgood]

SNAP Carlo

[Bernhard Fomm]

Attention - there are actually different.

It is not simply an unordered list of valid and invalid
file and folder names to filter.

Sample:
ISFILE("C:\pagefile.sys") = true
DIR$("C:\pagefile.sys") = ""
GETATTR("C:\pagefile.sys") >>> error = "Permisson denied"

[Michael Mattias]

???

DIR$ (spec, [b]ONLY[/b] %SUBDIR) 'dirs only
DIR$ (spec, %SUBDIR)                   'dirs and files
DIR$ (spec)                                '  files only

???

[Richard Angell]

Here is a quick example of DIR$ which snapshots the WINDOWS first level of sub-directories, with uninstall directories omitted, but all others listed.

#COMPILE EXE
#DIM ALL

FUNCTION PBMAIN () AS LONG
    DIM temp$,msg$
    temp$ = DIR$("C:\WINDOWS\*.",ONLY %SUBDIR OR %SYSTEM OR %HIDDEN)
    WHILE LEN(temp$)
      'omit XP $...Uninstall.... directories for listing
      IF LEFT$(temp$,1) <> "$" THEN msg$ = BUILD$(msg$,$CRLF,temp$)
      temp$ = DIR$(NEXT)
    WEND
    ? msg$
END FUNCTION

[Richard Angell]

and for those that can't wait ... MACROS rule!

MACRO FUNCTION IsDirectory(Dirname)
    MACROTEMP result
    DIM result AS LONG
    IF DIR$(Dirname, ONLY %SUBDIR OR %SYSTEM OR %HIDDEN) <> "" THEN result = -1
    IF INSTR(Dirname,ANY "*?") THEN result = 0  'no wildcards like IsFile operation
END MACRO = result

Caveat: Dirname$ is an unambiguous directory name, which may not contain an asterisk (*) or query (?). Same as IsFilename restrictions

[Steve Rossell]

The results returned by IsFile were not always well defined in previous versions. After examining how the function is generally used in practice, the design was changed to do as the name suggests-- tell you whether a specific file exists. If you need to check for a folder instead, you might try DIR$ (and consider the ONLY option).

[Michael Mattias]

The results returned by IsFile were not always well defined in previous versions

Say What?

You don't think you guys would have heard from me had 'observed behavior' varied from 'actual behavior?' This is one place where the documented capabilities are "dead on."

Sounds like the Microsoft Touch (aka "we know better") is entrenching itself even deeper in the bowels of the PowerBASIC product line....

What's next, you are going to drop PowerTree(tm) because it's just too hard to understand what an 'index' is?

Puh..leeze!


MCM

[Tom Hanlin]

Ah, Michael. When you have no idea what you're talking about, perhaps you should not volunteer such opinions.

[Christopher Carroll]

MACRO FUNCTION IsDirectory(Dirname)
    MACROTEMP result
    DIM result AS LONG
    IF DIR$(Dirname, ONLY %SUBDIR OR %SYSTEM OR %HIDDEN) <> "" THEN result = -1
    IF INSTR(Dirname,ANY "*?") THEN result = 0  'no wildcards like IsFile operation
END MACRO = result

With another caveat!

ONLY %SUBDIR OR %SYSTEM OR %HIDDEN

will return TRUE if tested on a hidden or system file, as well as a directory.

Testing results on Windows XP:

' Equate patterns:
' alpha:    ONLY %SUBDIR
' beta:     ONLY %SUBDIR OR %SYSTEM OR %HIDDEN


' Equate    Attributes      Example                    Result    Expected
' ------    ----------      -------                    ------    --------
' alpha     Dir             C:\Windows                 T         yes
' alpha     Dir, Hidden     C:\Windows\Installer       F         yes
' alpha     File            C:\WINDOWS\winhlp32.exe    F         yes
' alpha     File, Hidden    C:\WINDOWS\winnt.bmp       F         yes

' beta      Dir             C:\Windows                 T         yes
' beta      Dir, Hidden     C:\Windows\Installer       T         yes
' beta      File            C:\WINDOWS\winhlp32.exe    F         yes
' beta      File, Hidden    C:\WINDOWS\winnt.bmp       T         no

Here is an alternative:

#If Not %def(%TRUE)
    ' win32api.inc not included
    %TRUE = -1
#EndIf

Function IsDirectory(rsPath As String) As Long
' Purpose:      test if a directory exists (not a volume)
' Parameters:   rsPath - directory name to test. invalid if empty or has wildcards. works with or without a trailing slash
' Returns:      T: directory exists; F: otherwise
' Note:         "Only %SUBDIR Or %SYSTEM Or %HIDDEN" will return T for a hidden or system file
    Local lRtn As Long

    If (Len(rsPath) > 0) And (IsFalse InStr(rsPath, Any "*?")) Then
        If Len(Dir$(rsPath, Only %SUBDIR)) > 0 Then
            ' directory, not hidden or system
            lRtn = %TRUE
        Else
            ' test for hidden or system directory
            If IsFalse IsFile(rsPath) Then
                ' not a file
                If Len(Dir$(rsPath, Only %SUBDIR Or %SYSTEM Or %HIDDEN)) > 0 Then
                    ' directory, hidden or system
                    lRtn = %TRUE
                End If
            End If
        End If
    End If
'IsDirectory_Exit:
    Function = lRtn
End Function

[Michael Mattias]

What is the operator precedence for ONLY?

ORIGINAL: ONLY %SUBDIR OR %SYSTEM OR %HIDDEN

Does this mean
ONLY ( %SUBDIR OR %SYSTEM OR %HIDDEN) ?
( return only system, hidden subdirs)

Or does it mean
(ONLY %SUBDIR) OR %SYSTEM OR %HIDDEN ?
return all subdirs, plus files if they are hidden or system

So back to question one: What is the operator precedence for ONLY?

MCM

[Michael Mattias]

When you have no idea what you're talking about, perhaps you should not volunteer such opinions.

As long as such things are allowed here I shall volunteer my opinions whenever I bleep well please.

BTW, please check the forum rules. I think you are dangerously close to personal imprecation, which is NOT permitted here.

[Tom Hanlin]

Michael, you explicitly stated that you didn't know of any problem with IsFile. Then you complained about how we fixed the problem, without knowing what the problem was. Now you want to claim a case of personal abuse because I brought this up? That tune is not going to play in Peoria.

The OR operator is not sensitive to precedence:

(A OR B) OR C = A OR (B OR C)

[Michael Mattias]

The opinion I expressed had little or nothing to do with the ISFILE function itself. I did not complain you had FIXED it, I complained you CHANGED it.

The operator precedence question was not about OR, it was about ONLY

"PowerBASIC listens," sure; but does it read?

MCM

[Heinz Grandjean]

Hello Community!

I made the following experience using IsFile().
Since PBWin 9 I'm using IsFile() for finding and loading files into my application.
The application is protected by ExeCrypt.
Everything works fine with IsFile() -
since yesterday when I downloaded PBWin 9.02.
I'did not change any code: I only recompiled using PBWin 9.02.
After reprotection with EXeCrypt (I havn't changed this) I got problems in
finding files.
The filenames I'm working with use an underscore like
"myFile_V5.dat" (Ok: the ending "dat" is another problem...)
When I changed the code to DIR$ everything works reliable again.
I'm sorry that I can't report the problem more precisely.
Greetings from Germany
Heinz Grandjean

[Richard Angell]

Since the IsFile works as expected, it would appear that EXEcrypt is doing something perhaps?

A simple test you can try with and without the encryption program.

#COMPILE EXE
#DIM ALL
FUNCTION PBMAIN () AS LONG
    IF ISFILE ("myFile_V5.dat") THEN
        ? "Found the file"
    ELSE
        ? "Failed"
    END IF
END FUNCTION

[Heinz Grandjean]

Thanks Richard,

Yes I've done this.
I checked the return value of IsFile() and I got in some cases a zero
in the protected application..
Sorry that I'm not able to find a system of that.

Maybe ExeCrypt has done something to IsFile(), but it hasn't done it
before...

The main reason why I have posted:
It wasn't a problem before.
Again; I didn't change the code or the ExeCrypt settings.

In great respect to PB, but I think that IsFile() is loosing focus despite of correct file-addressing.

Heinz Grandjean

[Scott Slater]

Now I need ISFILEORDIR. Or did I miss something?

If IsFile("C:\PathName\NUL") Then {Folder Exists}