GETNEXTFILE -- Get file or folder names on local PC

GETNEXTFILE Get file or folder names on local PC

Top Previous Next

Syntax:	GETNEXTFILE	[ file name ] [ /options ]
Arguments:	[ file name ]	Variable or string defining a file or path name to look for; wildcard characters allowed; if no path is defined FileLink’s working folder is used.
Options:	/incldirs	Return local folder name(s) as they are found. (Formerly this was the /subdirs option.)
	/newest	Get the newest file in the folder.
	/next	Get the next file or folder name in a local folder; omit this option to obtain the first file from a given local folder; if you wish to obtain subsequent files from this same folder, use this option until you find the desired file or no more files are found (see Important below).
	/oldest	Get the oldest file in the folder.
	/timeout=nn	Time-out in seconds to wait for presence of the file; if this option is omitted, FileLink looks for the file and if nothing is found, $ERROR_NO_FILE_FOUND is returned; otherwise $ERROR_WAIT_TIMED_OUT is returned.

This script command checks for (and optionally waits for) the existence of a file defined by the [ file name ] argument. If a matching file is detected, its file name is saved in the %nextfile variable and its full path name is saved in the %nextpath and %nextfolder variables. The date and time of the file are also saved in the %nextfiledate, %nextfiledatetime, and %nextfiletime variables. The size of the file (excluding a folder), in bytes, is saved in the %nextfilesize variable.

The use of this command creates what is referred to as the “hot send” function whereby FileLink automatically sends files when they are placed in a known location.

If a file is open by another application, it will not be ‘seen’ by this command. Furthermore, the same file will be returned on subsequent iterations of this command unless it is deleted or renamed.

The /next option allows the entire contents, both files and folder names, of local folders to be traversed and saved in variables for use in script processing. Without this option, the first file found in the specified folder will always be returned.

Important

For most reliable operation, use the /next option only on static local folders (i.e., where no new files are being added and none are being deleted) since each successive /next skips one file as FileLink scans through a given folder. When /next is omitted, this command always returns the first file that appears in the folder (files are returned in unsorted folder order).

Consider the following example where FileLink waits indefinitely for any file with a .txt extension to be created in its working folder.

GETNEXTFILE "*.txt" /timeout=0

Once such a file exists, its name is saved in the %nextfile variable, its path and name is saved in the %nextpath variable, and script execution resumes.

Consider the following example where all the files in the specified folder are sent to the remote system.

:label

GETNEXTFILE "\upload_dir\*.*" /timeout=2

IFERROR= $ERROR_WAIT_TIMED_OUT goto sent_last_file

SENDFILE %nextfile /type=BIN

IFERROR goto xmt_error

DELETE %nextfile

GOTO label

:sent_last_file

Consider the following example in which the file and folder names in the current local folder are identified and displayed by using the /next option.

GETNEXTFILE "*.*" /incldirs

:loop

IFSTRCMP %nextfile "" goto dir

!DISPLAY %nextfile

!DISPLAY %nextfolder

!DISPLAY %nextpath

PAUSE /for=1

GOTO next

:dir

IFSTRCMP %nextfolder "" goto error

!DISPLAY %nextfile

!DISPLAY %nextfolder

!DISPLAY %nextpath

PAUSE /for=1

:next

GETNEXTFILE "*.*" /next /incldirs

IFERROR= $ERROR_NO_FILE_FOUND goto finish

GOTO loop

:error

MESSAGEBOX "This shouldn't ever appear..."

STOP

:finish

MESSAGEBOX "Shown all files!"

The /newest and /oldest options are normally used with a wildcard [ file name ] to obtain the name of the newest or oldest file present. Use of these options with the /next option is not supported. Consider the following example where all files are sent to the remote system beginning with the newest.

:next_file

GETNEXTFILE "*.*" /newest

IFERROR= $ERROR_NO_FILE_FOUND goto label

SENDFILE %nextfile

DELETE %nextfile

GOTO next_file

:label

The /incldirs option may be used if you wish local folder names to be returned along with regular file names as they are found. When a folder is found, it is saved in the %nextfolder variable and the %nextfile variable is set to an empty string. The /oldest and /newest options have no affect on the folder names returned by the GETNEXTFILE command. Consider the following example that shows how folder files are distinguished from other files.

:look_for_folder

GETNEXTFILE "*.*" /incldirs /next

IFERROR= $ERROR_NO_FILE_FOUND goto error

IFNSTRCMP %nextfile "" goto look_for_folder

; both %nextfile and %nextfolder will not be empty at same time

DISPLAY %nextfolder

GOTO look_for_folder

:error

The date and time of the file obtained with the command is saved to three internal variables named %nextfiledate, %nextfiledatetime, and %nextfiletime. This permits you to directly compare the file’s date and time to values of your choosing. Consider the following example that shows how a file newer than a specified date may be found.

:not_new

GETNEXTFILE "*.*" /next

IFERROR= $ERROR_NO_FILE_FOUND goto error

SET filedate = "file date is " & %nextfiledate

DISPLAY filedate

IFDATE< "06-30-02" goto not_new

MESSAGEBOX "found file created after June 30, 2002"

STOP

:error

Related Commands: WORKINGDIR

Using The %nextfiledate, %nextfiledatetime, %nextfilesize, and %nextfiletime Variables,