how to delete old files

[Tom Patten]

I want to delete backup files older than 90 days according to the date used when you open windows explorer.
I know the folder and first 6 letters of the files: s:\backup20121116.zip

can we still use .bat files? del S:\Backup????????.zip 'older the date()-90

Thanks,

Tom

[Tom Patten]

Re: how to delete old files

I see a reply by Stan below. My search didn't find it.

Anyway, I'm studying FileFind, not sure how to get the date filter - yet.

file_list = filefind.get("c:\temp_FILEs\*.tmp", 0, "PN")

*for_each(filename, file.remove(filename), file_list)

Additional help would be appreciated.

Tom

[Stan Mathews]

Re: how to delete old files

lst = filefind.get("s:\*.zip",FILE_FIND_NORMAL,"PN")

for each foo in lst
	if extract_string(foo.value,"p",".") < cdate(date()-90)
	file.remove(foo.value)
	end if
next

[Tom Patten]

Re: how to delete old files

Stan,

Thanks again for the quick reply.

I'm not understanding the code. What do I substitute for the "foo"? Sorry to be so dense!

Tom

[Stan Mathews]

Re: how to delete old files

Nothing.

Foo is just a placeholder variable. As used it contains each path_filename in turn.

Should be able to run the code as shown.

[Tom Patten]

Re: how to delete old files

Hi Again,

I setup a test as below and it doesn't work. I added the T to PNT so it got the date field. When I look at the Date Modified column in Windows Explorer it includes the time also. Would that make a difference?

lst = filefind.get("c:\AA_Test\*.zip",FILE_FIND_NORMAL,"PNT")

for each foo in lst
if extract_string(foo.value,"p",".") < cdate(date()-13)
file.remove(foo.value)
end if
next

ui_msg_box("Done","Process Complete")

END

[Tom Patten]

Re: how to delete old files

Spoke too soon. I deleted one file on my first test when I used the exact name of the file instead of wildcards. But now it won't work.

Think I better take a break.

Tom

[Stan Mathews]

Re: how to delete old files

Yes. "PNT" won't work.

File.remove(drive_path_times) does't compute.

The filename to be removed doesn't have the time at the end.

[Tom Patten]

Re: how to delete old files

The following code works if I squote out '<cdate(date()-90)

How can I change it to delete with the "<cdate(date()-90)"??

lst = Filefind.get("c:\AA_Test\*.zip",FILE_FIND_NORMAL,"PN")

for each foo in lst
if extract_string(foo.value,"p",".") '< cdate(date()-90)
file.remove(foo.value)
end if
next

ui_msg_box("Done","Process Complete")

END

Thanks for taking another look.

Tom

[Tom Patten]

Re: how to delete old files

I added the date to the end of the backup file, backup20121116. Then I did the math.

lst = filefind.get("c:\AA_Test\*.ZIP",FILE_FIND_NORMAL,"PN")

for each foo in lst
ui_msg_box("Foo",right(Word(Foo,2),8))
'goto Skp_this
IF val(cdate(date()))- val(right(Word(Foo,2),8))>300 then

file.remove(foo.value)

end if
'skip_this:
next

ui_msg_box("Done","Process Complete")

END

Thanks for getting me on the right track.

Tom

[Stan Mathews]

Re: how to delete old files

Not understood. You said the files were named in the pattern s:\backup20121116.zip.

What does

I added the date to the end of the backup file, backup20121116.

mean.

[Tom Patten]

Re: how to delete old files

Sorry Stan. Guess I got too tired working on this. I used the date on the end of the filename, rather than trying to get the date from filefind or extract_string.

Tom

[CALocklin]

Re: how to delete old files

Tom, I'm not quite sure if you got it working or not but I wanted to add this tidbit that may help others.

Instead of using something meaningless - and therefore confusing - like "foo" or "x", it might make more sense to people if they used something like "line_in_string" at least until they were more comfortable with the command. Once I realized this and did a couple this way, it started making a LOT more sense. I also started separating out the "do_something_to_the_line" part to make that easier to see also.

do_something_to_the_line = file.remove(line_in_string)
*for_each( line_in_string, do_something_to_the_line, input_string )

Of course, the do_something_to_the_line can also be a much more complicated expression using IF commands, CASE commands, lookups, etc., etc.

Once I understood it better I quit using some of those crutches but I still often use "line" as the first argument just to remind me that I'm actually working with a line in a crlf string. And, for my really complicated "do_something_to_the_line" expressions, I still sometimes separate those out. (And, of course, I use a variable name shorter than do_something_to_the_line!)

Hint: It's difficult to "remove" a line using *for_each(). If you want to remove some lines (something I find myself doing fairly often), just blank them out then you can use either Remove_blank_lines() or Sortsubstr() after the *for_each() function. The Sortsubstr() will remove the blank lines at the same time it sorts the list....
input_string = sortsubstr( input_string, crlf())

[Tom Patten]

Re: how to delete old files

Thanks Cal. I got it working by using my file naming convention. I planned to use windows explorer "date created", but that proved too complicated. Anyway, the good news is, I got it working. Thanks for the tidbits. ~ Tom