Import and relative file delete

[spain246]

Just a quick question. Is it possible and what's the format for accessing sub-folders to delete files in A% with an XBasic script. For example, I have my main directory (at2 reports). It has a sub-folder called (input). I have other software that drops data to be converted into the "input" folder. Well, I have an autoexec script that automatically checks and appends the "input" data to my table. Now I am just trying to get A5 to automatically delete the files out of the directory after the append.

I had it working using this method:

'Deletes fonexxxx.txt from Input Directory
file.remove("input/fonexxxx.txt")

Now, the kicker is, I want it to delete out of the sub-folder, no matter WHERE I have the runtime installed. Basically, I don't want an absolute file path as there are several different machines and drive paths vary per machine. (In other words, I don't want c:\program files\at2reports\input).

Any thoughts? It was working and then it quit. (Or is this a bug?)

Thanks in advance!

Steve Hall


(Oh, and here is the full script)

'Date Created: 25-May-2005 11:53:40 AM
'Last Updated: 26-May-2005 12:46:55 PM
'Created By : Steve Hall
'Updated By : Steve Hall
'In case the destination table name is stored as a relative file name, or uses an alias
'in the drive/path specification, use the filename_decode() function to convert the
'filename to an absolute filename.
import_destination_table = filename_decode("fonexxxx.dbf")



import_filename = filename_decode("input\fonexxxx.txt")
if file.exists(import_filename) = .f. then
end
end if

ON ERROR GOTO ERROR25052005115312858


import.type = 0
import.names = "none"
import.file = import_filename
import.db = import_destination_table
import.skip_lines = 0
import.skip_bytes = 0
import.field_sep = ","
import.record_sep = ""CR""LF""
import.text_qualifier = ""
import.record_len = 81
import.rem_blanks = .F.
import.escape_newlines = .F.
import.fields = 14
import.field1 = "fileid,c,0,6,0"
import.field2 = "ani,c,1,12,0"
import.field3 = "dialeddigits,c,2,20,0"
import.field4 = "offhookdate,d,3,8,0"
import.field5 = "offhooktime,c,4,12,0"
import.field6 = "setupduration,n,5,5,0"
import.field7 = "callduration,n,6,8,0"
import.field8 = "destinationtype,c,7,6,0"
import.field9 = "paymenttype,c,8,6,0"
import.field10 = "amountcollected,n,9,6,0"
import.field11 = "totalprice,n,10,6,0"
import.field12 = "releaseindex,c,11,4,0"
import.field13 = "recordtype,c,12,255,0"
import.field14 = "flags,c,13,7,0"
import()


GOTO CONTINUE25052005115312858
ERROR25052005115312858:
ON ERROR GOTO 0
ui_msg_box("Error","Error running Import Operation"+crlf()+error_text_get())
END
CONTINUE25052005115312858:

'Add the import destination table to the database....
file_add_to_db(table.filename_get(import_destination_table))


'If the Operation is run from within a Form or Browse, then refresh the window
if is_object(topparent.this) then
if topparent.Class() = "form" .or. topparent.class() = "browse" then
topparent.Refresh_layout()
end if
end if


DIM Append as P

a_tbl = table.open("cdr")
append.t_db = "fonexxxx"
ON ERROR GOTO ERROR25052005115329982


append.m_key = "ANI-cdate(OFFHOOKDATE)-OFFHOOKTIME"
append.t_key = "ANI-cdate(OFFHOOKDATE)-OFFHOOKTIME"
append.m_filter = ""
append.t_filter = ""
append.type = "Unique only"
append.m_count = 14
append.m_field1 = "Fileid"
append.m_exp1 = "@Fonexxxx-"Fileid"
append.m_field2 = "Ani"
append.m_exp2 = "@Fonexxxx-"Ani"
append.m_field3 = "Dialeddigits"
append.m_exp3 = "@Fonexxxx-"Dialeddigits"
append.m_field4 = "Offhookdate"
append.m_exp4 = "@Fonexxxx-"Offhookdate"
append.m_field5 = "Offhooktime"
append.m_exp5 = "@Fonexxxx-"Offhooktime"
append.m_field6 = "Setupduration"
append.m_exp6 = "@Fonexxxx-"Setupduration"
append.m_field7 = "Callduration"
append.m_exp7 = "@Fonexxxx-"Callduration"
append.m_field8 = "Destinationtype"
append.m_exp8 = "@Fonexxxx-"Destinationtype"
append.m_field9 = "Paymenttype"
append.m_exp9 = "@Fonexxxx-"Paymenttype"
append.m_field10 = "Amountcollected"
append.m_exp10 = "@Fonexxxx-"Amountcollected"
append.m_field11 = "Totalprice"
append.m_exp11 = "@Fonexxxx-"Totalprice"
append.m_field12 = "Releaseindex"
append.m_exp12 = "@Fonexxxx-"Releaseindex"
append.m_field13 = "Recordtype"
append.m_exp13 = "@Fonexxxx-"Recordtype"
append.m_field14 = "Flags"
append.m_exp14 = "@Fonexxxx-"Flags"
append.t_count = 0

a_tbl.append()


GOTO CONTINUE25052005115329982
ERROR25052005115329982:
ON ERROR GOTO 0
ui_msg_box("Error","Error running Append Operation"+crlf()+error_text_get())
END
CONTINUE25052005115329982:
a_tbl.close()
'If the Operation is run from within a Form or Browse, then refresh the window
if is_object(topparent.this) then
if topparent.Class() = "form" .or. topparent.class() = "browse" then
topparent.Refresh_layout()
end if
end if

'Drops fonexxxx.dbf out of database
FILE_DROP_FROM_DB("fonexxxx.dbf")

'Deletes fonexxxx.dbf out of disk
table.erase("fonexxxx.dbf", .T.)

'Deletes fonexxxx.txt from Input Directory
file.remove("input/fonexxxx.txt")

[Lenny Forziati]

RE: Import and relative file delete

Windows uses the backslash character (\) for directory separators but your code is using a forward slash (/)

You should try changing it to

file.remove("input\fonexxxx.txt")

[spain246]

RE: Import and relative file delete

I tried the slash both ways and it still isn't finding the file or subfolder. I have definately checked to see if the spelling and the files/folder exist and they do. It imports just fine, but it's the file delete that isn't working. It worked just fine last week and then it quit.

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Import and relative file delete

If your text file to be deleted always resides in the same directory under the database directory, I would use a5,get_path() as in

file.remove(a5.get_path()+chr(92)+"input\fonexxxx.txt")

[spain246]

RE: Import and relative file delete

That worked! Thanks a bunch!

Still Learning this

Steve Hall

[CALocklin]

RE: Import and relative file delete

A brief "educational moment":


Actually, you don't need the "chr(92)" unless it is preceeded and followed by a variable. Otherwise, it's perfectly acceptable but not necessary.


file.remove(a5.get_path()+"\input\fonexxxx.txt")

will also work.


However, if the ending character in the string needs to be a backslash then it must be changed to two backslashes because the backslash is the "escape character" that tells A5 to treat certain special characters following it as part of the text string itself. (Quotes and backslashes are the only "certain special characters" I know of but there may be others.) Therefore, in a case like this - "input\", A5 tries to treat the second quote as part of the string rather than the end of the string. The solution is two backslashes - "input\\" - in this case, the first backslash tells A5 to treat the second backslash as part of the string then the final quote stands by itself to define the end of the string.


Now, if you create a variable to store the path and/or file name, you may need to use the chr(92) depending on how the variable is defined:

fpath = "\input\fonexxxx.txt"

file.remove(a5.get_path()+fpath) - no "chr()" req'd

or it could be selected from a list with the intermediate folder as a fixed value that already includes the backslashes:

DIM fname[3] as C

fname[1] = "fonexxxx.txt"

fname[2] = "foneyyyy.txt"

fname[3] = "fonezzzz.txt"

fselected = ui_get_list("TITLE", 1, "fname" )

file.remove( a5.get_path() + "\input\\" + fselected ) - no "chr()" req'd

but if it is selected from a list with no preceeding backslash and it is in the main folder:

DIM fname[3] as C

fname[1] = "fonexxxx.txt"

fname[2] = "foneyyyy.txt"

fname[3] = "fonezzzz.txt"

fselected = ui_get_list("TITLE", 1, "fname" )

file.remove( a5.get_path() + chr(92) + fselected )


And, now that I think about it, it seems that chr(92) may never be required because another option should be to change the last line above to:

file.remove( a5.get_path() + "\\" + fselected )

I haven't tried this last idea in a working app but I just tested this in the interactive editor and it worked just fine:

ui_msg_box( "TEST", "filename" + "\\" + "test.dbf" )


Training session complete. Hope it will be useful. And I learned something, too. (I've heard that teachers often learn more than their students. Maybe it's true?!)


Cal Locklin

www.aimsdc.net

[CALocklin]

RE: Import and relative file delete

Dang, missed a closing font tag. Sorry about that. This should be easier to read: (I hope!)

A brief "educational moment":

Actually, you don't need the "chr(92)" unless it is preceeded and followed by a variable. Otherwise, it's perfectly acceptable but not necessary.

file.remove(a5.get_path()+"\input\fonexxxx.txt")
will also work.

However, if the ending character in the string needs to be a backslash then it must be changed to two backslashes because the backslash is the "escape character" that tells A5 to treat certain special characters following it as part of the text string itself. (Quotes and backslashes are the only "certain special characters" I know of but there may be others.) Therefore, in a case like this - "input\", A5 tries to treat the second quote as part of the string rather than the end of the string. The solution is two backslashes - "input\\" - in this case, the first backslash tells A5 to treat the second backslash as part of the string then the final quote stands by itself to define the end of the string.

Now, if you create a variable to store the path and/or file name, you may need to use the chr(92) depending on how the variable is defined:
fpath = "\input\fonexxxx.txt"
file.remove(a5.get_path()+fpath) - no "chr()" req'd
or it could be selected from a list with the intermediate folder as a fixed value that already includes the backslashes:
DIM fname[3] as C
fname[1] = "fonexxxx.txt"
fname[2] = "foneyyyy.txt"
fname[3] = "fonezzzz.txt"
fselected = ui_get_list("TITLE", 1, "fname" )
file.remove( a5.get_path() + "\input\\" + fselected ) - no "chr()" req'd
but if it is selected from a list with no preceeding backslash and it is in the main folder:
DIM fname[3] as C
fname[1] = "fonexxxx.txt"
fname[2] = "foneyyyy.txt"
fname[3] = "fonezzzz.txt"
fselected = ui_get_list("TITLE", 1, "fname" )
file.remove( a5.get_path() + chr(92) + fselected )

And, now that I think about it, it seems that chr(92) may never be required because another option should be to change the last line above to:
file.remove( a5.get_path() + "\\" + fselected
I haven't tried this last idea in a working app but I just tested this in the interactive editor and it worked just fine:
ui_msg_box( "TEST", "filename" + "\\" + "test.dbf" )

Training session complete. Hope it will be useful. And I learned something, too. (I've heard that teachers often learn more than their students. Maybe it's true?!)

Cal Locklin
www.aimsdc.net

[CALocklin]

RE: Import and relative file delete

Whoa! That's really wierd! The first preview of my first post had everything in blue after the first "code" section. Then it "corrected itself" after I posted the second time.

In this case, I've only learned that "computers sometimes do wierd things." Unfortunately, I learn that almost every day! (or is that "hour"?)

[Lenny Forziati]

RE: Import and relative file delete

And, now that I think about it, it seems that chr(92) may never be required because another option should be to change the last line above to:
file.remove( a5.get_path() + "\\" + fselected )
I haven't tried this last idea in a working app but I just tested this in the interactive editor and it worked just fine

Yes Cal, it is perfectly fine to use "\\" in practice. I have never used chr(92) in any of my code anywhere. The Web App Server deals with file paths extensively and works well with the double-backslash.

Thanks for posting the lesson. I think this is something that very few people actually understand, they just use the chr(92) because they've seen someone else do so. There's nothing wrong with using it, it simply comes down to personal preference, but it's nice to know what your options are.

-Lenny

[Lenny Forziati]

RE: Import and relative file delete

It had a little bit of help correcting itself ;)

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Import and relative file delete

I'm glad ya'll clarified that. I've been using

ceiling(exp(4*log(math_pi))-6))

in practice. Now I can shorten some expressions!

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Import and relative file delete

Didn't paste in properly, should have "chr(" in front. Sorry to mislead.

[Lenny Forziati]

RE: Import and relative file delete

Looks like a good starter for an obfuscated Xbasic contest. But I know you can do better than that. How's this one?

eval(chr(val(time("h",ctodt("5/9/2005 9:37:05"))+9))+substr("Alpha Software has the best customers",16,1)+chr(val(alltrim(str(val(iif(version()=6,"108","109"))+version(),10,2,","))))+"(ceiling(exp(4*log(math_pi))-6)"+chr(asc(")")))

Unfortunatley, it only works for versions 5 and 6

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Import and relative file delete

? "This is a test of coding a backslash "+eval(chr((val(right(alltrim(str(99+mynum)),2))+val(left(alltrim(str(99+mynum)),1)))+(99-mynum))+chr((val(right(alltrim(str(104+mynum)),2))+val(left(alltrim(str(99+mynum)),1)))+(99-mynum))+chr((val(right(alltrim(str(114+mynum)),2))+val(left(alltrim(str(99+mynum)),1)))+(99-mynum))+chr((val(right(alltrim(str(40+mynum)),2))+val(left(alltrim(str(99+mynum)),1)))+(99-mynum))+chr((val(right(alltrim(str(57+mynum)),2))+val(left(alltrim(str(99+mynum)),1)))+(99-mynum))+chr((val(right(alltrim(str(50+mynum)),2))+val(left(alltrim(str(99+mynum)),1)))+(99-mynum))+chr((val(right(alltrim(str(41+mynum)),2))+val(left(alltrim(str(99+mynum)),1)))+(99-mynum)))+evaluate_template("mynum = floor(val(ui_get_number(\"Please\",\"Pick an integer between 60 and 85\",\"78\")))")+ "character."