Need very little help with a simple script

[quietriot]

Hello, I ve just started using autoit, so im basically a noob but heres my proble,

Im making a script, and a portion of it requires autoit to check for a folder on a partition of my harddisc

so i used-

If FileExists("F:\NAME") then exit

but heres the deal if the file is not found, i want to perform some actions which i can define but what i want

the script to do next is after performing those actions go back to "If FileExists("F:\NAME") then exit" and recheck

again for the folder if the folder is not found again perform those steps,

so what i want is that the script should keep moving in loop until the file is not found..

i hope i have explained it understandable .

thanks

pls help..

[cageman]

while 1 
sleep(50)
if NOT FileExists("F:\NAME") Then
;do something
endif
Wend

Edited August 21, 2010 by cageman

[quietriot]

thanks a million it works ,

what exactly does "while 1" do?

[Tvern]

It's a loop

While <statement>
 <code>
WEnd
<other code>

The code between While and WEnd is repeated untill the statement is false. Because the number 1 is never false the loop keeps repeating.

You can only leave a loop like this using Exitloop, Exit, or Return (when in a function)

If the loop ends because the statement is false, or Exitloop is reached the other code is executed. (the script continues from WEnd)

[quietriot]

ok ran into another little problem, even though the script is running into loop fine when the file not exists, but it keeps running even after the file is found, how do i tell it to exit script if the file is found?

[Tvern]

There are a few ways to do it, but if you read my last post and this. You should be able to have an idea for atleast one.

IF you think you have the solution, but it doesn't work, post your attempt.

[quietriot]

Yes, thanks I got it, i read ure post about how to exit the loop and i added this line in the above script ;-

while 1

sleep(50)

if FileExists("F:\NAME") Then Exit

if NOT FileExists("F:\NAME") Then

;do something

endif

Wend

Thank you both "cageman" and " Tvern"

Edited August 21, 2010 by quietriot

[Tvern]

Glad you got it.

You can optimize your code to be a bit more efficient and readable though:

while 1
    sleep(50)
    If FileExists("F:\NAME") Then
        Exit
    Else
        ;do something
    EndIf
WEnd

See if you also understand how the following work:

While FileExists("F:\NAME") <> 1 ;this time I changed the statement to exit the loop (If the file exists the statement becomes false)
    sleep(50)
    ;do something
WEnd

or

Do ;this is another sort of loop
    sleep(50)
    ;do something
Until FileExists("F:\NAME") ;Do ... Until loops exit when the statement is true rather than false

The codes all do roughly the same.

[quietriot]

ow man i was trying to do it with do/until loop but couldn't succeed,will it keep looping untill file is found, ill try with this loop, ure genius man, thanks

although i cudnt understand this one

While FileExists("F:\NAME") <> 1....

what exactly does this "<>" do?

sorry im such a noob

[BrewManNH]

while 1
    sleep(50)
    If FileExists("F:\NAME") Then
        Exit
    Else
        ;do something
    EndIf
WEnd

See if you also understand how the following work:

While FileExists("F:\NAME") <> 1 ;this time I changed the statement to exit the loop (If the file exists the statement becomes false)
    sleep(50)
    ;do something
WEnd

or

Do ;this is another sort of loop
    sleep(50)
    ;do something
Until FileExists("F:\NAME") ;Do ... Until loops exit when the statement is true rather than false

The codes all do roughly the same.

Actually they don't do roughly the same thing. The first statement will not execute if the file exists as soon as it is run, the Do loop will run at least once even if the file exists which is probably not what the OP wants to have happen. Big difference in execution if you don't want the file to get deleted or overwritten unnecessarily.

[cageman]

do
sleep(100)
;do something
until FileExists("F:\NAME")

little help with the code, it will exit the loop if a file is found because FileExists() returns 1 (which is the same as the boolean value true) when a file is found and do until keeps looping until the expression after until is true. Hope you got it. Just see someone above me posted the same thing, but oke 2 examples can't hurt.

Edited August 21, 2010 by cageman

[Tvern]

"<>" is an operator. In this case it can be seen as the opposite of "=" so (1=1) evaluates as true, while (1<>1) evaluates as false.

In other wording "<>" is only false if the value before and after it are the same, while "=" is only true if the values are the same.

When FileExist doesn't find a file it returns 0, so you can see it like this:

While FileExists("F:\NAME") <> 1

becomes

While 0 <> 1

0<>1 is True, so the loop keeps running.

If the File is found though, FileExist returns 1, so you can see it like this:

While FileExists("F:\NAME") <> 1

becomes

While 1 <> 1

1<>1 is false, so the loop exits.

It is wise to bookmark the operators page until you know them by heart. You will need them very often.

[quietriot]

yes i get it, my statements still states "IF" where there is ";do something",

so do/until does the trick as well, so its like this

do

if ..

if ..

until (file is found)

but i get it if those were unconditional commands they might get executed b4 the file check. right..

and this one does for me as well

while 1

sleep(50)

If FileExists("F:\NAME") Then

Exit

Else

;do something

EndIf

WEnd

as i just need the file check,

if it exists then the script exits nice n clean if it does not exists the script just keep going back again in loop.

thanks everyone,

ure all so kind .

[quietriot]

"<>" is an operator. In this case it can be seen as the opposite of "=" so (1=1) evaluates as true, while (1<>1) evaluates as false.

In other wording "<>" is only false if the value before and after it are the same, while "=" is only true if the values are the same.

When FileExist doesn't find a file it returns 0, so you can see it like this:

While FileExists("F:\NAME") <> 1

becomes

While 0 <> 1

0<>1 is True, so the loop keeps running.

If the File is found though, FileExist returns 1, so you can see it like this:

While FileExists("F:\NAME") <> 1

becomes

While 1 <> 1

1<>1 is false, so the loop exits.

It is wise to bookmark the operators page until you know them by heart. You will need them very often.

ok...em.. so if i put

while fileexists("F:\NAME") = 1

;do somethine

wend

and file is found will it exit or continue loop?

what im saying is if the file is found ,the fileexist will return 1 or 0?

[Tvern]

Click the FileExists linky in my post or search for FileExists in the helpfile. (press F1 in Scite) The answer is there.

[quietriot]

yes, thanks and sorry, i get it , if the file is found it will return 1 coz its a success

so

while fileexists("F:\NAME") = 1

;do somethine

wend

this will become 1=1 and it will continue the loop even if the file is found,

which i dont want so therefore <> as u stated is opposite of =,hence does the trick

thank u so much