Find a Folder and Delete it

[gr1fter]

Hello, what I do seems simple but I cannot even find out where to begin with AutoIT on how to search for a folder and delete it.

for example I would like to search C:\Documents and Settings\* and delete all the folders named TEST.

Can someone please point me into the right direction. Thanks

[Melba23]

gr1fter,

Use my RecFileListToArray UDF (it does look for folders as well ) to list all the folders with that name on that path. Then loop through the resulting array and use DirRemove on them.

The UDF is in my sig.

M23

[gr1fter]

gr1fter,

Use my RecFileListToArray UDF (it does look for folders as well ) to list all the folders with that name on that path. Then loop through the resulting array and use DirRemove on them.

The UDF is in my sig.

M23

Thanks for the UDF! I have been messing with it and I cannot even get the basics to work. Is it possible to provide me an example of how the UDF works correctly, cause whatever I am doing is wrong and the script runs successful but does not return anything. Much appreciated.

[guinness]

Probably best to post your code first, because as you can appreciate if a user creates an Example that works and then (for whatever reason) this doesn't work for you, its a problem at your end e.g. implementation of the code.

Note: If you search the Forum for RecFileListToArray() you will find quite a few Examples of Melba23's code being implemented. Trust me!

[gr1fter]

I did try searching for examples but all the search responses usually point to just the UDF.

In its basic form i just did this:

Global $sInclude_List,$iReturn,$iRecur,$iSort,$iReturnPath,$sExclude_List

$sInitialPath = "C:\Documents and Settings"


_RecFileListToArray($sInitialPath, $sInclude_List = "*", $iReturn = 2, $iRecur = 1, $iSort = 0, $iReturnPath = 1, $sExclude_List = "")

and that runs and does not display anything. So i have a feeling that I am way off point.

[guinness]

I would suggest looking in the Help File about Functions and _ArrayDisplay()

#AutoIt3Wrapper_Au3Check_Parameters=-d -w 1 -w 2 -w 3 -w 4 -w 5 -w 6
#include "_RecFileListToArray.au3" ; Make sure this is in the same Directory as where you save this Snippet!
#include <Array.au3>

Global $SearchDirectory = "C:\Documents and Settings\"
Global $ArrayReturned = _RecFileListToArray($SearchDirectory, "*", 2, 1, 0, 1, "")
_ArrayDisplay($ArrayReturned)

This will work...I see Melba23 is posting...

Edited February 24, 2011 by guinness

[Melba23]

gr1fter,

Sorry to be blunt, but that snippet shows that you do not have the faintest idea of AutoIt syntax and should certainly not be using it for anything dangerous like deleting folders.

The snippet is wrong on so many levels it is hard to know where to begin - but here are some:

- 1. You do not declare function parameters - as parameters they are automatically declared.

- 2. You only put the values of the parameters into the function call - the names are use dwithin the function itself.

- 3. It hardly surprising that nothing is displayed - where have you asked AutoIt to display anything? It cannot read your mind, you have to tell it what to do!

Nothing personal in all that - but I strongly recommend reading the Help file (at least the first few sections - Using AutoIt, Tutorials and the first couple of References) will help you enormously. You should also look at the excellent tutorials that you will find here and here - you will find other tutorials in the Wiki (the link is at the top of the page). it will make your scripting life much less frustrating, believe me.

Right, from the one line that is correct, I see that you are trying to list the folder on the "C:\Documents and Settings" path. You do it like this:

; Include the Array library just so we can see the result
#include <Array.au3>

; Include the UDF - if we want to use it we need it in here!
#include <RecFileListToArray.au3>

; Create an array to hold the return list from the UDF
$aFolderList = _RecFileListToArray("C:\Documents and Settings", "*", 2, 1, 0, 2)
; All I changed from your list is the ReturnPath parameter - if you are going to delete them you will need their full paths

; Display the results
_ArrayDisplay($aFolderList)

Now you have your list of folders, you can loop through them, determine which contain "Test" usiing StringInStr and then delete them using DirRemove.

Come back if you run into more problems.

Or ask guinness as I see he has already posted a solution which is pretty near identical!

M23

[gr1fter]

Thanks for the help guys. I admit that I am not an expert in AutoIT, but I have wrote applications and code, I just am not familiar with UDFs and reading what other people have coded. I really appreciate you giving me some examples and pushing me in the right directions. Arrays have always been a trouble for me.

[antonioj84]

I am stuck  right  there can you clarify this " I am trying to delete a folder

if you are going to delete them you will need their full paths

 

 

; Include the Array library just so we can see the result
#include <Array.au3>

; Include the UDF - if we want to use it we need it in here!
#include <RecFileListToArray.au3>

; Create an array to hold the return list from the UDF
$aFolderList = _RecFileListToArray("C:\Test1\Test2", "*", 2, 1, 0, 2)
; All I changed from your list is the ReturnPath parameter - if you are going to delete them you will need their full paths

; Display the results
_ArrayDisplay($aFolderList)

RemoveDR($aFolderlist[$i],1)  ; does not work

Edited September 10, 2015 by antonioj84

[BrewManNH]

Did you try it the right way?
 

DirRemove($aFolderlist[$i],1)

Also, this thread is over 4 1/2 years old, and the function _RecFileListToArray is now in the File.au3 include as _FileListToArrayRec().

[antonioj84]

I found this code orginally from SlimShady and I modify it, works like a charm. Hope it can helps someone.

include<File.au3>

local $folder1 = "C:\Test1\Test2\" ; this will delete anything after Test2, including folder directory and so on..

_DirRemoveContents($folder1, "*.*")

Func _DirRemoveContents($folder,$f)
    Local $list_of_contents, $status
    $list_of_contents = _FileListToArray($folder)
    If IsArray($list_of_contents) Then
        If StringRight($folder, 1) <> "\"  Then $folder = $folder & "\"
        If @error = 1 Then Return 1 ; No Files\Folders Found
        For $a = 1 To $list_of_contents[0]
            FileSetAttrib($folder & "\" & $list_of_contents[$a], "-RASH")
            If StringInStr(FileGetAttrib($folder & $list_of_contents[$a]), "D") Then
                $status = DirRemove($folder & $list_of_contents[$a], 1)
            Else
                $status = FileDelete($folder & $list_of_contents[$a])
            EndIf
        Next
    Else
        Return 2 ; Directory doesn't exists
    EndIf
EndFunc   ;==>_DirRemoveContents

 

Edited September 11, 2015 by antonioj84