Help creating a script that will remove folders

[Jaymac]

I have backup up folders that contains exchange files, which are set to create a new folder when backup is successful.

My question is: can I remove folder that are older than 7 day's with a script? I have a mapped drive and the folders are in a folder called exchange.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Edited March 17, 2009 by Jaymac

[Szhlopp]

I have backup up folders that contains exchange files, which are set to create a new folder when backup is successful.

My question is: can I remove folder that are older than 7 day's with a script? I have a mapped drive and the folders are in a folder called exchange.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hey Jaymac,

Take a look in the AutoIt helpfile for these two commands:

FileFindFirstFile

FileGetTime

With some coding of those two functions you should be able to easily do what you want=)

Szhlopp

[Jaymac]

Hey Jaymac,

Take a look in the AutoIt helpfile for these two commands:

FileFindFirstFile

FileGetTime

With some coding of those two functions you should be able to easily do what you want=)

Szhlopp

Awesome, thanks a lot - I really appreciate it.

[SpookMeister]

This might help you out:

#118151

[Xenobiologist]

#include <Array.au3>
#include <Date.au3>
#include <File.au3>

;Root folder
$sourceFolder = @ScriptDir & '\'

;Gather files into an array
$fileList = _FileListToArray($sourceFolder, "*", 1) ; 2 = folders!
Dim $found[1]

;Loop through array
For $X = 1 To $fileList[0]
    ;Retrieve creation time of file
    $Date = FileGetTime($sourceFolder & "\" & $fileList[$X], 1, 0)
    ;Format date for use with Date UDF
    $fDate = StringFormat("%s/%s/%s %s:%s:%s", $Date[0], $Date[1], $Date[2], $Date[3], $Date[4], $Date[5])
    ;Calculate age, remove files older than seven days
    If _DateDiff('d', $fDate, _NowCalc()) < 7 Then  ; the time
        ;FileDelete($sourceFolder & "\" & $fileList[$X])
        _ArrayAdd($found, $sourceFolder & $fileList[$X])
        ;MsgBox(1, "Files deleted:", $fileList[$X], 1)
    EndIf
    $found[0] = UBound($found)
Next
_ArrayDisplay($found)

Mega

[Jaymac]

#include <Array.au3>
#include <Date.au3>
#include <File.au3>

;Root folder
$sourceFolder = @ScriptDir & '\'

;Gather files into an array
$fileList = _FileListToArray($sourceFolder, "*", 1) ; 2 = folders!
Dim $found[1]

;Loop through array
For $X = 1 To $fileList[0]
    ;Retrieve creation time of file
    $Date = FileGetTime($sourceFolder & "\" & $fileList[$X], 1, 0)
    ;Format date for use with Date UDF
    $fDate = StringFormat("%s/%s/%s %s:%s:%s", $Date[0], $Date[1], $Date[2], $Date[3], $Date[4], $Date[5])
    ;Calculate age, remove files older than seven days
    If _DateDiff('d', $fDate, _NowCalc()) < 7 Then  ; the time
        ;FileDelete($sourceFolder & "\" & $fileList[$X])
        _ArrayAdd($found, $sourceFolder & $fileList[$X])
        ;MsgBox(1, "Files deleted:", $fileList[$X], 1)
    EndIf
    $found[0] = UBound($found)
Next
_ArrayDisplay($found)

Mega

Where exactly would I put the folder path? Sorry, this is my first time using this program.

Ex: I want to remove folders that are located here: H:\Exchange\Exchange1

I have a folders within Exchange1 called IMG000623, 000624, 000625 and so on. I want to be able to remove the folders that are seven day's old.

Also, does #include <Date.au3>, #include <File.au3> mean that I have to include those into the script as well?

[rajeshontheweb]

1)

$sourceFolder = @ScriptDir & '\'

will read as

$sourcefolder = "H:\Exchange\Exchange1\"

2) No u dont need to include those files, Autoit will include those files into the script. let the script editor worry about it

when u mention u are new (i am not a good autoit programmer yet, btw) would suggest u use scite4autoit from home page which makes new programmer's life much much easier with syntax highlighting to calltips, etc.

[DaRam]

Just to clarify, $sourceFolder = @ScriptDir & '\' will be "H:\Exchange\Exchange1\"

Only if the script is run from H:\Exchange\Exchange1\

You can use a $sourceFolde = FileSelectFolder("Choose a folder.", @ScriptDir)

to make it interactive.

1)

$sourceFolder = @ScriptDir & '\'

will read as

$sourcefolder = "H:\Exchange\Exchange1\"

2) No u dont need to include those files, Autoit will include those files into the script. let the script editor worry about it

when u mention u are new (i am not a good autoit programmer yet, btw) would suggest u use scite4autoit from home page which makes new programmer's life much much easier with syntax highlighting to calltips, etc.

[Jaymac]

What exactly are these lines telling me?

$fDate = StringFormat("%s/%s/%s %s:%s:%s", $Date[0], $Date[1], $Date[2], $Date[3], $Date[4], $Date[5])

;Calculate age, remove files older than seven days

If _DateDiff('d', $fDate, _NowCalc()) < 7 Then ; the time

I got it to remove files and not folders as well

$fileList = _FileListToArray($sourceFolder, "*", 1) I changed the 1 to a 2

Please help. thanks. apperciate all the help

[Jaymac]

What information do I change here: ("%s/%s/%s %s:%s:%s",

[Jaymac]

Can anyone please offer some more help?

[Mat]

from the helpfile

format control = The format and flags to use

Escape characters can be contain in the "format control" such as \n (@LF), \r (@CR), \t (@TAB]. So if you want to have a "\" you need to use \\, samething for "%" %%.

you'd end up with

$Date[0]/$Date[1]/$Date[2] $Date[3]:$Date[4]:$Date[5]

or

19/03/2009 16:47:33

Hope that explains it...

if not look in the help file. search stringformat and its the second one down (pretty self explanitary)

MDiesel

edit: in answer, don't change anything

Edited March 19, 2009 by mdiesel

[Xenobiologist]

Where ist your problem? The script is pretty much self-explanatory, isn't it?

It is documented. (Okay older should be younger)

[Jaymac]

Where ist your problem? The script is pretty much self-explanatory, isn't it?

It is documented. (Okay older should be younger)

$fileList = _FileListToArray($sourceFolder, "*", 1) ; 2 = folders! (2 doesn't actually remove the folders for me)

Also, If _DateDiff('d', $fDate, _NowCalc()) < 7 Then ; the time (is still just removes files (not folders) and it removes the files modified from today.

Sorry, I do networking and servers - i'm a newb to coding

[Xenobiologist]

$fileList = _FileListToArray($sourceFolder, "*", 1) ; 2 = folders! (2 doesn't actually remove the folders for me)

Also, If _DateDiff('d', $fDate, _NowCalc()) < 7 Then ; the time (is still just removes files (not folders) and it removes the files modified from today.

Sorry, I do networking and servers - i'm a newb to coding

Hi,

so you want to remove all files and folders in a folder which are older than 7 days, right?

Mega

[Jaymac]

Hi,

so you want to remove all files and folders in a folder which are older than 7 days, right?

Mega

Yes that is exactly what I want to do. Thank you.

[Xenobiologist]

Try this:

#include <Array.au3>
#include <Date.au3>
#include <File.au3>

;Root folder
$sourceFolder = @ScriptDir & '\Test\'

;Gather files into an array
$fileList = _FileListToArray($sourceFolder, "*", 0) ; 0 = files and folders
Dim $found[1]

;Loop through array
For $i = 1 To $fileList[0]
    ;Retrieve creation time of file
    $Date = FileGetTime($sourceFolder & "\" & $fileList[$i], 0, 0) ; 0 modified, 1 = created
    ;Format date for use with Date UDF
    $fDate = StringFormat("%s/%s/%s %s:%s:%s", $Date[0], $Date[1], $Date[2], $Date[3], $Date[4], $Date[5])
    ;Calculate age, remove files older than seven days
    If _DateDiff('d', $fDate, _NowCalc()) > 7 Then ; the time
        If StringInStr(FileGetAttrib($sourceFolder & $fileList[$i]), 'D') Then
            DirRemove($sourceFolder, 1)
        Else
            FileDelete($sourceFolder & "\" & $fileList[$i])
        EndIf
        _ArrayAdd($found, $sourceFolder & $fileList[$i])
        ConsoleWrite($sourceFolder & $fileList[$i] & ' deleted' & @CRLF)
    Else
        ConsoleWrite('!' & $sourceFolder & $fileList[$i] & @CRLF)
    EndIf
Next
$found[0] = UBound($found)
_ArrayDisplay($found, 'Deleted items')

Mega

[sksbir]

Hi,

so you want to remove all files and folders in a folder which are older than 7 days, right?

Mega

You should take care about that. The modification times of a folder reflects the time a file was added or removed within it.

So a folder can be older than one of the file which it contains.

A other point : a file can be recently created, and modified since a longer time ( copy an old file in a new folder, you will have a new creation date, but the same old modification date ).

You didn't said if you want recursion or not, but with recursion, the problem becomes:

- 1/ remove all files older than 7 days ( creation and/or modification date ? better is to take the 2 dates in account)

- 2/ remove all folders which became empty in 1.

@xenobiologist : you should take care about return code of FileGetTime : sometimes, file haven't time at all, and function returns an error. ( some files in temporary internet files for example )

Edited March 20, 2009 by sksbir

[Xenobiologist]

HI,

it was just an example oh how it could be done.

Error checking and check whether it is exactly what the thread owner wanted is another task. (by him)

Mega