[SOLVED] DeleteFile("Name*.*)

[StarWarsFan]

Hey good morning dear friends. I am stuck with a very basic problem.
Is there really no easy way to simply delete all files starting with "Name*" in the current directory?
DeleteFile() seems to be unable to do that.

Am I blind or is that option so well hidden?

I am currently using this routine as workaround, but would like to learn!

Code: Select all

ExamineDirectory(0,GetCurrentDirectory(), "Name*.*")  
While NextDirectoryEntry(0)
  If DirectoryEntryType(0) = #PB_DirectoryEntry_File And Left(DirectoryEntryName(0),4)="Name"
  DeleteFile(DirectoryEntryName(0)) : EndIf
Wend : FinishDirectory(0)

// Edit: Code-Tags added (Kiffi)

[RASHAD]

Try

Code: Select all

ExamineDirectory(0,GetCurrentDirectory(), "*.*")
While NextDirectoryEntry(0)
  If DirectoryEntryType(0) = #PB_DirectoryEntry_File
    Filename$ = DirectoryEntryName(0)
    If Left(Filename$,4) = "name"
      DeleteFile(Filename$,#PB_FileSystem_Force)
    EndIf
  EndIf
Wend
FinishDirectory(0)

[ebs]

Since wildcards are not supported for 'DeleteFile()', I use a routine pretty much like yours.

One suggestion - you should be able to remove the check of the leftmost four characters in the filename,
since you have already used a pattern of "Name*.*" in 'ExamineDirectory()'.

Regards,
Eric

[skywalk]

Though less elegant, you can use RunProgram() and your choice of command line argument or batch file.

[StarWarsFan]

Since wildcards are not supported for 'DeleteFile()', I use a routine pretty much like yours.

Well, then I am not totally blind. Thank you for that :----)

Are such useful (and otherwise standard) wildcards ever be implemented in PB?

[infratec]

Hm...

it is not standard in C, C#, VB

https://forums.asp.net/t/1899755.aspx?H ... h+wildcard+

If you want it simple, use RunProgram("cmd, "/c delete *.*")
But I don't think they do it in an other way than you and I don't think that it is faster.

[Marc56us]

Is there really no easy way to simply delete all files starting with "Name*" in the current directory?

Code: Select all

DeleteDirectory(".", "Name*.*")

[Derren]

Now that is counter-intuitive

[Marc56us]

Code: Select all

DeleteDirectory(".", "Name*.*")

Now that is counter-intuitive

Yes, but it's a trick of the DOS era « . » (dot) is a pseudo file that contains the list of files in directory. You can use it for different things. Older system administrators are familiar with it and use it in batch files for years.

[ebs]

Actually, the "." and ".." entries are shortcuts for the current directory and the parent directory respectively, not their contents.

DeleteDirectory() can be used to delete multiple files from any directory by specifying the directory path as the first parameter.

However, you have to be careful:
If you delete all files in the directory, (Pattern$ = "*.*"), it will also delete the directory itself.
If you leave any files in the directory, then the directory will remain.

[BarryG]

Now that is counter-intuitive

Macros to the rescue!

Code: Select all

Macro DeleteWithWildcards(dir,pattern)
  DeleteDirectory(dir,pattern)
EndMacro

DeleteWithWildcards(".","Name*.*")

[StarWarsFan]

Wow! Thanks!

DeleteDirectory() can be used to delete multiple files from any directory by specifying the directory path as the first parameter.

I was totally mislead by PureBasic's documentation on that command stating: "Deletes the specified Directory$."

That should really be amended to: "Deletes the specified Directory$ or files in that Directory$ matching the provided pattern."

[Derren]

That's what I meant by counter-intuitive.
Imo the wildcard should be moved to DeleteFile and then you have 2 commands that work as expected. As of now, we have 2 commands that don't wor as expected. One is missing a vital function. Another has a functionality that we don't expect it to have.

At the very least, there should be a big, bold reference in the help, pointing from DeleteFile() to DeleteDirectory().
"Looking for a way to delete multiple files at once where you can also use wildcards? ---> DeleteDirectory()"

[StarWarsFan]

Another has a functionality that we don't expect it to have.

True! Definitely and by far not! I did not even think of looking into that command - as explained above.

At the very least, there should be a big, bold reference in the help, pointing from DeleteFile() to DeleteDirectory().
"Looking for a way to delete multiple files at once where you can also use wildcards? ---> DeleteDirectory()"

ACK +1

[NicTheQuick]

On Linux wildcards like '*' and '?' and many more things are usually interpreted by the shell. You totally could create a file named "*" or "?" because on linux file systems every character is allowed except of the forward slash (/). So it would be an issue if DeleteFile() would interpret wildcards when you really want to delete a file with a filename containing "*" or "?". If often create files with a question mark in it.

See this example:

Code: Select all

nicolas@tp-w530:~/tmp/purebasic/wildcards$ echo "what?" > "*"
nicolas@tp-w530:~/tmp/purebasic/wildcards$ echo "yes" > "?"
nicolas@tp-w530:~/tmp/purebasic/wildcards$ ll
insgesamt 16
-rw-rw-r-- 1 nicolas nicolas    6 Jun  4 14:47 '*'
drwxrwxr-x 2 nicolas nicolas 4096 Jun  4 14:47  ./
drwxrwxr-x 7 nicolas nicolas 4096 Jun  4 14:47  ../
-rw-rw-r-- 1 nicolas nicolas    4 Jun  4 14:47 '?'
nicolas@tp-w530:~/tmp/purebasic/wildcards$ cat *
what?
yes
nicolas@tp-w530:~/tmp/purebasic/wildcards$ cat "*"
what?