_rmdir keeps failing to delete folder

[biot023]

Hallo. I have a folder that my code has just cleared of all files, but I still cannot get it to delete.
Eg. This code would produce the message "Delete failed.":

if(_rmdir("C:\\test_del&quot){
ShowMessage("Delete failed."
}

Can anyone think why this might be?
Like I say, there are no files or other folders in the folder I'm trying to zap.

Any & all help gratefully received.
Cheers,
Douglas JL Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.

 

[hennep]

the RemoveDir function might work.

Are you sure there is no read-only attrib on the subdir ?

 

[biot023]

Yep - there's absolutely no read-only or anything else I can spot.
In fact, I'm testing on directories that I only just created for the purpose.
-- Just tried RemoveDir & got the same problem.
Cheers for the input, though!

Thanks,
Douglas JL
Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.

 

[hennep]

Are you using winnt or win2k ?
I have noticed that you cannot remove a directory if explorer still has the directory open. For some reason explorer keeps the directory locked.
I can image that you are testing your program while explorer is open to see the result.

 

[2ffat]

Are there hidden files in the directory?
James P. Cottingham

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity.
[tab][tab]Albert Einstein explaining his Theory of Relativity to a group of journalists.

 

[biot023]

No - there are no hidden files, and I just tested it w/out explorer open (I'm using NT) - I'm afraid it still won't delete.
If the worst comes to the worst, I could always create a temporary batch file to handle deletes & run it with ShellExecute...

Cheers,
Douglas JL

Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.

 

[hennep]

Can you post your code ?
Maybe we can find the problem then.

 

[2ffat]

Yes, post your code. Also, if you use a shell program, why not just use deltree or rmdir instead aof creating a batch file? James P. Cottingham

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity.
[tab][tab]Albert Einstein explaining his Theory of Relativity to a group of journalists.

 

[biot023]

Well, it's not pretty, but here's the code (hennep may well recognise some of the nifty footwork done with the ffblk to find directories...)

list<string> full_dir;
list<string> full_file;
ffblk ffblk;
Screen->Cursor=crHourGlass;

string olddir=listLocalDir->Directory.c_str();
string targetdir=(olddir[olddir.length()-1]=='\\')?olddirlddir+&quot;\\&quot;;
targetdir+=listLocalDir->Items->Strings[listLocalDir->ItemIndex].c_str();
if(!DirectoryExists(targetdir.c_str())){
targetdir=olddir;
}

// get all local directories and files
full_dir.push_back(targetdir);
list<string>::iterator iter=full_dir.begin();
while(iter!=full_dir.end()){
string& p_i=*iter;
string filter=p_i+&quot;\\*&quot;;
int result=findfirst(filter.c_str(),&ffblk,FA_DIREC);
while(!result){
if((ffblk.ff_attrib & FA_DIREC)==FA_DIREC){
string dir=ffblk.ff_name;
if(dir!=&quot;.&quot; && dir!=&quot;..&quot{
string fulldir=p_i+&quot;\\&quot;;
fulldir+=dir;
full_dir.push_back(fulldir);
}
}
result=findnext(&ffblk);
}
filter=p_i+&quot;\\*.*&quot;;
result=findfirst(filter.c_str(),&ffblk,FA_ARCH);
while(!result){
string fullfile=p_i+&quot;\\&quot;;
fullfile+=ffblk.ff_name;
full_file.push_back(fullfile);
result=findnext(&ffblk);
}
iter++;
}

//delete all files
iter=full_file.begin();
while(iter!=full_file.end()){
string& p_i=*iter;
if(remove(p_i.c_str())){
string msg=&quot;Failed to delete file \&quot;&quot;;
msg+=p_i+&quot;\&quot;&quot;;
ShowMessage(msg.c_str());
Screen->Cursor=crDefault;
return;
}
iter++;
}

//delete all folders
full_dir.reverse();
iter=full_dir.begin();
while(iter!=full_dir.end()){
string& p_i=*iter;
if(!RemoveDir(p_i.c_str())){
string msg=&quot;Failed to delete directory \&quot;&quot;;
msg+=p_i+&quot;\&quot;&quot;;
ShowMessage(msg.c_str());
Screen->Cursor=crDefault;
return;
}
iter++;
}
listLocalDir->Update();
listLocalFiles->Update();
Screen->Cursor=crDefault;

It is the last section that deletes the folder(s), and that always fails in NT (and sometimes 98).
If this is too ugly a clump of code, I could try to refine it to essentials, but I wanted to give an idea of the processes that are taking place.
& thanks alot for your ongoing help!

Cheers,
Douglas JL

Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.

 

[2ffat]

This look similar to what I've done in the past. Just for kicks, do a GetCurrentDir after deleting the files and see where you are. If you are in the directory to be deleted, do a SetCurrentDir to the direcory above and then try to delete it. James P. Cottingham

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity.
[tab][tab]Albert Einstein explaining his Theory of Relativity to a group of journalists.