Rescursive Delete in VB?

Karl Blessing · Feb 28, 2000

i need to perform these following task, the first one i pretty much got 
1)Specify Path 
2)Remove all folders that begin with _ 
3) move through all subfolders removing _ 
4) Remove all files that begin with d_ 
5) Reset all File attributes to Normal(no Read Only, sys,etc) 
 
I could do this easily if i was in VC++, but i was wondering 
how would you go about this recursivly in VB6 
 
kb244 Karl <a href=mailto:kb244@bellsouth.net>kb244@bellsouth.net</a> <a href=

http://kb244.8m.com>

</a>

DougP · Feb 28, 2000

Whats your definition of easy? 
In VB use the "Dir" command 
It has different parameters 
You will probably need some sort of loop 
there is an example in help 
 
 DougP <a href=mailto: dposton@universal1.com> dposton@universal1.com</a> <a href= > </a>

Karl Blessing · Feb 28, 2000

i'm using FileSystemObject right now to figure it out, and a loop wouldnt be it, cuz then you'd never know how many times, and so on, a rescursion is a function that calls itself over and over again, and backs out one when it hits an endpoint, then continues to move along. 
the DeleteFolder under FileSystemObject will delete any folder matching the criteria whether or not it has contents in it, so this might be usefull to me already figured out how to find a file within a given path. 
 
Private Function FindFile(ByVal sFol As String, sFile As String, nDirs As Integer, nFiles As Integer) As Long 
Dim tFld As Folder, tFil As File, FileName As String 
Set fld = fso.GetFolder(sFol) 
FileName = Dir(fso.BuildPath(fld.path, sFile), vbNormal Or vbHidden Or vbSystem Or vbReadOnly) 
While Len(FileName) <> 0 
FindFile = FindFile + FileLen(fso.BuildPath(fld.path, FileName)) 
nFiles = nFiles + 1 
List1.AddItem fso.BuildPath(fld.path, FileName) ' Load ListBox 
FileName = Dir() ' Get next file 
DoEvents 
Wend 
Label1 = "Searching " & vbCrLf & fld.path & "..." 
nDirs = nDirs + 1 
If fld.SubFolders.Count > 0 Then 
For Each tFld In fld.SubFolders 
DoEvents 
FindFile = FindFile + FindFile(tFld.path, sFile, nDirs, nFiles) 
Next 
End If 
End Function 
 
Private Sub Command5_Click() 
List1.Clear 
Dim nDirs As Integer, nFiles As Integer, lSize As Long 
Dim sDir As String, sSrchString As String 
sDir = InputBox("Please enter the directory to search", "FileSystemObjects example", "C:\&quot

sSrchString = InputBox("Please enter the file name to search", "FileSystemObjects example", "vb.ini&quot

MousePointer = vbHourglass 
Label1.Caption = "Searching " & vbCrLf & UCase(sDir) & "..." 
lSize = FindFile(sDir, sSrchString, nDirs, nFiles) 
MousePointer = vbDefault 
MsgBox Str(nFiles) & " files found in" & Str(nDirs) & " directories", vbInformation 
MsgBox "Total Size = " & lSize & " bytes" 
End Sub 
 
(just in case you were curious) Karl <a href=mailto:kb244@bellsouth.net>kb244@bellsouth.net</a> <a href=

http://kb244.8m.com>

</a>

Karl Blessing · Feb 28, 2000

OK i got it figured out, thanks any how tho, if yer curious to see how, here you go 
need 2 listboxes (list1 list2), a directory list (dir1) and a Drive List (drive1) 
a Command Button(called Start), a label (label1, pretty big too) 
everything is by default name, other than the start button 
 
Option Explicit 
Dim fso As New FileSystemObject 
Dim fld As Folder 
 
Private Sub Dir1_Change() 
Form1.Caption = Dir1.path 
End Sub 
 
Private Sub Drive1_Change() 
Dir1.path = Drive1.Drive 
End Sub 
 
Private Sub Form_Load() 
Dir1.path = Drive1.Drive 
End Sub 
Private Sub Start_Click() 
Dim NumD As Integer, NumF As Integer, CountDF As Integer, j As Integer 
CountDF = CleanUp(Dir1.path, "d_*.*", NumD, NumF) 
Label1.Caption = "Found " & NumF & " Files and Searched " & NumD & " Directories" 
For j = 0 To List1.ListCount - 1 
fso.DeleteFile List1.List(j), True 
Next j 
For j = 0 To List2.ListCount - 1 
fso.DeleteFolder List2.List(j), True 
Next j 
End Sub 
Private Function CleanUp(ByVal sFol As String, sFile As String, nDirs As Integer, nFiles As Integer) As Long 
Dim tFld As Folder, tFil As File, FileName As String 
Set fld = fso.GetFolder(sFol) 
FileName = Dir(fso.BuildPath(fld.path, sFile), vbNormal Or vbHidden Or vbSystem Or vbReadOnly) 
While Len(FileName) <> 0 
CleanUp = CleanUp + FileLen(fso.BuildPath(fld.path, FileName)) 
nFiles = nFiles + 1 
List1.AddItem fso.BuildPath(fld.path, FileName) ' Load ListBox 
FileName = Dir() ' Get next file 
DoEvents 
Wend 
Label1 = "Searching " & vbCrLf & fld.path & "..." 
nDirs = nDirs + 1 
If fld.SubFolders.Count > 0 Then 
For Each tFld In fld.SubFolders 
DoEvents 
If Left(tFld.Name, 1) = "_" Then List2.AddItem (tFld.path) 
CleanUp = CleanUp + CleanUp(tFld.path, sFile, nDirs, nFiles) 
Next 
End If 
End Function Karl <a href=mailto:kb244@bellsouth.net>kb244@bellsouth.net</a> <a href=

http://kb244.8m.com>

</a>

Karl Blessing · Feb 28, 2000

Hmm... i however get an Overflow error in this function 
 
Private Function CleanUp(ByVal sFol As String, sFile As String, nDirs As Integer, nFiles As Integer) As Long 
Dim tFld As Folder, tFil As File, FileName As String 
Set fld = fso.GetFolder(sFol) 
FileName = Dir(fso.BuildPath(fld.Path, sFile), vbNormal Or vbHidden Or vbSystem Or vbReadOnly) 
While Len(FileName) <> 0 
CleanUp = CleanUp + FileLen(fso.BuildPath(fld.Path, FileName)) 
nFiles = nFiles + 1 
List1.AddItem fso.BuildPath(fld.Path, FileName) ' Load ListBox 
FileName = Dir() ' Get next file 
DoEvents 
Wend 
Label1 = "Searching " & vbCrLf & fld.Path & "..." 
nDirs = nDirs + 1 
If fld.SubFolders.Count > 0 Then 
For Each tFld In fld.SubFolders 
DoEvents 
If Left(tFld.Name, 1) = "_" Then List2.AddItem (tFld.Path) 
CleanUp = CleanUp + CleanUp(tFld.Path, sFile, nDirs, nFiles) 
Next 
End If 
End Function Karl <a href=mailto:kb244@bellsouth.net>kb244@bellsouth.net</a> <a href=

http://kb244.8m.com>

</a>

MikeLacey · Feb 29, 2000

try this (not tested) 
 
Private Sub ff(fldSrch as Scripting.Folder) 
Dim fld as Scripting.Folder 
Dim fyl as Scripting.File 
 
    if fldSrch.SubFolders.Count Then 
        for each fld in fldSrch.Subfolders 
            ff fld 
        next fld 
    end if 
 
    for each fyl in fldSrch.Files 
        if .... ' your name check 
            ' add to list box or something 
            ' before you delete it 
        end if 
    next fyl 
 
end sub 
 
Mike 
Mike Lacey <a href=mailto:Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com>Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com</a> <a href=

http://www.cargill.com/>

Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a>

jlkidd · Mar 22, 2001

I was just curious. I have a folder in which files are saved automatically. I would like to implement a program to delete files that were saved older than 3 months ago. My problem is that when I try to say:

for each file in folder
'determine file date
'if file date older than 3 months delete
end if

I get an error at the for each file in folder. Evidentally, the file variable is not equal to anything so this will not work. How would I access each individual file within a singl folder so that I can then access it's properties and then delete if neccessary?

Thanks B-)

TimLarkin · Mar 22, 2001

Dim strCurrentFile as string
strCurrentFile = Dir("C:\MyFolder\*.*&quot

Do Until strCurrentFile = ""
'determine file date
'if file date older than 3 months delete
strCurrentFile = Dir()
Loop

jlkidd · Mar 23, 2001

That would work if you are going to delete every file. How would I go about moving to the next file within a folder if I do not delete the strCurrentFile?

TimLarkin · Mar 23, 2001

That's where the *.* comes in. I assume you would have a naming convention of some kind if you only wanted to delete files of a certain type. For instance, let's assume that the folder has multiple types of files, but you only want to delete those from your "Current News Letter". You named those files CNL & the first 5 letters of the submitters last name: CNLJones.txt
So now, your code would be:

Dim strCurrentFile as string
strCurrentFile = Dir("C:\MyFolder\CNL*.txt&quot

Do Until strCurrentFile = ""
If file date older than 3 months then
delete
End if
strCurrentFile = Dir()
Loop

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Rescursive Delete in VB?

Karl Blessing

Programmer

DougP

MIS

Karl Blessing

Programmer

Karl Blessing

Programmer

Karl Blessing

Programmer

MikeLacey

MIS

jlkidd

Programmer

TimLarkin

Programmer

jlkidd

Programmer

TimLarkin

Programmer

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