efg's Directories

Topic

Description

Unit

Active Directories

Active Directories Using ADSI on Your NT and Windows 2000 Systems
www.delphiinformant.com/features/2000/05/di200005sm_f/di200005sm_f.asp

Active Directory Service Interfaces
www.agnisoft.com/adsi/Conf2000/3132.htm

Adding or removing the backslash from a path

http://members.xoom.com/_XOOM/jescott/DelphiCodeTips1.html#BackSlash
In D5, use ExcludeTrailingBackSlash and IncludeTrailingBackSlash functions.

Application's directory path

ExtractFilePath(Paramstr(0));

Browse

Also see SHBrowseForFolder and SelectDirectory

Changes

Detect Changes in Folder

Small application with source that demonstrates the use of ReadDirectoryChangesW API function to monitor file operations.
http://delphi.icm.edu.pl/ftp/d20free/dirmon.zip

TChangeMonitor component can watch Microsoft Windows' special folders. www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/download/125/delphi.html#TChangeMonitor

Direcory Changes Monitoring Component. You will be notified by all inserted, deleted, modified and renamed files or subdirs in a directory.
http://delphi.icm.edu.pl/ftp/d40free/phDirMon.zip

Compare

Neil Rubenking's PC Magazine utility WMatch32,18 March 1999,
compare directories side-by-side, with complete Delphi source code. Includes routines MatchAllFiles and MatchDifferentFiles.

Copying

See SHFileOperation

Copying a directory of a set of files
http://members.xoom.com/_XOOM/jescott/DelphiCodeTips1.html#CopyAllFiles

CountFiles

see example below in FindFirst/FindNext

CountFolders

see example below in FindFirst/FindNext

CRC

Calculate Cyclic Redundancy Code (a meta CRC32) of a directory.
efg's CRC FileCheck Lab Report

CreateDir

function CreateDir(const Dir: string): Boolean;
Creates a new directory.

Deleting

See DeletFolder example below

Deleting a directory and all the directory files, Borland FAQ 777D

Peter Below's UseNet Post with example of how to delete a folder

Deleting a directory or a set of files
http://members.xoom.com/_XOOM/jescott/DelphiCodeTips1.html#DeleteAllFiles

See efg's Files page: Recycle Bin and SHFileOperation

Directories and Drives

Delphi 5 Developer's Guide (pp. 380-403) by Teixeria and Pacheco

Directory Size

Peter Haas' UseNet Post explaining "there are two different values, the sum of all file sizes and the allocated disk size" and how to compute these values

DirInfo: Simon Patterson's UseNet Post about size of a directory/folder (ignores size of FAT entry)

GetFileSize using FindFirst in UseNet Post by Freter (determine the file or directory size, recursively)

DirSize
http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/jescott/DelphiCodeTips2.html#DirSize

See:
- GetFolderSize
- FileCheck utility

DirectoryExists

function DirectoryExists(Name: string): Boolean;
Returns TRUE if specified file exists

See:
- Example under Append in File I/O

FileCtrl

DirNotify

DirNotify component monitors a directory for changes in its files and/or sub-directories. ftp://carlos.123webhosting.net/pub/dirnotify.zip

DirView

TDirView displays files and subdirectories of a single directory as listview with shell icons taken from the system imagelist. It supports file operations like creating, copying, renaming and deleting files and directories, full OLE-drag & drop for files and directories using dragimages, clipboard operations, detecting filesystem changes, displaying the system contextmenu and the system property sheets. Part of Filemanager Toolset.
http://delphi.icm.edu.pl/ftp/d40free/drivedir.zip

DiskVisor

DiskVisor shows the individual sizes of each subdirectory and files in a directory. This utility can also
be used to explore directories to find the largest on the hard disk.
http://delphi.icm.edu.pl/ftp/d40free/diskvisr.zip

ExcludeTrailing
BackSlash

function ExcludeTrailingBackSlash(const s: string): string;

SysUtils (D5)

ExtractRelativePath

function ExtractRelativePath
(const BaseName, DestName: string): string;

Returns a file path name relative to the given BaseName. It strips the common path dirs and adds '..\' for each level up from the BaseName path.

SysUtils

ExtractFileDir

function ExtractFileDir(const FileName: string): string;
Extracts the drive and directory parts of the given filename.

SysUtils

ExtractFilePath

function ExtractFilePath(const Filename: string): string;
Extracts the drive and directory parts of the given filename.

See
- example with INI Files in Files section
- example under Append in File I/O section

SysUtils

Find Folders

Eddie Shipman's UseNet Post to use Find Files or Folders Dialog

Also see SelectDirectory and SHBrowseForFolder

FindFirst/FindNext/ FindClose

see also File Attributes under Files section
see TSearchRec below

There is a FindClose routine in both the Windows and SysUtils unit that can
cause a problem when the order of units in the "uses" section is not correct.
To avoid this ambiguity (and compile time error), and for consistency, prefix
the "Find" routines with "SysUtils," e.g., SysUtils.FindClose as shown in
the examples below.

See:

- Charles Hacker's UseNet Post with recursive GetFiles example.
- Peter Below's example in a UseNet Post
- Using FindFirst and the WIN_32_FIND_DATA structure, Borland TI 1512D
- Fred's UseNet Post with an example of using WIN_32_FIND_DATA
- Using FindFirst and FindNext to find directories, Borland TI 647D
- GetFileSize using FindFirst in UseNet Post by Freter (determine the file or directory size, recursively)
- Deleting a directory and all the directory files, Borland FAQ 777D
- CountFiles, CountFolders, DeleteFolder, GetFolderSize (below)
(See also Recursive Directory Search)

- Dr. John Stockton's solution: http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/programs/dirslist.pas

The FileListLibrary.PAS unit provides a ScanDirectory procedure for a generic way to process a hierarchy of directories and files. Two callback routines are parameters to ScanDirectory to process each file, and to process the beginning and end of a directory. The routines ProcessDirectory and ProcessFile in ScreenFileCheck.PAS are the routines used as parameters to ScanDirectory. See the FileCheck Lab Report for the source code.

// Normally FileSpec is '*.*'
FUNCTION CountFiles (CONST Path: STRING; CONST FileSpec: STRING): INTEGER;
VAR
    ReturnCode : INTEGER;
    SearchRec : TSearchRec;
BEGIN
RESULT := 0;
ReturnCode := SysUtils.FindFirst(Path + '\' +
                  Filespec, faAnyFile, SearchRec);
TRY
    WHILE ReturnCode = 0 DO
    BEGIN
      IF (SearchRec.Attr AND faDirectory <> faDirectory) AND
         (SearchRec.Name <> '.') AND
         (SearchRec.Name <> '..')
      THEN INC (RESULT);
      ReturnCode := SysUtils.FindNext(SearchRec)
    END;
FINALLY
    SysUtils.FindClose(SearchRec)
END
END {CountFiles};

// Count subfolders (subdirectories) in given directory
FUNCTION CountFolders(CONST Path: STRING): INTEGER;
VAR
    ReturnCode: INTEGER;
    SearchRec : TSearchRec;
BEGIN
RESULT := 0;
ReturnCode := SysUtils.FindFirst(Path + '\*.*',
                  faDirectory, SearchRec);
TRY
    WHILE ReturnCode = 0 DO
    BEGIN
      IF (SearchRec.Attr AND faDirectory > 0) AND
         (SearchRec.Name <> '.') AND
         (SearchRec.Name <> '..')
      THEN INC (RESULT);
      ReturnCode := SysUtils.FindNext(SearchRec)
    END;
FINALLY
    SysUtils.FindClose(SearchRec);
END
END {CountFolders};

// Also see, Borland FAQ 777D
FUNCTION DeleteFolder(CONST Folder: TFileName): BOOLEAN;
VAR
    OK        : BOOLEAN;
    ReturnCode: INTEGER;
    SearchRec : TSearchRec;
BEGIN
RESULT := TRUE;
ReturnCode := SysUtils.FindFirst(Folder + '\*.*',
                  faAnyFile, SearchRec);
TRY
    WHILE ReturnCode = 0 DO
    BEGIN
      IF (SearchRec.Name <> '.') AND
         (SearchRec.Name <> '..') AND
         (SearchRec.Attr <> faDirectory)
      THEN BEGIN
        OK := SysUtils.DeleteFile(Folder + '\' +
              SearchRec.Name);
        IF   NOT OK
        THEN RESULT := FALSE;
      END;
      ReturnCode := SysUtils.FindNext(SearchRec);
    END;
FINALLY
    SysUtils.FindClose(SearchRec);
END;
RESULT := RemoveDir(Folder) AND RESULT;
END {DeleteFolder};

PROCEDURE GetFolderSize
          (CONST Path: STRING; VAR TotalBytes: Integer;
           VAR TotalFiles: INTEGER);
VAR
    SearchRec : TSearchRec;
    ReturnCode: INTEGER;
BEGIN
TotalBytes := 0;
TotalFiles := 0;

ReturnCode := SysUtils.FindFirst(Path + '\*.*',
                  faAnyFile, SearchRec);
WHILE ReturnCode = 0 DO
BEGIN
    IF (SearchRec.Name <> '.') AND
        (SearchRec.Name <> '..') AND
        (SearchRec.Attr <> faDirectory)
    THEN BEGIN
      TotalBytes := TotalBytes + SearchRec.Size;
      TotalFiles := TotalFiles + 1;
    END;
    ReturnCode := SysUtils.FindNext(SearchRec);
END;
SysUtils.FindClose(SearchRec)
END {GetFolderSize};

SysUtils

ForceDirectories

see example under "Append" in File I/O section

FileCtrl

GetCurrentDir

function GetCurrentDir: string;

SysUtils

GetDir

System

GetFolderSize

see example above in FindFirst/FindNext

GetSpecialPath

See Neil Rubenking's AllFuncs.pas unit in his ColorClue PC Magazine utility.

GetSystemDirectory

Rudy Velthuis' (Team B) UseNet Post with example

Bill Todd's UseNet Post

GetTempFileName

Can be used for temporary directory name

GetTempPath

Serghiy Perevoznyk's UseNet Post

GetWindowsDirectory

Rudy Velthuis' (Team B) UseNet Post with example

A tricky way to use SetLength
www.preview.org/q/q1022.shtml

IncludeTrailingBackSlash

function IncludeTrailingBackSlash(const s: string): string;

SysUtils (D5)

JEDI

Delphi Jedi Code Library, JclFileUtils.PAS unit

Managing Directories

Delphi in a Nutshell, p. 500

MkDir

System

Path to DOS Path

Mayakron's UseNet Post with PathToDOSPath function

PIDLs

Delphi Informant's The Secret World of PIDLs -- Working with Windows' Shell Item Identifiers

Recursive Search/Delete

Recursive delete a group of files and subdirectories
www.preview.org/q/q1016.shtml

Recycle Bin

See efg's Files page: Recycle Bin and SHFileOperation

RemoveDir

function RemoveDir(const Dir: string): Boolean;

See "DeleteFolder" Example under FindFirst/FindNext/FindClose (above)

SysUtils

RenameFile

function RenameFile(const OldName, NewName: string): Boolean;
Renames the specified file or directory. Wrapper around MoveFile API call.

SysUtils

Resource Grabber

The Resource-Grabber will scan the directories and drives on your computer and extract all Bitmaps, Glyphs (button images), Icons, Cursors, JPG/JPEG images, WAVE and RMI sound files as well as AVI video clips it finds inside the programs and DLL files in any directory of your choice. http://inner-smile.com/dl_res.htm

RmDir

Recursive delete a group of files and subdirectories
www.preview.org/q/q1016.shtml

System

SelectDirectory

SelectDirectory brings up a dialog to allow the user to enter a directory name.

Display the Windows directory browser. The Caption parameter specifies a caption for the dialog. The Root parameter specifies the root directory from which to browse. The selected directory is returned as the Directory parameter.
function SelectDirectory(const Caption: string; const Root: WideString; out Directory: string): Boolean; overload;

Call the Select Directory dialog box. The directory passed to the function with the Directory parameter appears as the currently selected directory when the dialog box appears. The name of the directory the user selects becomes the value of Directory when the function returns. The dialog does not change the value of the current directory.
function SelectDirectory(var Directory: string; Options: TSelectDirOpts; HelpCtx: Longint): Boolean; overload;

Example showing how to use the SelectDirectory function with its select directory dialog by Damon Matthews.
www.richplum.co.uk/downloads/dbe/selectdir.zip

Also see SHBrowseForFolder

FileCtrl

SetCurrentDir

function SetCurrentDir(const Dir: string): Boolean;

SysUtils

SetWorkingDirectory

Borland's "Adding shortcuts" TI 1597D

SHBrowseForFolder

efg's BrowseForFolder demo project that includes a way to set the initial folder for the search tree. Includes info about the FreePIDL API call in Shell32.DLL.

Mike Lischke's UseNet Post with a BrowseCallbackProc function to set the initial path

Lawrence Thurman's UseNet Post with SHBrowseForFolder example

John Scalco's UseNet Post about using BFFM_SETSELECTION message to set the initial directory

Ray Adam's Browse for folder v 2.0
http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/ray_adams/components.htm

The Delphi Expert's UseNet Post about how to browse for a folder

"Browsing for Folders" in From the Shell: Part I: Dialog Boxes You’ve Always Needed, Delphi Informant, April 1999

TBrowseFolder Component Native Delphi component that encapsulates the SHBrowseForFolder interface. www.programmersheaven.com/zone2/cat60/14478.htm

Demonstrate how to implement a browse for folders dialog using SHBrowseForFolder.
www.ecnet.net/users/gsmpati/delphi

PBFolderDialog is SHBrowseForFolder dialog with capability of creating new folders when browsing for a folder. http://delphi.icm.edu.pl/ftp/d20free/PBFolder.zip

Using the Shell API function SHBrowseForFolder, Borland FAQ 2008D

"From the Shell: Dialog Boxes You've Always Needed"
Delphi Informant, April 1999, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 8-22
File di9904kb.zip at www.delphizine.com/download/default.asp

Also see SelectDirectory

ShellAPI

SHFileOperation

See efg's Files page: Recycle Bin and SHFileOperation

SHFolder

Extra Shell Folder locations interface by Rudolph Velthuis
http://www.delphi-jedi.org/Jedi:APILIBRARY
ftp://delphi-jedi.org/api/ShFolder.zip

SHGetSpecialFolderLocation

Opening the "Find Files..." Dialog Using Delphi
www.undu.com/Articles/980226a.htm

Special Folders

The TSpecialFolders component retrieves the location of windows special folders. This component uses the official Microsoft way to retrieve the informations about the special folders. This is the use of the API function SHGetSpecialFolderLocation instead of reading the information from the windows registry. http://delphi.icm.edu.pl/ftp/d50free/spfolder.zip

subst

Howard Moon's UseNet Post describing a "DOS" way to assign a drive letter to a directory

SWAG

Directory SWAG (Software Archive Group). 59 various directory examples
www.gdsoft.com/swag/dirs.zip (requires Reader)

TFolderTree

TFolderTree is a folder tree display, similar to the left pane of Windows Explorer, for use with Delphi 2. Now works with Windows NT and includes access to Network Neighborhood. http://delphi.icm.edu.pl/ftp/d20free/ftree.zip

TSearchRec

Used in FindFirst/FindNext

TSearchRec =
record
Time: Integer;
Size: Integer;
Attr: Integer;
Name: TFileName;
ExcludeAttr: Integer;
FindHandle : THandle;
FindData : TWin32FindData;
end;

TShellTree

TShellTree is an exact copy of of the Explorer's left pane. Features: Userdefined Root (Pathes and System-Elements), Browsing and masking files, automatic Tree-update.
http://delphi.icm.edu.pl/ftp/d30free/shltree.zip

WIN_32_FIND_DATA

Using FindFirst and the WIN_32_FIND_DATA structure, Borland TI 1512D

Fred's UseNet Post with an example of using WIN_32_FIND_DATA

Windows Directory

See GetWindowsDirectory

Start Menu location is in Registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
shell folders