Creating Directories

[SmileeTiger]

I want to create a directory that is several sub directories besed upon user input. I can do it fin if the user specifies say c:\test\ however if they want to create c:\test\test\ and c:\test does not exist CreateDirectory won't work. I could parse the string that is input and create c:\test\ first then create c:\test\test\ however there should be an easier way to do this.. any tips?

 

[Cagliostro]

no. There is no way to create a directory in an inexistent directory. You should create nesting directories one by one in the nested order. John Fill

ivfmd@mail.md

 

[Zyrenthian]

Here is how I did it:

Lets say the user typed in as you said "c:\test\test\"

first I do a chdir("C:\&quot, chdir returns non-zero if successful. Then I do a chdir to "test" then I do another chdir to test

if at any time chdir fails (except when drive letter fails) I call mkdir

Lets say c:\test did not exist here is what it would look like

// this uses pointer arithmitic, using MFC there are other
// ways

char path[128];
char current[128];
*current = 0;
char* ptr;
cin>>path;
ptr = strstr(path,"\\"

while(ptr)
{

strncpy(current,ptr-path);
ptr++;
if(!chdir(current))
if(strstr(current,":&quot
break; // invalid drive letter
else
{
mkdir(current);
chdir(current);
}
}
ptr = strstr(path,"\\"
}


I belive that should do it. You may need a modification if my logic is off but that is how I remember doing it.

matt

 

[SmileeTiger]

OK I have come up with an implementation of this however when I try to print out the path as it is being built it doesn't seem to work.. any ideas? I think it has something to do with the line 'char *token; //A token ' .. since token is a pointer there seems to be a problem

void CJobfileServer::MY_CreateDirectory(char *Path)
{

CString Output; //A temp output cstring
//Lets check to see how many occirances of "\\" there are in the string
int count=0; //The count of "\\" in the path
for(int i=0;i< strlen(Path); i++)
{
if(Path=='\\')
count++;
}

if(count == 2) //Since the path only has 2 &quot;\\&quot;'s then we can simply create the path streight out.
{
CreateDirectory(Path, NULL); //Creates the path right away
}
else
{
char TokenChar[]=&quot;\\&quot;; //Using a '\' as the delimiter
char *token; //A token
char CreatePath[255]; //The path that will be created.. this path should be filled in as we go.

token=strtok(Path,TokenChar);
while(token!=NULL)
{
strcat(CreatePath, token);
token=strtok(NULL,TokenChar);
Output.Format(&quot;Path is currently %s&quot;,CreatePath); //Should spit out the path as it is being built
AfxMessageBox(Output);
//Create the directory here if it is not already present
}
Output.Format(&quot;Path is currently %s&quot;,CreatePath); //Should spit out the complete path
AfxMessageBox(Output);
}

}

 

[ajm2001]

I have a much simpler function to create nested directories

basically it works by scanning the path string, and every time it finds a backslash, it creates the path up to that point.

BOOL CreatePath(LPCSTR lpszTarget)
{
	int  i, len;
	CString stDir;
	CString stPath(lpszTarget);			// A Copy of the Original Complete Path
	BOOL status;

	// Create all required subdirectory levels
	len = stPath.GetLength();
	// i starts at 4 to skip over creating root directory
	for (i = 4; i <= len; i++) {
		if (i == len || stPath[i] == '\\') {
			stDir = (i == len)? stPath : stPath.Left(i);
			status = CreateDirectory(stDir, NULL);
		}
	}

	return status;
}

Hope this helps I

 

[SmileeTiger]

What does the line:
stDir = (i == len)? stPath : stPath.Left(i);
Do? How does this work?


Cory

 

[ajm2001]

Cory

The line
stDir = (i == len)? stPath : stPath.Left(i)

simply is a conditional expression that if the condition (i == len) is TRUE then sets stDir = stPath, otherwise sets stDir = stPath.Left(i)

Hope this helps
Alistair I

 

[SmileeTiger]

Ahh *laughs* I forgot about that notation

Thanks