What's the syntax to check if a local folder exists?

[Jim Ault]

On Jun 7, 2011, at 7:37 AM, Keith Clarke wrote:
> Great, thanks to all who responded!
> Blindingly obvious once viewed with hindsight - and as Colin rightly  
> suggests, it seems 'there is' still much I need to learn about the  
> subtleties of the LiveCode syntax! ;-)
>
> I went for a matching pair of one-liners, which worked very nicely:
> if there is not a folder "this_folder" then create folder  
> "this_folder"
> if there is not a folder "this_folder/that_subfolder" then create  
> folder "this_folder/that_subfolder"
>

In case someone has a more complex set of conditions,
here are two ways I create a folder/subfolder structure
on openstack to insure folders exist when needed,
especially in a new drive or computer location.

The first is a single path for all log files
The second is a split path for multiple users

The create folder only works with one folder level at a time, so
-------  Single Path ----------
--start with a known root folder location
-- note that I use 'pathh' as my working variable
local xPathhMsgs, xMsgSource
on initMsgProcessing --7.25.06
   put rootLocalFolder() into pathh
   --define successive path names
   replace "Projects/merge/" with "Projects/logs/" in pathh
   if there is not a folder pathh then create folder pathh
   replace "logs/" with "logs/msgProc/" in pathh
   if there is not a folder pathh then create folder pathh
   replace "msgProc/" with "msgProc/merge/" in pathh

   --keep the old path (like prev day) as archive
   --then do this
  put pathh & the seconds into pathh2 -- make old name
  if there IS a folder pathh then
     rename folder pathh to pathh2 --
   end if

-- now yesterday's folder is unique
-- and restarting in the same day will keep old logs

-- now let's make the empty folder for today
   if there is not a folder pathh then create folder pathh
   put pathh into xPathhMsgs  -- keep this pathh

end initMsgProcessing

-------  Multiple Paths ----------
--start with a defined root folder location
-- note that I use 'pathh' as my working variable
global zRootLocalFolder
on makeFolders whichFldr
    --build archiving folders for email activity
    put zRootLocalFolder into pathh
    if not there is a folder pathh then create folder pathh
    -- user account specific folders MAKE them
    put  
"EmailsSent 
,keepTheseFiles 
,logs 
,logs_vidLibWebPages/,logs_vidLibWebPages/,IDtablesZZZ,IDtablesZZZ/ 
pageID,IDtablesZZZ/urlID,IDtablesZZZ/emailListID" into repeatStrngs
    -- add user designation to 4 sub folders
    replace "ZZZ" with whichFldr in repeatStrngs
    repeat for each item ITM in repeatStrngs
       if not there is a folder (pathh&ITM) then create folder  
(pathh&ITM)
    end repeat
    -----
    -- here is what the loop will do
    --   if not there is a folder (pathh&"EmailsSent") then create  
folder (pathh&"EmailsSent")
    --   if not there is a folder (pathh&"keepTheseFiles") then create  
folder (pathh&"keepTheseFiles")
    --   if not there is a folder (pathh&"logs") then create folder  
(pathh&"logs")
    --   if not there is a folder (pathh&"logs_vidLibWebPages/") then  
create folder (pathh&"logs_vidLibWebPages/")
    --   if not there is a folder (pathh&"IDtables") then create  
folder (pathh&"IDtables")
    --   if not there is a folder (pathh&"IDtablesZZZ/pageID") then  
create folder (pathh&"IDtables/pageID")
    --   if not there is a folder (pathh&"IDtables/urlID") then create  
folder (pathh&"IDtables/urlID")
    --   if not there is a folder (pathh&"IDtables/emailListID") then  
create folder (pathh&"IDtables/emailListID")

    --inserting   whichFldr  param into IDtablesZZZ
    --IDtablesZZZ/pageID
    --  IDtablesZZZ/urlID
    --    IDtablesZZZ/emailListID

end makeFolders

Hope this helps someone

Jim Ault
Las Vegas