The C system command with long filenames in windowsXP

I have having a bit of a problem with this.
What I am trying to do is to output the contents of a folder into a file (to get a directory listing)as follows:-

The below code works fine.

Code:

---


system("dir 2e6d1\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc");

---

However if the folder/directory name is long as in the following:-

Code:

---


system("dir 2e6d1763e3000000\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc");

---

It gives a file not found error, because it does not like the long folder name.

I am using the djgpp C compiler (where you compile with GCC).

I only get the error when I run the command from within a C program via a system command, if I run the same command from the keyboard (via a batch file) it works fine.

It seems, the C program is using a different 'shell' or whatever you call it (the thing which executes commands), so how do I get it to use the command interpreter which 'likes' long filenames.

TIA :)

Hm. What is this escape sequence: \*?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dave_Sinkula

Hm. What is this escape sequence: \*?

---

It's not an escape sequence it is the MSDOS folder seperator as in:-
C:\DOCUME~1\HP_OWNER\DESKTOP\TESTDIR\2E6D1\196135~ 1.LOG

I want to list all the ".log" files so I want *.log

So the last bit would become:-

C:\DOCUME~1\HP_OWNER\DESKTOP\TESTDIR\2E6D1\*.LOG

Of course when I was printing the stuff into a string with sprint I had to do something like

Code:

---

sprintf (asrting, "C:\\DOCUME~1\\HP_OWNER\\DESKTOP\\TESTDIR\\2E6D1\\*.LOG")

---

(or something like that, it just an example)

You can see in the above the long filenames have been truncated.



Anyway.... I have though of a 'work around' in the meantime. What I can do is just rename all the folders to short filenames and then work with them. This is OK because I actually want to rename the folders anyway, based on the date of the files within them, thus if the files are dated 09/09/2006 (todays date) the folder will be named "09092006". This will meet my needs for what I want to do, however I would still like to know how to 'solve' the original problem.
Now I just need to find a good folder renaming utiliity, any recommendations?

Quote:

---

I want to list all the ".log" files so I want *.log

---

If you append a /X onto your dir, it will show you both the short and long filename. Last time I did something like this (in another language), I just wrote up a short bat file with all the various dir options I wanted (it has quite a list, type dir /? to see them all), and had it's output go into my program's input.

Renaming lots of files is a poor idea, imo. Learn to work with your OS, not work around it.

Adak

Oh I give up for the time being, I am wasting time just trying to rename a few folders, if I was
running Unix I would have done this in 2 minutes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by esbo

It's not an escape sequence it is the MSDOS folder seperator as in:-
C:\DOCUME~1\HP_OWNER\DESKTOP\TESTDIR\2E6D1\196135~ 1.LOG

---

Yes, I knew that. The same as I know a forward slash is easier to work with.

Perhaps the MSDN has something about converting long filenames to short filenames?

HA HA HA

I just did it, all you have to do is select all the folders then click rename, rename the first one
to 'a' (or whatever) then finish and it renames the lot to a(1) a(2) a(3)....a(999999) etc...

You can buy a utility to do this for about £20 a year if you like :)

That threw a few probs in the program cos of the "a (1)", but I will sort it out later.

Shouldn't you be programming it in hex or something?


Quzah.

Whatever is appropiate

Well I found a foulder renamer which works!!! (and is easy to use etc...) after a long fruitless
search.

http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php

I feel like making a donation!!

As you may have heard, calling external applications is not a good practice.
Could http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/fileio/fs/checknamelegaldos8dot3.asp"]CheckNameLegalDOS8Dot3 be of use?
The output char buffer seems to be something that returns a conversion to short names. Jesus chrsit why can't MSDN be more helpful?
I was going to try it out but it seems my libraries are out of date and don't have it.

If it works it's a good idea if it doesn't it's a bad idea.

In general microsoft is a bad idea.

Almost got my program to work by the way, I just need to be able to rename a folder from
within a program, no doubt that will be a thousand times more difficult than it should be
but I expect I will find a way to do it, by hook or by crook.:)

Then I just have to put it in a big loop :D

Ha ha just used rename(), works a treat, dunno if it will cope with long filenames though
(not that it needs to now).

Actually I just did a test and it will create long filenames, not that would have help me with the earlier prob with
the shell thingy.

To the OP: are you sure that in both versions you escaped your backslashes? It sounds suspicious that it works in a batch file but not in a C program. This was Dave_Sinkula's original point: \* isn't a vaild escape sequence.

Code:

---

system("dir 2e6d1\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc");

---

->

Code:

---

system("dir 2e6d1\\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc");

---

It's hard to belive that someone who's been "programming in hex before I(sic) was born" can be so ........ing stupid.


Quzah.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dwks

To the OP: are you sure that in both versions you escaped your backslashes? It sounds suspicious that it works in a batch file but not in a C program. This was Dave_Sinkula's original point: \* isn't a vaild escape sequence.

Code:

---

system("dir 2e6d1\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc");

---

->

Code:

---

system("dir 2e6d1\\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc");

---

---

Err....Possibly, you may well be right, but if you look at the original rwo lines:-

Code:

---

system("dir 2e6d1\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc");

---

and

Code:

---

system("dir 2e6d1763e3000000\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc");

---

You will see they both contain the same escape sequence, I am sure of this because
the "system" command's arguements are generated by the program based upon the folders
name as follows:-

Code:

---

sprintf(xstring, "dir %s\\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc",var2);
xret=system(xstring);

---

You can see I have a valid escape sequence in the sprintf bit ("var2" is the lazily names folder name!!), I don't think I have to have a futher escape sequence for the system() function.
But anyway it worked on short names but not long names so that would rule out the escape
sequence problem.


Anyway..... I seem to have got the program working (after a long struggle!!), although it still
has a slight problem when it tries to create a directory which already exists.

Perhaps I should explain what the program does, or more to the point why I am writing it.
When I play online poker the history of each game is stored in a file in a folder which contains all
the hand history files for that day, so a folder can have hundreds of files in it. Unfortunately the folders have obscure file names such as "0a8c06004351b0ed66b4ecbf0000000" which is problem when you have hundreds of such folders so I wanted to change to folder name to
the date on which the games were played, for example today would have a folder named "20060910" (sept 10 2006).
I can grap the date because each hand history has the date on the first line as follows:-

-----------------------
Game #3099446304: Hold'em FL (£0.35/£0.70) - 2006/07/24 - 02:04:59 (UK)
Table "Pisces" Seat 4 is the button.
Seat 1: player1 (£14.85 in chips)
Seat 2: pplayer2 (£19.36 in chips)
Seat 3: anotherpe (£20 in chips)
Seat 4: namedchanhged (£17.50 in chips)
Seat 5: chamged (£45.42 in chips)
Seat 6: another (£19.22 in chips)
another: posts small blind £0.20
changed: posts big blind £0.35
etc....
------------------------------

However sometimes more than one folder is used to hold the files on a particular day if you play
loads of games. This means my program tries to rename to a folder which already exists
which is a (the last) problem I have to fix:)

Anyway it works now apart from the above problem!!

As it was it would only save about 3 months hand history because it deleted older folders and resused the names, but now I will have a folder for each date.

Here is the ugly crap code, it's full of debug stuff and bodged/redundant code and requires
some othe batch files to get it working, but it does the job. Hope you understand it because I don't!!

Code:

---



#include <stdio.h>

#define TRUE 1
#define FALSE 0
#define MINUS -1
#define POSITIVE 0
#define MAXLIST 2100

int filelist, filelist2, xret, nodate;
char *dateptr;
FILE *ptr1, *d_log_ptr, *dirsptr, *logptr, *moredirs_bat_ptr;
char newname[20];
char var2[2010];
char var3[2010];
char xstring[2010];

main(argc,argv)
        int  argc;
        char *argv[];
{
        printf("\n  NEW      H33321");
        if (        (d_log_ptr=fopen("d.log","r")) == NULL) {
                       
                        puts("file2 does not exist");
                        printf("\nHa");
                        exit(2);        /* an early file does not exist        */
        }
       
       
        if (        (moredirs_bat_ptr=fopen("moredirs.bat","w")) == NULL) {
                       
                        puts("\nCant dirs batch file");
                        printf("\nHb");
                        exit(2);        /* an early file does not exist        */
        }
       

                        fprintf(moredirs_bat_ptr,"del dirs.doc\n");
        do {  /* for each file in directory list */
                        filelist=fscanf(d_log_ptr,"%[^\n]\n",var2); 
                        printf("\nfilelist <%d>",filelist);
                        /* if (filelist==-1) break; */
                        sprintf(xstring, "dir %s\\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc",var2);
                        printf("\n%s",xstring);
                        fclose(moredirs_bat_ptr);
                        xret=system(xstring);
                        printf("\nxret <%d>",xret);
                        /* open a list of logfiles in a directory */
                        if (        (dirsptr=fopen("dirs.doc","r")) == NULL) {
                                puts("dirs.doc does not exist");
                                exit(2);        /* an early file does not exist        */
                        }
                        printf("\nH21");
                       
                        nodate=0;
                        while(1) {
                                filelist2=fscanf(dirsptr,"%[^\n]\n",var3); 
                                printf("\n TRY filelist2 <%d><%d>", filelist2, EOF);
                                if (filelist2==EOF) {
                                        nodate=1;
                                        printf("\n*********break ***");
                                        break;
                                }
                                printf(" Dirsptr<%s>",var3);
                                printf("\n dirsptr code <%d>",filelist2);
                                /* open the log file */
                                if (        (logptr=fopen(var3,"r")) == NULL) {
                                        puts("logfile does not exist");
                                        printf("\nHc");
                                        exit(2);        /* an early file does not exist        */
                                }
                                filelist2=fscanf(logptr,"%[^\n]\n",var3); 
                                fclose(logptr); /* we only want first line */
                       
                                printf("\nvar3log<%s>",var3);
                                dateptr=strstr(var3," - ");
                                if (( strncmp(dateptr+3," ",1)) ==0)
                                {
                                        printf("\n DUFF DATE ");
                               
                                        continue; /* invalid date */
                                }
                                else break;
                        }
                        fclose(dirsptr); /* close it we have read the line we want */
               
                if (nodate==1) continue;
               
               
                printf("DATE <%4.4s%2.2s%2.2s>\n",dateptr+3 ,dateptr+8,dateptr+11);
               
                sprintf(newname,"%4.4s%2.2s%2.2s",dateptr+3 ,dateptr+8,dateptr+11);
                printf("newname <%s>",newname);
                rename(var2,newname);
               
                fclose(logptr);

        }
                       
        while (  filelist!=-1);
       
        fprintf(moredirs_bat_ptr,"go.bat \n");
        fclose(d_log_ptr);
        fclose(moredirs_bat_ptr);
}/*main */

---

A great example of how not to write code :D

In summary I think the original problem was that the command line interpreturer invoked
by the system() command in the program was not the same one invoked when when you run
command.com (or a .bat (batch) file), the system command used 8 character filenames whilst
running 'command.com' from START/RUN 'menu' could cope with long filenames.

Anyway I am off to play poker as I am too drunk to code now!! (last couple of nights have been very profitable).
I wouuld add that hand history analysis programs don't really help you play poker, it is too complicated. I just liked the challange of writing the program(s).

> if I was running Unix I would have done this in 2 minutes.
So get cygwin installed and use bash - problem solved.
You can quite happily do anything anywhere on the filesystem, it isn't restricted to some virtual playpen inside cygwin itself.

djgpp is a DOS compiler. If you want to program for Windows, get yourself a Windows compiler (Dev-C++, MinGW, Code-Blocks, MSVC, etc).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by anonytmouse

djgpp is a DOS compiler. If you want to program for Windows, get yourself a Windows compiler (Dev-C++, MinGW, Code-Blocks, MSVC, etc).

---

I think I tried Dev-C++, I ended up using gcc. I found it much more usable barring the long filename thing. I recall having some probs with DevC++ but I forget what they were.

Dev-cpp uses MinGW - the windows port of gcc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ken Fitlike

Dev-cpp uses MinGW - the windows port of gcc.

---

Well I used to have it on my old machine but I put gcc on my new machine, I can't remember what the probs with Dev-cpp were for me. I think I found it difficult to use, and maybe I was having some probs with librarys or something like that. Also I am not too keen on the GUI development enviroment. I like to use my own editor etc.. I think I had the Borland C as well but that was a pile of **** as far as I can remember.

Maybe I will give it another try, but other than the long filename prob gcc has been fine for me,
it is more of the 'old type' enviroment that I am used to, where I feel in control and know what is happening!! I don't like learning new tricks.

Anyway I have finished the program now and it works fine as long as I shorten the folder names before starting, as I am renaming them anyway thats not an issue.
The prog converts a unwieldy set of folders such as this:-

b3bd23002b68ab4fe9e7708100000000
4dd02300f234f5d7d51c796200000000
7ad82300ca64e99cc6747bcc00000000
250925000c4f0eabeac2557800000000
76292600d33a631f4095b60900000000
c63d2700a224fb719a43951900000000
493f2800487ccd48decdda8000000000
ddf92d00007dfe47616188c500000000
e0ab3d002005dc95b588a8ec00000000
e0df3f00dab1169f326c24ea00000000
e9da2300392600504a1ead7800000000
eb62080051d22c2cbf998b1600000000
ebbb15003f1816c736982ae900000000
edf70d00c55a59ac818c8e6700000000
ef000100e1317cbae329c34500000000
fa560600c182b79f2e1e13e900000000
fd4644008bb7465aa4aa823a00000000
fdca2400f274c4068648424100000000
0d832000bc1972cef133b9b100000000
0e0d41004142ead0d0942b8900000000
0f291f0094b9279fd80aad4700000000
1a491100e9568bed0cdc9fb300000000
2e6d13005dcb48ded0b326d000000000
2e97190091b33a9efef0c98500000000
2eca25000b683be99f59827900000000
3a8108004b77f1c2064561e300000000
3b2e1d0006b58aa25e750a5000000000


Into something more managable like this:-

20060301
20060308
20060224
20060321
20060212
20060210
20060127
20060427
20060426
20060425
20060424
20060423
20060423_04
20060423_01
20060810
20060810_02
20060809
20060808
20060808_04
20060807
20060806
20060805
20060805_01
20060804
20060803
20060802
20060801
20060731
20060730
20060729
20060728
20060727
20060727_02
20060726

In year, month, date format, sometimes there is more than one folder with the same date so
the bit after the _ is the hour it was created.

This is the modified and tidied up prog :)

Code:

---


#include <stdio.h>
#define TRUE 1
#define FALSE 0
#define MINUS -1
#define POSITIVE 0


int filelist, filelist2, xret, nodate;
char *dateptr;
FILE *ptr1, *d_log_ptr, *dirsptr, *logptr, *moredirs_bat_ptr;
char newname[20];
char newname2[20];
char var2[2010];
char var3[2010];
char xstring[2010];

main(argc,argv)
        int  argc;
        char *argv[];
{

        if (        (d_log_ptr=fopen("d.log","r")) == NULL) {
                        puts("file2 does not exist");
                        exit(2);        /* an early file does not exist        */
        }

        do {  /* for each file in directory list */
                        filelist=fscanf(d_log_ptr,"%[^\n]\n",var2); 
                        if (filelist==-1) break;
                        sprintf(xstring, "dir %s\\*.log /b /s  >dirs.doc",var2);
                        xret=system(xstring);
                        /* open a list of logfiles in a directory */
                        if (        (dirsptr=fopen("dirs.doc","r")) == NULL) {
                                puts("dirs.doc does not exist");
                                exit(2);        /* an early file does not exist        */
                        }
                        nodate=0;
                        while(1) {
                                filelist2=fscanf(dirsptr,"%[^\n]\n",var3); 
                                if (filelist2==EOF) {
                                        nodate=1;
                                        break;
                                }
                                /* open the log file */
                                if (        (logptr=fopen(var3,"r")) == NULL) {
                                        puts("logfile does not exist");
                                        exit(2);        /* an early file does not exist        */
                                }
                                filelist2=fscanf(logptr,"%[^\n]\n",var3); 
                                fclose(logptr); /* we only want first line */
                                dateptr=strstr(var3," - ");
                                if (( strncmp(dateptr+3," ",1)) ==0)
                                {
                                        continue; /* invalid date */
                                }
                                else break;
                        }
                        fclose(dirsptr); /* close it we have read the line we want */
               
                if (nodate==1) continue;
                sprintf(newname,"%4.4s%2.2s%2.2s",dateptr+3 ,dateptr+8,dateptr+11);
                if (rename(var2,newname) !=0 ) {
                        sprintf(newname,"%s_%2.2s",newname, dateptr+16);
                        if ( rename(var2,newname) !=0 ) {
                                printf("\n error");
                        }
                }
                        fclose(logptr);
        }
        while (  filelist!=-1);
}/*main */

---

You need to run a batch file in the folder first to create a list of folders (d.log), or run it from dos.

dir /b /od /x *. >d.log

You might find the program useful if you play poker on any poker site which uses cryptologic
software. Seems to work fine :)

I guess I could add a signal handler incase it gets stuck in a loop, but I don't think there any bugs in it!! ;)

There are several problems with your program that I can see. From http://opengroup.org/onlinepubs/0079...sh/fscanf.html:

Quote:

---

RETURN VALUE
Upon successful completion, these functions return the number of successfully matched and assigned input items; this number can be 0 in the event of an early matching failure. If the input ends before the first matching failure or conversion, EOF is returned. If a read error occurs the error indicator for the stream is set, EOF is returned, and errno is set to indicate the error.

---

You have

Code:

---

                                filelist2=fscanf(dirsptr,"%[^\n]\n",var3); 
                                if (filelist2==EOF) {

---

Rather than comparing the result to EOF, you should compare the result to 1:

Code:

---

                                filelist2=fscanf(dirsptr,"%[^\n]\n",var3); 
                                if (filelist2!=1) {

---

Another thing:

Code:

---

if (( strncmp(dateptr+3," ",1)) ==0)

---

Why not just use this?

Code:

---

if ( dateptr[3] == ' ' )

---

Some of your errors have a newline printed after them

Code:

---

puts("file2 does not exist");

---

and some before

Code:

---

printf("\n error");

---

This is sure to cause some problems.

exit() is in stdlib.h.

Code:

---

        do {  /* for each file in directory list */
                        filelist=fscanf(d_log_ptr,"%[^\n]\n",var2); 
                        if (filelist==-1) break;

/*...*/

        }while (  filelist!=-1);

---

Don't you think you could use a while loop for that?

Why is main() declared with the old-style function definition?

Well points taken dwks but the program works and that is all I am concerned about!!

Point 1 EOF works as well as 1.


>Another thing:

Code:

---

if (( strncmp(dateptr+3," ",1)) ==0) Why not just use this?

---

Code:

---

if ( dateptr[3] == ' ' )

---

Just lazy programming I had been working with the file in strings and I didn't
want to change to characters, less chance of making a silly coding error, and I was thinking in strings at the time.


>Some of your errors have a newline printed after them

Code:

---



puts("file2 does not exist");and some before

---

Code:

---

         
printf("\n error");

---

>This is sure to cause some problems.



Not really, the program just originated from a program I copied, as a rule I don't use puts usually, but it was already there so I don't modify working code, I always put a newline first.

Exit() gave no compiler/linker error.

I used that loop like that because of the way I developed the program, I don't care if it's not
elegant - it works!!


It's declared old style because it is copied again and more importantly - it works!!

In short I would rather have a badly written program which works than a correctly (in style)
written program which doesn't!! Substance over style is what I want!!

When I started programming I couldn't afford books etc..but my programs worked, which is more
than those written by the book learned 'experts' programms did!!

Quote:

---

Well points taken dwks but the program works and that is all I am concerned about!!

Point 1 EOF works as well as 1.

---

No it does not, as I was trying to point out; you should compare against EOF instead of 1 in case it returns 0.

Quote:

---

Exit() gave no compiler/linker error.

---

Well it should have; since it didn't, you don't have warnings enabled, which could cause you problems in the future.

Quote:

---

I used that loop like that because of the way I developed the program, I don't care if it's not
elegant - it works!!

---

Yes but you have repeated code, which should be avoided if possible.

Quote:

---

It's declared old style because it is copied again and more importantly - it works!!

In short I would rather have a badly written program which works than a correctly (in style)
written program which doesn't!! Substance over style is what I want!!

When I started programming I couldn't afford books etc..but my programs worked, which is more
than those written by the book learned 'experts' programms did!!

---

You seem obsessed with having programs that work with your compiler and input and enviroment, never mind some one else's compiler or larger buffer or prompt that doesn't print a newline after your program exits. If you have this

Code:

---

printf("\nerror");
exit(1);

---

and you run it on Linux, it will look something like this

Code:

---

$ ./program

error$

---

whereas if you printed the newline after the message it would look like this

Code:

---

$ ./program
error
$

---

The old-style function declaration might work on your compiler but it is deprecated and might not work on others.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dave_Sinkula

Yes, I knew that. The same as I know a forward slash is easier to work with.

Perhaps the MSDN has something about converting long filenames to short filenames?

---

Talking of which, do these functions "take" forward slashes as back slashes in a Windows environment?

Just occured to me I've never tried and have been at the hands of \\ for years.

Functions like rename() take forward slashes and backslashes, at least with Dev-C++.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dwks

No it does not, as I was trying to point out; you should compare against EOF instead of 1 in case it returns 0.


Well it should have; since it didn't, you don't have warnings enabled, which could cause you problems in the future.


Yes but you have repeated code, which should be avoided if possible.


You seem obsessed with having programs that work with your compiler and input and enviroment, never mind some one else's compiler or larger buffer or prompt that doesn't print a newline after your program exits. If you have this

Code:

---

printf("\nerror");
exit(1);

---

and you run it on Linux, it will look something like this

Code:

---

$ ./program

error$

---

whereas if you printed the newline after the message it would look like this

Code:

---

$ ./program
error
$

---

The old-style function declaration might work on your compiler but it is deprecated and might not work on others.

---

Well the EOF thing is not a problem at the moment. I do have warnings enabled. I get lots (5) of them, but not about exit.

The proram works on my compiler and my machine, which is fortunete because that is where it runs!!

The program is designed to run on Linux like that its a feature of thre program!!
It's old style so it will also run on old style compilers, so its a portable program which
will run on other machines/compilers.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ahluka

Talking of which, do these functions "take" forward slashes as back slashes in a Windows environment?

Just occured to me I've never tried and have been at the hands of \\ for years.

---

http://groups.google.com/group/comp....3ac81f37b60ca9