Need VB Script to look for a file and act on if it exists

BlueDevilFan:

Thank you! is there a way to control the number of times it loops so as to avoid the situation where the file never exists and the script loops forever?

Let me know if this is possible,
Jason

egl1044:

i posted before i saw your post -- i will try your solution as well -- looks like you got the loop under control.

Hello jsvb1977,

Modified to include an escape after a specified time limit...

Regards,

Patrick

Dim strFile, objFSO, StartAt
Const MaxDelay = 900 '15 minutes, expressed in seconds
 
StartAt = Now
 
strFile= "C:\Scripts\JRSTEST.txt"
set objFSO = createobject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
 
Do 
    If DateDiff("s", StartAt, Now) >= MaxDelay Then
        MsgBox "Quitting because I hit the limit", vbCritical + vbSystemModal, _
            "No soup for you!"
        Exit Do
    End If
    WScript.Sleep 5000
Loop Until objFSO.FileExists(strFile)
Set objFSO = Nothing
WScript.Quit

                                              

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Sorry all, I didn't refresh before posting :)

Here's my version with control.

strFile= "C:\Scripts\JRSTEST.txt"
lngLoops = 1
set objFSO = createobject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
 
Do While Not objFSO.FileExists(strFile)
    WScript.Sleep 5000
    lngLoops = lngLoops + 1
    If lngLopps >= 5000 Then Exit Do
Loop
WScript.Quit

                                              

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Or another way

strFile= "C:\Scripts\JRSTEST.txt"
lngLoops = 1
set objFSO = createobject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
 
Do While (Not objFSO.FileExists(strFile)) And (lngLoops < 5000)
    WScript.Sleep 5000
    lngLoops = lngLoops + 1
Loop
WScript.Quit

                                              

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Well,

I turns out that WScript calls can not be used in the application I intended to use this script for. Here is an article that gives an explanation:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/279164

Is it possible to accomplish what I want to accomplish without referencing WScript Functions?

Let me know,
Jason

FYI:

egl1044's solution worked perfectly OUTSIDE of the application I used it in.

Jason

Jason,

You didn't say anything about needing this in an application.  What do you need to run this from?

BlueDevilFan,

Sorry for not being more clear. We recently installed an application called PlanetPress. It handles form overlays, printing, and faxing of forms and documents. One feature of the application is the ability to run embedded vb scripts OR calling an external vb script.

There is one processes I am working on which requires me to monitor a directory for a file. when that file exists i need to continue on with the planet press process. when the file does not exist i need the planet press process to wait until file does exist. The vb script we are working on will handle this.

I didnt realize that using wscript would be a problem. I think the wscript.sleep is the issue as some wscript functions appear to work.?.?.?

Jason

Add this below the (Set FSO = ) line. The link you posted seems to indicate you need explicitly create the object if from outside resource. Give that a try.

Set WScript = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

Ahh I see your problem the application is probrably using microsoft scripting control. You can use the Wscript objects but the core methods like Sleep() don't exists only the specific objects like Shell,Network etc.. This means you will need to either create an ActiveX.DLL and implement the Sleep() API in there and use CreateObject() on your ActiveX.dll. You could probrably use the Timer object to create a custom sleep as well.

yep, i think you are correct. i also thought of something else....

I should be watching to see if the file has completed being written. i mean, i cant continue with the planet press process unless the file has completed being written to the file path.

know what i mean?

what do you recommend that i do?

As a work around i am using this script to act as a delay timer. it is a hack but is working. it will fail if a file takes longer than 6 seconds to be exported and written to the file path specified in the script.

what do you think of this script? can we work with this in some way?

Jason

strFile= "C:\Scripts\JRSTEST.txt"
strDelay= 5
set objFSO = createobject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
 
if objFSO.FileExists(strFile) then
	msgbox "File Does Exist"
	'Do Nothing
else
	strResume = Second(now()) + strDelay
	Do until Second(Now()) > strResume
    Loop        
	msgbox "Sorry, the file does not exist"
    
end if

                                              

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Well you can only do this from scripting if the file will be a static size like 1024 bytes. Otherwise you will need to create another loop and check if additional bytes are still being written to that file. This is especially the case if the application writing to the file gives share access. However if the application writing to the file gives no access you could check for runtime error and this will only work if the application closes the handle immediatley after it finishes writing. It will be hard to come up with any kind of solution without knowing any information about the file.

We figured out a way to do this with in the Planet Press application == so this script is no longer needed. i will award points to the one script that did the job OUTSIDE of planet press since it was the closest.

thanks to all that assisted!

Jason