delete folder/contents based on date

I have a test environment where I create a group of sub folders within a parent folder.
Each of the sub-folders has a number of documents in each.

ie.
Parent Folder
    Subfolder A
          file1
          file2
    Subfolder B
          file1

I want to create a cron task that will run a script which will remove any subdirectory that is 2 days old.

My challenge is to cycle thru all contents of parentfolder, examine the date of each folder and if the date is older than 2 day delete the contents that folder and then the folder itself.

I don't know the names of the folders in advance

If I use code such as
readdir($parentFolder)
who do I tell if the item is a folder or a file

This script doesn't need to be recursive, as there are not folders within subFolders
joomlaAsked:
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TvMptConnect With a Mentor Commented:
Try to ignore the self remove path

function delete_recursive($path)
{
    if (is_dir($path))
    {
        $iterator = new RecursiveIteratorIterator(
            new RecursiveDirectoryIterator($path, RecursiveDirectoryIterator::SKIP_DOTS),
            RecursiveIteratorIterator::CHILD_FIRST
        );
 
        foreach ($iterator as $file)
        {
            if ($file->isDir())
            {
                rmdir($file->getPathname());
            }
            else
            {
                unlink($file->getPathname());
            }
        }

    }
}

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TvMptCommented:
You can use a simple php page to do that.

Use the stat() to get date info

Exemple_:
$stat = stat('\path\to\directory');
echo 'Modification time: ' . $stat['mtime']; // will show unix time stamp.

Open in new window



Modifiy the script to compare the mtime with current time minus 2 days...

/**
* Delete a file/recursively delete a directory
*
* NOTE: Be very careful with the path you pass to this!
*
* @param string $path The path to the file/directory to delete
* @return void
*/
function delete_recursive($path)
{
    if (is_dir($path))
    {
        $iterator = new RecursiveIteratorIterator(
            new RecursiveDirectoryIterator($path, RecursiveDirectoryIterator::SKIP_DOTS),
            RecursiveIteratorIterator::CHILD_FIRST
        );
 
        foreach ($iterator as $file)
        {
            if ($file->isDir())
            {
                rmdir($file->getPathname());
            }
            else
            {
                unlink($file->getPathname());
            }
        }
 
        rmdir($path);
    }
    else
    {
        unlink($path);
    }
}

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joomlaAuthor Commented:
Hi,
thanks for your follow up and help
I'm not familiar with the RecursiveIteratorIterator class

With slight modification for variable names I get the following error
Fatal error: Undefined class constant 'SKIP_DOTS'

Do I need to declare anything before using the class ?
regards
M
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TvMptCommented:
Try to include php_fileinfo.dll as an extension in php.ini
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joomlaAuthor Commented:
forgive me for not knowing but is this a windows solution ?
0
 
TvMptCommented:
Its not about SO. But did you have PHP version 5.3.x ??
0
 
TvMptCommented:
This is supported starting with PHP 5.3.
0
 
joomlaAuthor Commented:
Sorry
Using 5.2.11
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TvMptCommented:
You can try to use only the
new RecursiveIteratorIterator(new RecursiveDirectoryIterator($startpath), RecursiveIteratorIterator::CHILD_FIRST)
0
 
joomlaAuthor Commented:
thanks for the advice
that works to a large degree

however, it does two things that I hadn't wanted
1. it deletes files in the parentFolder.... I only want to delete subFolders
2. it deletes the parentFolder as well

So, if I call the function    
delete_recursive($parentFolder);
everthing, including the parentFolder is deleted

thanks
m
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TvMptCommented:
Just put a simple if to skip base path...
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joomlaAuthor Commented:
I'm sorry, but how do it apply an if statement to check for the base path
I'm not familiar with this class
0
 
joomlaAuthor Commented:
thanks for help
0
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