programming question about searching for files..

[hans007]

ok my project partner seems to be unix god, so he's asking me to write a parser for him.


One part of it, ineed to check a certain number of paths, for a file.
anyways, here is my idea, i havent tried it yet, as i am tryiing to install linux mandrake 7.2 on my other laptop. however for some reason X wont load, so i am even having problems with that.


FILE* myfile = NULL;
myfile = fopen("path1/thefileyouarelookingfor", "r")
if(myfile == NULL) check other paths


anyone think i'm right? i feel like such a dumbass , since he's like god coder and unix man, and like basically laid out the project and just gave me a parser to run, which is super easy. oh well, at least i didnt get stuck with a partner more clueless than i am at unix.

 

[Nothinman]

That should work, there's multiple ways to do it though (of course). What do you plan on doing if there is a copy of the file in more than one of your search paths?

Since you seem to know the search paths at compile time, I would probably use an array of char arrays and do something like:

int found = 0;
while (!found) {
myfile = fopen(*search_paths[search_position], "r");
search_position++;
if (myfile) { found = 1; }
elsif (search_position > search_list_size) { break; }
}

That way you can keep adding entries into the search_paths array and it'll still work without having to f' with the search loop.

edit: I'm tired and can't think straight, hopefully you can figure out what I mean =)

 

[Damascus]

<< int found = 0;
while (!found) {
myfile = fopen(*search_paths[search_position], "r");
search_position++;
if (myfile) { found = 1; }
elsif (search_position > search_list_size) { break; }
} >>



Argh, let's clean up some of that mess. 😉

int found = 0;

while (!found) {
myfile = fopen(*search_paths[search_position], "r");
search_position++;

if (myfile) {
found = 1;
}
else if (search_position > search_list_size) {
break;
}
}

 

[hans007]

thanks guys

 

[Nothinman]

Argh, let's clean up some of that mess.

Thanks, I knew what I wanted it to look like but I just couldn't convey it =)

And for the life of me I coudln't remember C's syntax for 'else if' because of too, well atleast I didn't end it with 'fi' =)

 

[Armitage]

Another perspective...
I'm learning some Python right now, and it is fantastic for this sort of thing.
Here's how you would do it.

#!/usr/bin/python
#A program to recursively search the current directory for a file named myfile.dat
import os

def check_my_file(arg, dirname, names):
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp for name in names:
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp if name == "myfile.dat":
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp arg.append(dirname + '/' + name)

os.path.walk('.', check_my_file, files)

for file in files:
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp print file

 

[Evadman]

The forum here will allow you up to 2 spaces. any more than that and it removes them.

 

[Armitage]

<< The forum here will allow you up to 2 spaces. any more than that and it removes them. >>



Yea, that's my point. It looks like Damascus got it to preserve much more then 2 spaces when he posted that code.

 

[CTho9305]

intersesting. he did, and they aren't even special spaces.
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we shall see!

 

[Armitage]

<< intersesting. he did, and they aren't even special spaces.
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we shall see! >>



Didn't work for you either!

 

[hans007]

my CS partner told me to use a function called stat() that would also work. anyone know what .h file that goes with. i normally program in C++ so i need to reacclimate myself with C .

 

[Beau]

You can add spaces to your text by using &NBSP; (write the letters in lowercase though)
like this:

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[Armitage]

<< You can add spaces to your text by using &NBSP; (write the letters in lowercase though)
like this:

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Ok,now I get it. Thanks!

 

[Damascus]

Heh everyone is so interested in spaces. 🙂

Beau is correct. &NBSP; (in lowercase) will add a Non-Breakable SPace to your
text, as I think the browser discards extra spaces if you enter them with your
space bar.

 

[Beau]

<< Heh everyone is so interested in spaces. 🙂 >>



Well this is a highly technical forum 😉