Recursive File/Folder search?

[David Torno]

Ok, my brain is not getting something here. Any help appreciated. I am trying to read through a folder structure (OS X based) recursively. I started to write the loop section, but then saw myself getting into a manual loop setup sort of thing. The setup where I start a series of "for" and "if" rabbit hole. What am I missing to dynamically dive through the folders recursively, simply?

var path = Folder.selectDialog("Please select starting folder.");

if(path != null){

          var startingFolder = path;

     var initialFolders = startingFolder.getFiles();

          var initialFileCount = initialFolders.length;

          var fileNames = new Array();

//    LOOP STARTING HERE    ————————————————————————————————

          for(var c=0; c<initialFileCount; c++){

                    var fileCheck = checkForFilesValidator(initialFolders);

                    if(fileCheck > 0){

                              for(var d=0; d<fileCheck.length; d++){

                              }

                    }

          }

//————————————————————————————————

}

function checkForFilesValidator(fileFolderInput, extension){

          try{

                    if(extension != ""){

                              extension = "*." + extension;

                    }

                    var retrieve = fileFolderInput.getFiles(extension);

          }catch(err){

                    return 0;

          };

          return retrieve.length;

}

[David Torno]

Noticed I had a bad line in the code where I was trying to use a numerical value as a file object. Oops. Ok, so this setup gets me the first two levels of info from the initial selected folder. I can manually continue this way since I know how many levels I need, but I would like to make this less hard coded to this one task and more dynamic for future use. Any thoughts?

var path = Folder.selectDialog("Please select starting folder.");

if(path != null){

          var startingFolder = path;

          var initialFolders = startingFolder.getFiles();

          var initialFileCount = initialFolders.length;

          var fileNames = new Array();

          for(var c=0; c<initialFileCount; c++){

                    var fileCheck = checkForFilesValidator(initialFolders, "");

                    var gatherFiles = retrieveFiles(initialFolders, "");

                    fileNames[fileNames.length] = initialFolders.name;

                    if(fileCheck > 0){

                              for(var d=0; d<fileCheck; d++){

                                        fileNames[fileNames.length] = "\t" + gatherFiles.name;

                              }

                    }

          }

}

var resultsList = fileNames.toString().replace(new RegExp(",", "g"), "\r");

alert("\n" + resultsList);

///          checkForFilesValidator

function checkForFilesValidator(fileFolderInput, extension){

          try{

                    if(extension != ""){

                              extension = "*." + extension;

                    }

                    var retrieve = fileFolderInput.getFiles(extension);

          }catch(err){

                    return 0;

          };

          return retrieve.length;

}

///          retrieveFiles

function retrieveFiles(fileFolderInput, extension){

          try{

                    if(extension != ""){

                              extension = "*." + extension;

                    }

                    var retrieve = fileFolderInput.getFiles(extension);

          }catch(err){

                    return null;

          };

          return retrieve;

}

[Greg Gunn]

i'm no recursion expert, but i think you have to wrap the entire thing in a function that you recall down the line. so it will keep digging until the criteria is met.

a quick search brought up this function (albeit for AIR - http://cookbooks.adobe.com/post_Recursive_folder_listings_and_contents_processing-9410.html😞

function getFilesRecursive(folder) {

             //the current folder object

             var currentFolder = new air.File(folder);

            //the current folder's file listing

             var files = currentFolder.getDirectoryListing();

            //iterate and put files in the result and process the sub folders recursively

             for (var f = 0; f < files.length; f++) {

                 if (files.isDirectory) {

                     if (files.name !="." && files.name !="..") {

                         //it's a directory

                         getFilesRecursive(files.nativePath);

                     }

                 } else {

                     //it's a file yupeee

                     fileList.push(files.nativePath);

                 }

             }

}

[David Torno]

Thanks, for posting that. I've started translating this to fit within ExtendScript's world and no solid results yet, but I'm still trying. In the meantime I'm still open to any other input.

[Paul Tuersley · Accepted solution]

I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to do but maybe this will help:

var theFolder = Folder.selectDialog("Please select starting folder.");

if(theFolder != null){

    var resultArray = new Array();

    checkForFiles(theFolder, "");

    $.writeln(resultArray.toString().replace(new RegExp(",", "g"), ""));

}

function checkForFiles(folderItem, tabString) {

    var theFiles = folderItem.getFiles();

    for(var c = 0; c < theFiles.length; c++){

        resultArray.push(tabString + theFiles.name + "\r");

        if (theFiles instanceof Folder) {

            checkForFiles(theFiles, tabString + "\t");

        }

    }

}

[David Torno]

Bingo! Calling the function from within itself. Doh! Thanks Paul.

[Alan_AEDScripts]

Below is a recursive function I was using for something,  also, might be of help.

function getSubContents(folder){

                    if ((folder != null) && (folder instanceof FolderItem)){

                                        var projItem;

                                        var i = folder.numItems;

                                        while (i>0){//While is faster than for loops

                                                  projItem = folder.items;//eachItem

                                                  selItems[selItems.length] = projItem;//add all subItems to array

                                                  if (projItem instanceof FolderItem)

                                                            getSubContents(projItem);//recurse that folder to selItems

                                                            i--;

                                        }//end while

                              }

                              return selItems;//return the array.

          }