I am relatively new to programming and want to create a program which can solve a problem that I frequently have.
So here's the background to my short story: I was on a website which hosted many files (We're talking about around 500-1000 small files). I was then like," Oh sweet! I want to have all these things in my hard drive so I know that I have access to them... but am probably not going to use them either way". I proceeded to download all 500-1000 files on that site, but encountered a problem when I looked at the properties of my destination file. Let's say that out of 500 on the site, my computer only had 499 files. Just my luck. I wanted to know what was that one pesky file that slipped right by me and download that file specifically. What I didn't want to do was to delete all the files and then try my luck once more in downloading all the files from the website. On the site, there was no indication of what all files I downloaded, so I was completely in the blue. I could go in Ctrl+C each item, then Ctrl+V into the file manager search bar, but that would be tedious to repeat that 500 times.
Now, what I want to do: I wanted to go ahead and take all of the file names from the website (The file name that I downloaded and the file name that was in my drive are the same), put them all in a simple .txt document or something (The website has multiple unwanted text alongside the text I need, such as:
. If this is not possible to extract the text from the site like this, then I am ok with manually entering the names via copy paste). Then I want the computer to take these values in the document and then search for it in a specific folder path (Note: the actual files are in subfolders within the root folder I want to choose, so the program has to be able to search within multiple folders of the root). Then I want the computer to know if the value in the document, is present as a file. If the file doesn't exist, then I want that value/those values in the document to be displayed as the output. I want this cycle to repeat until all the values have been gone through. The output should list the values that were not present.
Conclusion: You probably now get at what I am trying to do, if you don't, tell me what I need to elaborate on. I really don't care how this program is made (what language or software), I just want something that works... but myself don't know how to create.
Thanks for reading and any response is appreciated!
Dhanwanth P :)
Here's a solution in Python in case you would like to explore...
Similar to what you described, all files from the website are listed in an Excel file 'website_files.xlsx'
And all files are saved in a folder 'downloaded_wav'. The script will work regardless the files are saved in the root directory or sub-folders.
Then I run below Python script to look for the missing file:
import pandas as pd
import os
path_folder = 'C:\\Users\\Admin\\Downloads\\downloaded_wav'
downloaded_files = []
d,m = 0,0
for path_name, subfolders, files in os.walk(path_folder): #include all subfolders
for file in files:
d+=1
downloaded_files.append(file)
df = pd.read_excel('website_files.xlsx')
for file in df.values:
if file not in downloaded_files:
print('MISSING', file)
m+=1
print(len(df), 'files on website')
print(d, 'files downloaded')
print(m, 'missing file(s) found')
Output:
MISSING ['OLIVER_snare_disco_mixready_hybrid.wav']
3 files on website
2 files downloaded
1 missing file(s) found
No worries; I found a solution by myself using Excel (God, it's powerful!).
Basically, I copied and pasted my values from the website, then used a filter to show the values only with .wav. Then I used a Power Query from the folder to get me a list of all names of files in a folder. Finally, I went ahead and compared the two using a formula:
=IF(COUNTIF(B:B,D,"OK","MISSING")
If you need more elaboration, I'd be happy to help, just reply to this. There might be an easier way, but I personally liked the straight-forwardness of this. You only need Microsoft excel!
EDIT:
For me, I used these two videos which go over the power query and countif function:
How to Get the List of File Names in a Folder in Excel (without VBA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSCPVBWOqwc
How to Compare Two Excel Sheets (and find the differences): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ou_wfzcKKk
In my case, I made my sheet look like this:
Related
I have a text file. Now I have changed its file type from .txt to .abc. My VB.NET program loads the text into textboxes from that file. After changing the file type, however, other apps like NotePad and Word are able to open and read my .abc file.
Is there any way that only my application will be able to open/read from the file and no other app would be able to do so? What I mean is, suppose I have a PhotoShop document .psd file, no other app, rather that photoshop itself, can open it. How do I make my file unreadable by other apps?
There is no way to prevent an app that you don't develop from opening any file. The extensions are just there for helping us humans, and maybe a bit for the computer to know the default app you select for an extension.
Like you said, a .txt file can be opened by many many apps. You can open a .txt file with Notepad, Firefox, VSCode, and many others.
Same way, a .psd file can be opened by many many apps. You can open that .psd file with Photoshop, but also Notepad, Firefox, and VSCode, and probably the same apps as above.
The difference is which apps can read and understand the file.
In order to make a file not understandable by other apps, you need to make it into a format that cannot recognize, because you planned it "in secret".
Like Visual Vincent said above, you could encrypt the file in a way, or you can have a binary file, that basically only your app knows know to understand.
Since you dont own the app you want the file to be understood by, then you either have to accept that it can be opened by any app that can open files, or you can try to encrypt the file outside the app, or like zipping it with a password, and then decrypting or unzipping when you want to use it.
Firstly, any file can be read unless it is still open by a particular process or service. Even PhotoShop files can be 'read' by NotePad - try it!
So, an attempt at my first answer...
You can try a couple of methods to prevent opening the file, for instance, applying a file lock. As an example, SQL Server .mdf files are locked by the SQL Server service. This happens because the files are maintained in an open state, however; your application would have to remain running to keep these files open. Technically, though, the files can still be copied.
Another way is to set the hidden attribute for the file. This hides the file from the less savvy users, but it will be displayed if the user show's hidden files.
And my second answer: You refer to the format of files by saying only PhotoShop can read or write its own files (not true, but I know what you're saying).
The format of the file must be decided by yourself. You must determine how you are going to store the data that you output from your application. It looks like you have been attempting to write your application data into a text file. Perhaps you should try writing to binary files instead. Binary files, while not encrypted, as suggested by Visual Vincent in the comments to your question, still provide a more tailored approach to storing your data.
Binary files write raw binary data instead of humanised text. For instance, if you write an integer to the file it will appear as a string of four bytes, not your usual 123456789 textual format.
So, you really need to clarify what data you want to write to the file, decide on a set structure to your file (as you also have to be able to read it back in to your application) and then be able to write the information.
I am when trying to use java / c# or any other programming language to modify .pbix file which generated from Microsoft Power BI. Is there any dll provided by POWER BI or how can i read the content through program. I just want to get and update the datasource directory. Please help.
Thanks.
I don't think it's possible, and even if it is, the solution is likely inelegant.
Even if you managed to do this, you would need to open your PBIX file in the PBI Desktop to refresh your data.
Are you doing this because you have many queries and it's inconvenient to change data source string (folder name) of all of them? There is a way to keep your connection string in a single variable as described here.
I don't know your exact setup, but looking at your question, lets say you have sets of files in different folders and you want to change the folder in one step.
To use the approach from the link above but with file input, you need to do the following:
If it's a new report, import your files as usual
Create new query: "New Source"->"Blank Query"
You will see "Query1" and an empty text box, enter the folder name, for example "C:\". Rename this query to "Folder".
Go to your imported file in the query editor, "test1" in my example. In query settings on the right, select source.
Change the filename by substituting the folder with your "Folder" query, for example:
...File.Contents("C:\test1.csv"),...
...File.Contents(Folder & "test1.csv"),...
Repeat for all imported files, then "Close & Apply".
Now whenever you need to change the folder with your files, edit your "Folder" value and "Refresh".
im working on my first big program. I will try to explain short how the important part of the program works, and then try to explain what my problem is.
My program is used by few people, they drive around the Europe and repair our machines. After the work, they start my program, and write a report. Until now the program was generating at the end 3 Files. (PDF file generated by printform, text file which contained the same information's again and the last file that was an Excel file, that one contained Data that was written inside the Datagridview.
These workers, used Email to send all 3 files separated. As you imagine, sometimes that can end bad, cause after work they are tired and sometimes they send the wrong files. So I made a upgrade, which gives the user a possibility to send the files directly from the Program, being sure everything is fine. In background I created a directory where 2 of 3 files always get saved. The problem is, while using printform, there opens a window where the user can select the path. And here start the troubles, some of the workers select different a different path, but then my program wont find the files again(its very important that are 3 files are together). I searched for something that would look like
dim printformpath as string = printform.getpath
is there something that works that way? I was searching but I didn't found anything helpful.
Thank you for understanding & help
Thanks, I added the path to the printFileName property and changed printform settings from Print to preview to print to file :)
Have a nice day
I am attempting to make an instructional app for the call canter that I work at. Part of the code allows users to display information through the use of several files in our directory with drop down combo boxes.
For instance, a small portion of the code is similar to this (I did not save the app and bring it home so I am going off memory):
If cboGlossaryTerm.SelectedItem("MSN")Then
Process.Start("S:\MSN.pdf")
End If
I put the pdf files in My Resources and the Word files are added under the Solution folder.
I am using filepaths in the code as well.
(I attempted to save the pdf files in the Solutions folder but the pdf was not compatible.
With me adding the files this way, will users who do not have access to the S drive folder be able to display the files? Also, will the files remain accessible in the program if they are deleted from the S drive? If not, how should I be referencing the files in my project? Do I have to reference the pdf files from My Resources? If so, how do I do that in an If-Then statement similar to the one above?
from what you have there it doesn't look like the pdfs in the S:\ would be available to anyone who doesn't have the drive mapped on their local machine.
as for if the files are deleted, if they are being loaded from the S:\ then when they are deleted from there the program will not be able to find them to load them.
if the program is being installed on the local machines you might want to look at just including the pdfs in the installer and accessing them through the program files path.
Right now we have a program that opens all of the word files in a folder and adds some information to the footer. After switching from Windows XP and Word 2003 to Windows 7 and Word 2007 we have started getting the following error:
Run-time error '5096':
EOALPHABETICARABICARABICABJADARABICALPHABAHTTEXTCAPSCA
(c:\Users...\Content.MSO\8BE508C6.docx)
It occurs at random in any of the files (you can be 10 files in or 100). I thought that it might be a problem with the files being on a network drive so I modified the program to copy each file locally first, add the footer to that copy, and then copy it back out to the network. However, that didn't seem to work. I'm looking for any suggestions on how to fix the problem or possibly rewrite the solution. However, I need to keep the solution in VBA since this app is part of a bigger suite which in not ready for a .NET re-write.
As it turns out I was able to workaround this problem by copying the word files locally, running the main code on the local copies, then copying them back out to the network. It didn't seem to be working at first because the user's machine on which I tested it did not have the most recent version of the program.
Adding this note for those still looking for answers to this error...
I have a macro that creates several docs from one that is open based on sections in the main document.
I was getting the Run-time error '5096' and was an able to find any solutions that worked.
Upon further examination while debugging the code I discovered that while pulling data out of the main doc and building a file name that there was a carriage return after the file name and before the extension. After adding a replace statement to remove carriage returns I am able to process documents all day without an error.
I have found that the error is caused by the total number of characters in the file name is too long. This usually occurs when manipulating file names and the full path is set in the variable. I will manually chop pieces out of real long names to force it to work.
I suppose if I were smart, I'd move into the directory and just deal with the file names without the directory prepended to the name.