Batch job for deletion of flat files

niteshnav

We have the sales information imported from the local native dbs to the HQ(Retail enrnmnt). The folder size gets heavy. Can there be an automatic batch job in navision or windows, which can run to delete old files?

kriki

Yes, use the file-virtual table in Navision. On the forum you will find information on how to use it.
You can run the routine with NAS or after a certain dataport has been run.

niteshnav

I meant, information stored in the form of flat files. The flat files get stored in the system everytime it imports occupying lot of space. Do u mean to delete such files i can use fil-virtual table to execute through NAS?

regards,
Nitesh

kriki

Yes,

with the virtual table "file" you can find files in a certain directory.
With a REPEAT UNTIL on the table, you can ERASE them 1 by 1.

Slawek_Guzek

Hi,

Assuming that temporary files are generated in one place wouldn't be much faster to use SHELL('cmd.exe', '/c', 'del /Q /F drive:\path\*.*') instead of deleting files one by one ?

BTW: I remember in the old DOS time there was some simple utility to clean disk: killdir.exe. It was really FAST.

Regards,
Slawek Guzek

kriki

Slawek Guzek wrote:

Assuming that temporary files are generated in one place wouldn't be much faster to use SHELL('cmd.exe', '/c', 'del /Q /F drive:\path\*.*') instead of deleting files one by one ?

Yes it is faster, but if you want only to delete the older files, you cannot use it (or if you can recognize the older files on the name, you might be able to do it).

mploschiavo

i pulled this off experts-exchange.com

Try this:

@echo off

setlocal

REM You can pass the source directory on the command line
set srcDir=.
if not "%~1"=="" set srcDir=%~1

REM Set file mask, defaults to all files
set dirMask=

REM To enable subdirectory processing set this to /s
set subDir=

call :GETPARTS "%date%

call :SUBTRACTDAYS 32

set cutoffDate=%yy%/%mm%/%dd%

pushd.

cd /D %srcDir%

for /f "delims=" %%a in ('dir %subDirs% /b /a-d %dirMask%') do call :PROCESS "%%a" %%~ta

popd

goto :EOF

:PROCESS

call :GETPARTS %2

REM ** Remove echo from the statement below to enable the actual delete
if /i "%cutoffDate%" GTR "%yy%/%mm%/%dd%" echo del /F %1

goto :EOF

:SUBTRACTDAYS

set dayCnt=%1

if "%dayCnt%"=="" set dayCnt=1

REM Substract your days here
set /A dd=1%dd% - 100 - %dayCnt%
set /A mm=1%mm% - 100

:CHKDAY

if /I %dd% GTR 0 goto DONESUBTRACT

set /A mm=%mm% - 1

if /I %mm% GTR 0 goto ADJUSTDAY

set /A mm=12
set /A yy=%yy% - 1

:ADJUSTDAY

if %mm%==1 goto SET31
if %mm%==2 goto LEAPCHK
if %mm%==3 goto SET31
if %mm%==4 goto SET30
if %mm%==5 goto SET31
if %mm%==6 goto SET30
if %mm%==7 goto SET31
if %mm%==8 goto SET31
if %mm%==9 goto SET30
if %mm%==10 goto SET31
if %mm%==11 goto SET30
REM ** Month 12 falls through

:SET31

set /A dd=31 + %dd%

goto CHKDAY

:SET30

set /A dd=30 + %dd%

goto CHKDAY

:LEAPCHK

set /A tt=%yy% %% 4

if not %tt%==0 goto SET28

set /A tt=%yy% %% 100

if not %tt%==0 goto SET29

set /A tt=%yy% %% 400

if %tt%==0 goto SET29

:SET28

set /A dd=28 + %dd%

goto CHKDAY

:SET29

set /A dd=29 + %dd%

goto CHKDAY

:DONESUBTRACT

if /I %mm% LSS 10 set mm=0%mm%
if /I %dd% LSS 10 set dd=0%dd%

goto :EOF

:GETPARTS

set dt=%~1
set tok=1-3

if "%dt:~0,1%" GTR "9" set tok=2-4

set yyyy=

for /f "tokens=%tok% delims=.:/-, " %%a in ('echo %~1') do (
for /f "skip=1 tokens=2-4 delims=/-,()." %%x in ('echo.^|date') do set %%x=%%a&set %%y=%%b&set %%z=%%c
)

if not "%yyyy%"=="" set yy=%yyyy%

if 1%yy% LSS 1000 (if %yy% LSS 70 (set yy=20%yy%) else (set yy=19%yy%))
if 1%mm% LSS 100 set mm=0%mm%
if 1%dd% LSS 100 set dd=0%dd%

goto :EOF

I've disabled the actual deleting of the files by placing an echo statement prior to the del command. It's marked in the file.

Also, read the comments at the top for customization options.

Good Luck,
Steve

Accepted Answer from For-Soft
Date: 03/16/2006 05:31AM PST
Grade: A
Accepted Answer


What about XCOPY with file list /L command?
xcopy /L /S /D:13-01-2006 c:\somedir\*.*

Comment from PaulCaswell
Date: 03/16/2006 03:31PM PST
Comment


Hi IUAATech,

Do you mean real 16bit dos or command window dos?

Would you accept a shareware tool?

Paul

Comment from PaulCaswell
Date: 03/16/2006 04:27PM PST
Comment


Hi IUAATech,

If 16bits is not required, try:

http://uk.geocities.com/xshareware/Download/XDir.zip

There's even an example in the manual for deleting files older than a certain number of days. Let me know if you like it? I wrote it myself! Theres no time limit and no crippling, just a one-liner nag on-screen at launch time.

Paul

Assisted Answer from PaulCaswell
Date: 03/22/2006 10:30AM PST
Grade: A
Assisted Answer


Hi IUAATech,

Actually, the link is now:


http://uk.geocities.com/xshareware/download/xdir.zip

CtrlShiftF11

Guys, why not write some code using the EXISTS and ERASE commands. Navision handles this stuff very well for me when I'm working with custom programs that I've written to import, export or just plain handle flat files. You should make your own personal function library to handle this so that you can pass arguments at runtime to make it reusable.

Good Luck,
Andy Sandefer
\:D/