filelib - File utilities, such as wildcard matching of filenames

This module contains utilities on a higher level than the file module.

ensure_dir(N) -> true

Types

Name = filename() | dirname()

The ensure_dir/1 functions checks that all parent directories for the given file or directory name exist, creating them if not.

file_size(Filename) -> integer()

The file_size function returns the size of the given file.

fold_files(Dir, RegExp, Recursive, Fun, AccIn) -> AccOut

Types

Dir = dirname()

RegExp = regexp()

Recursive = true|false

Fun = fun(F, AccIn) -> AccOut

AccIn = AccOut = term()

The fold_files/5 function folds the function Fun over all (regular) files F in the directory Dir that match the regular expression RegExp. If Recursive is true all sub-directories to Dir are processed. The match is tried on just the filename without the directory part.

is_dir(N) -> true | false

Types

Name = filename() | dirname()

The is_dir/1 function returns true if Name refers to a directory, and false otherwise.

is_file(N) -> true | false

Types

Name = filename() | dirname()

The is_file/1 function returns true if Name refers to a file or a directory, and false otherwise.

is_regular(N) -> true | false

Types

Name = filename()

The is_regular/1 function returns true if Name refers to a file (regular file), and false otherwise.

last_modified(N) -> {{Year,Month,Day},{Hour,Min,Sec}}

Types

Name = filename() | dirname()

The last_modified/1 function returns the date and time the given file or directory was last modified.

wildcard(Wildcard) -> list()

Types

Wildcard = filename() | dirname()

The wildcard/1 function returns a list of all files that match Unix-style wildcard-string Wildcard.

The wildcard string looks like an ordinary filename, except that certain "wildcard characters" are interpreted in a special way. The following characters are special:

?: Matches one character.

*: Matches any number of characters up to the end of the filename, the next dot, or the next slash.

{Item,...}: Alternation. Matches one of the alternatives.

Other characters represent themselves. Only filenames that have exactly the same character in the same position will match. (Matching is case-sensitive; i.e. "a" will not match "A").

Note that multiple "*" characters are allowed (as in Unix wildcards, but opposed to Windows/DOS wildcards).

Examples:

The following examples assume that the current directory is the top of an Erlang/OTP installation.

To find all .beam files in all applications, the following line can be used:

    filelib:wildcard("lib/*/ebin/*.beam").

To find either .erl or .hrl in all applications src directories, the following

    filelib:wildcard("lib/*/src/*.?rl")

or the following line

    filelib:wildcard("lib/*/src/*.{erl,hrl}")

can be used.

To find all .hrl files in either src or include directories, use:

    filelib:wildcard("lib/*/{src,include}/*.hrl").

To find all .erl or .hrl files in either src or include directories, use:

    filelib:wildcard("lib/*/{src,include}/*.{erl,hrl}")

wildcard(Wildcard, Cwd) -> list()

Types

Wildcard = filename() | dirname()

Cwd = dirname()

The wildcard/2 function works like wildcard/1, except that instead of the actual working dirctory, Cwd will be used.

Bjorn Gustavsson - support@erlang.ericsson.se