filelib(3)

MODULE
filelib - File utilities, such as wildcard matching of filenames

DESCRIPTION

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

DATA TYPES
filename() = string() | atom() | DeepList
dirname() = filename()
DeepList = [char() | atom() | DeepList]

EXPORTS

ensure_dir(Name) -> ok | {error, Reason}

    Types
        Name = filename() | dirname()
        Reason = posix() -- see file(3)

    The ensure_dir/1 function ensures that all parent directories for the given file or directory name Name exist, trying to create them if necessary.

    Returns ok if all parent directories already exist or could be created, or {error, Reason} if some parent directory does not exist and could not be created for some reason.

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 = regular_expression_string()
        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 (see the re module for a description of the allowed regular expressions). If Recursive is true all sub-directories to Dir are processed. The regular expression matching is done on just the filename without the directory part.

is_dir(Name) -> true | false

    Types
        Name = filename() | dirname()

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

is_file(Name) -> 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(Name) -> 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(Name) -> {{Year,Month,Day},{Hour,Min,Sec}} | 0

    Types
        Name = filename() | dirname()

    The last_modified/1 function returns the date and time the given file or directory was last modified, or 0 if the file does not exist.

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 directory, Cwd will be used.