File System - Touch

Declaration

<AMFILESYSTEM ACTIVITY="touch" SUBFOLDERS="yes/no" EXCLUDE="text" RE="yes/no" ISNEWERTHAN="date" MODE="text (options)" SOURCE="text" CREATIONTIME="date" LASTACCESSTIME="date" LASTWRITETIME="" TOUCH="date" READONLYFILE="text (options)" />

Related Topics    

Description

"Touches" one or more files in order to update their creation, last modified and/or last accessed date and time with the selected date/time. To specify more than one file, use wildcard characters (* or ?). To specify multiple file names or wildcard masks, separate them with a pipe symbol (Example: c:\*.txt|c:\*.bak).

Practical usage

Often useful to categorize dates/times over a range of files. If your output is a whole tree of files, it can be quicker and more convenient to update the date/time of all files rather than it is to navigate through the whole tree looking at update times.

Parameters

General

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
Mode Text (options) Yes File MODE="folder" The type of item to perform this activity on. The available options are:

  • File (default) - This activity will be performed on a file.

  • Folder - This activity will be performed on a folder.
Source Text Yes (Empty)
  • FILE="C:\foldername\file.txt"
  • FILE="C:\foldername\*.txt"
  • FILE="C:\folder1\*.txt|C:\folder2\*.doc"
  • FILE="file.txt"
 The files that should be affected by the update. This can be a fully qualified path and file name (preferred) or a single file (requires use of the File System - Change folder activity). You can use wildcard characters (for example, * or ?) to specify all files matching a certain mask. You can specify multiple files and file masks by separating each entry with a pipe character (|) (for example, c:\temp\*.txt|c:\backup\*.bak). See File Masks & Wildcards for more details.
NOTE: Files with invalid paths are ignored at runtime.
Creation time Text No Disabled CREATIONTIME="%DateSerial(2009,01,01)+TimeSerial(01,10,00)%" If enabled, indicates the creation date/time that the specified files should be updated to. Click the Custom button to select from a list of pre-defined date/time ranges. Enable the Expression parameter to enter a date/time expression.
Last accessed time Text No Disabled LASTACCCESSTIME="%DateSerial(2009,01,01)+TimeSerial(01,10,00)%" If enabled, indicates the last accessed date/time that the specified files should be updated to. Click the Custom button to select from a list of pre-defined date/time ranges. Enable the Expression parameter to enter a date/time expression.
Last write time Text No Disabled LASTWRITETIME="%DateSerial(2009,01,01)+TimeSerial(01,10,00)%" If enabled, indicates the last write (or last modified) date/time that the specified files should be updated to. Click the Custom button to select from a list of pre-defined date/time ranges. Enable the Expression parameter to enter a date/time expression.
Touch Text (options) No Only date
  • TOUCH="dateandtime"
  • TOUCH="date"
  • TOUCH="time"
 Determines what portion of the date/time value will be updated. The available options are:

  • Date and time (default) - Both the date and time potion will be updated.

  • Only date - Only the date portion will be updated.

  • Only time - Only the time portion will be updated.
If folder is read-only Text No Disabled READONLYFILE="touch" Specifies the action that should be performed if the file's/folder's attribute is set to read-only. The available options are:

  • Skip - If a file is read-only, it will be skipped.

  • Error -The step will generate an error if a file is read-only.

  • Touch - The file will be touched regardless of whether it is read-only.

File Options

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
Include subfolders Yes/No No No SUBFOLDERS="YES" If selected, specifies that, if present, subfolders should be searched for files matching the mask specified in the File A and/or File B parameters. This parameter is disabled by default.
Exclude mask Text No (Empty)
  • EXCLUDE="*.txt"
  • EXCLUDE="*.txt|*.bak"
  • EXCLUDE="c:\foldename"
 Causes this activity to omit files matching the masks specified. Filenames or wildcard masks may be used. Multiple entries may be specified by separating them with a pipe symbol (|) (for example, *.txt|*.bak).
Regular expression Yes/No No No RE="yes" If selected, indicates that any value entered in the Exclude mask parameter will be interpreted as a regular expression. If disabled (default) the value will be interpreted as normal readable text.
Only if newer than Date No (Empty) ISNEWERTHAN="%DateSerial(2001,10,12) + TimeSerial(00,00,00)%" If enabled, causes this activity to only act on files that are newer than the date/time specified. If this parameter is left blank or disabled (default), file dates are ignored. Click the Custom button to select from a list of pre-defined date parameters. Enable the Expression option to allow entry of a date/time expression.
Only if older than Date No (Empty) ISOLDERTHAN="%DateSerial(2001,10,12) + TimeSerial(00,00,00)%" If enabled, causes this action to only act on files that are older than the date/time specified. If this parameter is left blank or disabled (default), file dates are ignored. Click the Custom button to select from a list of pre-defined date parameters. Enable the Expression option to allow entry of a date/time expression.

File Filter

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
Attributes Text (options) No Doesn't matter ATTRFILTER="+R+A-H" (compress read-only & archive files but not hidden files) Instructs the activity to filter which files to act on, based on whether the file's original attribute settings match the attribute settings specified in this parameter. In Task Builder's visual mode, drop-down boxes are provided within the activity's settings to assist in the selection of attribute settings. In Task Builder's AML mode, a text item must be entered that contains the original attribute mask of the files you wish to affect. For example, if Read-only attribute is set to Off (in visual mode) or -R (in AML mode) , only source files with the Read-only attribute turned off are affected. Source files with Read-only attribute turned on will be ignored. The available options are:
  • Read-only attribute is - Specifying On or +R includes files with this attribute turned on. Specifying Off or -R includes files with this attribute turned off. Specifying Doesn't matter (default) or excluding the letter ignores this attribute.
  • Archive attribute is - Specifying On or +A includes files with this attribute turned on. Specifying Off or -A includes files with this attribute turned off. Specifying Doesn't matter (default) or excluding the letter ignores this attribute.
  • System attribute is - Specifying On or +S includes files with this attribute turned on. Specifying Off or -S includes files with this attribute turned off. Specifying Doesn't matter (default) or excluding the letter ignores this attribute.
  • Hidden attribute is- Specifying On or +H includes files with this attribute turned on. Specifying Off or -H includes files with this attribute turned off. Specifying Doesn't matter (default) or excluding the letter ignores this attribute.
  • Compression attribute is - Specifying On or +C includes files with this attribute turned on. Specifying Off or -C includes files with this attribute turned off. Specifying Doesn't matter (default) or excluding the letter ignores this attribute.
  • Encrypted attribute is - Specifying On or +E includes files with this attribute turned on. Specifying Off or -E includes files with this attribute turned off. Specifying Doesn't matter (default) or excluding the letter ignores this attribute.

Description

Error Causes

On Error

Example

NOTE:
  • Copy and paste the sample AML code below directly into the Task Builder Steps Panel.
  • To successfully run the sample code, update parameters containing user credentials, files, file paths, or other information specific to the task to match your environment.

Description

Touch files "C:\Temp\*.txt". Touch date only. Change creation time to "%DateAdd( "d", -30, CStr( Now() ))%". Change last access time to "%DateSerial(2010,06,01)+TimeSerial(12,06,22)%". Change last write time to "%DateSerial(2010,06,01)+TimeSerial(12,06,22)%". Skip read only files.

Copy 
<AMFILESYSTEM ACTIVITY="touch" SOURCE="C:\Temp\*.txt" CREATIONTIME="%DateAdd(&quot;d&quot;, -30, CStr( Now() ))%" LASTACCESSTIME="%DateSerial(2019,12,09)+TimeSerial(11,53,47)%" LASTWRITETIME="%DateSerial(2019,12,09)+TimeSerial(11,53,47)%" />