Path to object
Path to object ( path {; pathType} ) : Object
Parameter | Type | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
path | Text | → | Pathname |
pathType | Integer | → | Type of path syntax: System (default) or Posix |
Function result | Object | ← | Object describing the path contents |
Description
The Path to object command returns an object containing the specific properties of the path you passed in parameter.
By default, if you omit the pathType parameter, it will be assumed that you passed a system path, containing system separators ("\" on Windows, ":" on macOS). If you passed a Posix path containing Posix separators ("/") or want to express the path type, pass one of the following constants in the pathType parameter:
Constant | Type | Value | Comment |
---|---|---|---|
Path is POSIX | Integer | 1 | The path is expressed using the Posix syntax |
Path is system | Integer | 0 | (Default) The path is expressed using the current system syntax (Windows or macOS) |
The command returns an object resulting from parsing the path. The following properties are available:
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
parentFolder | Text | Directory information for the path. The last character is always a folder separator. |
name | Text | Final file or folder name of the specified path, without extension. |
extension | Text | Extension of the final file or folder name. Always starts with ".". Empty string "" if no extension. |
isFolder | Boolean | True if name is a folder name, false otherwise (default is false) |
It will be assumed that you passed a folder path if the last character of path is a separator corresponding to the path type (for example "\" on Windows). Otherwise, it will be assumed that you passed a file name.
The extension, if not empty, is returned regardless of whether the path represents a file or a folder. In either case, you need to concatenate the name and extension in order to retrieve the full name.
Note that Path to object only handles strings. It neither checks if the path is valid with regards to the path type, nor the actual existence of any file or folder.
Example 1
The following examples show various results with file paths:
var $o : Object
$o:=Path to object("C:\\first\\second\\fileZ") //on Windows
//$o.parentFolder="C:\\first\\second\\"
//$o.name="fileZ"
//$o.extension=""
//$o.isFolder=false
var $o : Object
$o:=Path to object("osx:Users:john:Documents:Comments.text) //on macOS
//$o.parentFolder="osx:Users:john:Documents:"
//$o.name="Comments"
//$o.extension=".text"
//$o.isFolder=false
var $o : Object
$o:=Path to object("\\images\\jan\\pict1.png";Path is system) //on Windows
//$o.parentFolder="\\images\\jan\\"
//$o.name="pict1"
//$o.extension=".png"
//$o.isFolder=false
Defining a path to a folder:
var $o : Object
$o:=Path to object("osx:Users:oscargoldman:Desktop:Databases:") //macOS
//$o.parentFolder="osx:Users:oscargoldman:Desktop:"
//$o.name="Databases"
//$o.extension=""
//$o.isFolder=True
var $o : Object
$o:=Path to object("C:\\4D\\Main\\216410\\64\\4D\\4D.user\\") //windows
//$o.parentFolder="C:\\4D\\Main\\216410\\64\\4D\\"
//$o.name="4D"
//$o.extension=".user"
//$o.isFolder=true
var $o : Object
$o:=Path to object("/first/second.bundle/";Path is POSIX)
//$o.parentFolder="/first/"
//$o.name="second"
//$o.extension=".bundle"
//$o.isFolder=true
If the path is a root directory, parentFolder is empty:
var $o : Object
$o:=Path to object("C:\\") //on windows
//$o.parentFolder=""
//$o.name="c:"
//$o.extension=""
//$o.isFolder=true
var $o : Object
$o:=Path to object("osx:") //on macOS
//$o.parentFolder=""
//$o.name="osx"
//$o.extension=""
//$o.isFolder=true
If the last portion of the path is ".something", it is considered as a file name:
var $o : Object
$o:=Path to object("/folder/.invisible";Path is POSIX)
//$o.parentFolder="/folder/"
//$o.name=".invisible"
//$o.extension=""
//$o.isFolder=false
Example 2
You can combine this command with the Object to path to rename a file in a path:
var $o : Object
var $path : Text
$o:=Path to object("C:\\4D\\resources\\images\\4D.jpg")
//$o.parentFolder="C:\\4D\\resources\\images\\"
//$o.name="4D"
//$o.extension=".jpg"
//$o.isFolder=false
$o.name:="4DOld"
$path:=Object to path($o)
//$path="C:\4D\resources\images\4DOld.jpg"
Example 3
You want to know the number of subfolders contained in a path:
var $o : Object
var $path : Text
var $vCount : Integer
$path:=Select folder //let the user select a folder
$o:=Path to object($path)
Repeat
$o:=Path to object($o.parentFolder)
$vCount:=$vCount+1
Until($o.parentFolder="")
ALERT("The path depth is: "+String($count))
See also
Convert path POSIX to system
Convert path system to POSIX
File
Folder
Object to path
Test path name
Properties
Command number | 1547 |
Thread safe | ✓ |