[AccessD] (Really Really OT) - programatically sorting files in a folder

Assuming that you're in SQL not MDB, this works:
xp_cmdshell 'Dir f:\'
This returns a one-column temp table whose rows look like this:

Volume in drive F is Data
 Volume Serial Number is A978-5961
NULL
 Directory of f:\
NULL
01/23/2003  08:35 PM    <DIR>          Access
10/30/2002  07:03 AM    <DIR>          Application Construction Kit Factory
01/23/2003  08:38 PM    <DIR>          Apps
10/19/2002  01:41 AM    <DIR>          Audio
12/31/2002  02:36 PM    <DIR>          Backups
...
02/12/2003  12:48 PM    <DIR>          vss
               3 File(s)    203,637,526 bytes
              33 Dir(s)   5,059,440,640 bytes free
NULL

Given this result set, you can now sort on anything you want.
In an MDB, OTOH, I think I might construct a recordset based on Dir() and
form whatever columns I might need to simplify the sort (i.e. if you want
the last two chars of the filename, grab them in the select, don't parse
later).

Hth,
Arthur
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Gustav Brock
Sent: February 14, 2003 10:44 AM
To: Oleg_123 at xuppa.com
Subject: Re: [AccessD] (Really Really OT) - programatically sorting files in
a folder

Hi Oleg

It's Friday and you are a man of great humour!
Never seen a specification like this:

  not alphabetical, and it has to include wildcards

So how? Date? Size with wildcards?
Writing a custom sorting routine in a batch file is not trivial, and
if you display the file list in Windows Explorer it will be sorted as
to the settings of Windows Explorer anyway.

To sort the folder (directory) itself you'll have to recreate it and
fill in the files again one by one in the order you decide. Again,
Explorer will ignore it - but Dir() will not.

/gustav


> Hey, since its Friday, i guess i can post an OT question. :)
> I have a folder where I import about 30 files every day. The names are
> almost the same except for last 2 digits. ex. Veronica03 on one day
> Veronica04 or tne next. Can I have a batch file or something that would
> sort them in the order that I need ? (not alphabetical, and it has to
> include wildcards)

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