fCopyFile (Function)

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External file management functions

Operating mode in Windows Vista (and later)

Creating directories during the copy

Related examples

See also

fCopyFile (Function)

In french: fCopieFichier

Copies one or more files (regardless of their attributes).

Example

See additional examples

// Copy "File.doc" to "FileCopy.doc"
Res = fCopyFile("C:\Directories\File.doc", "D:\Documents\FileCopy.doc")

// Copy the files found in the "C:\MyImages" directory
// The subdirectories and their files are taken into account (frRecursive constant)
ResCopy = fCopyFile("C:\MyImages\*.*", "D:\MyFiles\", frRecursive)

Syntax

Copying a a file or a directory Hide the details

<Result> = fCopyFile(<Source file> , <Destination file or directory> [, <Copy indicator>])

<Result>: Boolean

True if the files have been copied,
False otherwise. To get more details on the error, use ErrorInfo with the errMessage constant.

<Source file>: Character string

File to copy (up to 260 characters). This parameter can be:
a file name. This file will be automatically sought in the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir).
a file name with its full or relative path. A UNC path can be used.
Special cases according to the platforms:
This parameter can be in Ansi or Unicode format.
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: In Android, the file system is read-only on the device and on the emulator. An application can only write to its setup directory or one of its subdirectories, as well as to the external memory (SDCard).
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, the file system is read-only on the device and on the emulator. An application can only write to its setup directory or one of its subdirectories.
Management of wildcard characters (*,?): By default, the wildcard characters are allowed in the name of the file.
Special case according to the platform:
Wildcard characters (*,?) are not allowed in the file name.
If the "*.*" expression is used, only the files that have an extension will be copied.
Wildcard characters (*,?) are allowed in the file path and in the file name.

<Destination file or directory>: Character string

Destination file and/or directory (up to 260 characters). This parameter can correspond to:
a file name. This file will be automatically created in the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir).
a file name with its full or relative path. A UNC path can be used.
a full or relative path, only for a copy with wildcard characters.
If this parameter corresponds to a directory name, this name may (or may not) end with "\".
Special cases according to the platforms:
This parameter can be in Ansi or Unicode format.
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: In Android, the file system is read-only on the device and on the emulator. An application can only write to its setup directory or one of its subdirectories, as well as to the external memory (SDCard).
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, the file system is read-only on the device and on the emulator. An application can only write to its setup directory or one of its subdirectories.

<Copy indicator>: Optional constant

Type of copy:
frConfirm Copy a file and ask for confirmation before overwriting a file with the same name.
This constant is not available.
frProgress A progress window is displayed. If the file is small (a few bytes), the progress bar is not displayed.
This constant is not available.
frRecursive Recursive copy of the files. The subdirectories and their files are taken into account.

<Copy indicator> is empty by default. None of these options is selected.

Not available in PHP

Copying one or more files by handling each copied file Hide the details

<Result> = fCopyFile(<Source file> , <Destination file or directory> , <WLanguage procedure> [, <Pointer> [, <Copy indicator>]])

<Result>: Boolean

True if the files have been copied,
False otherwise. To get more details on the error, use ErrorInfo with the errMessage constant.

<Source file>: Character string

File to copy (up to 260 characters). This parameter can be:
a file name. This file will be automatically sought in the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir).
a file name with its full or relative path. A UNC path can be used.
Special cases according to the platforms:
This parameter can be in Ansi or Unicode format.
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: In Android, the file system is read-only on the device and on the emulator. An application can only write to its setup directory or one of its subdirectories, as well as to the external memory (SDCard).
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, the file system is read-only on the device and on the emulator. An application can only write to its setup directory or one of its subdirectories.
Management of wildcard characters (*,?): By default, the wildcard characters are allowed in the name of the file.
Special case according to the platform:
Wildcard characters (*,?) are not allowed in the file name.
If the "*.*" expression is used, only the files that have an extension will be copied.

<Destination file or directory>: Character string

Destination file and/or directory (up to 260 characters). This parameter can correspond to:
a file name. This file will be automatically created in the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir).
a file name with its full or relative path. A UNC path can be used.
a full or relative path, only for a copy with wildcard characters.
If this parameter corresponds to a directory name, this name may (or may not) end with "\".
Special cases according to the platforms:
This parameter can be in Ansi or Unicode format.
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: In Android, the file system is read-only on the device and on the emulator. An application can only write to its setup directory or one of its subdirectories, as well as to the external memory (SDCard).
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, the file system is read-only on the device and on the emulator. An application can only write to its setup directory or one of its subdirectories.

<WLanguage procedure>: Procedure name

Name of the WLanguage procedure ("callback") called for each file copied. This procedure is used to handle the current file.
For more details on this procedure, see Parameters of the procedure used by fCopyFile.

<Pointer>: Optional integer

Pointer passed to <Procedure name>.

<Copy indicator>: Optional constant

Type of copy:
frRecursive Recursive copy of the files. The subdirectories and their files are taken into account.

<Copy indicator> is empty by default: the process is not recursive.

Remarks

Error handling

fCopyFile throws an error in the following cases:

the file to copy does not exist,
the file to copy is locked,
is invalid,
<Path of copied file> is an empty string,
<Path of file to copy> and <Path of copied file> are identical.

Operating mode in Windows Vista (and later)

If this function does not operate properly in Windows Vista (and later), check whether the file or directory used is not in one of the system directories (Windows directory or "Program Files" directory).

In Windows Vista (and later), with the UAC mechanism (User Account Control) enabled, you must have administrator privileges to handle and/or modify the files or directories in system directories (Windows directory or "Program Files" directory).

Programming tip: To handle and/or modify the files or directories without administrator privileges, you should:

avoid writing to the Windows directory or to the "Program Files" directory,
use the system directory of the application (returned by SysDir with the srAppDataCommun constant, for example).

Creating directories during the copy

If one of the directories of the destination path does not exist, it is automatically created.
If the source file corresponds to all the files found in a directory (for example, C:\Temp\*.*), the frRecursive constant must be used to create the subdirectories in the destination (and to copy their content).

Remark: To copy directories, you also have the ability to use fCopyDir.

Related Examples:

Unit examples (WINDEV): Handling text files

[ + ] Handling "text" files with WINDEV:
- Create a text file
- Write into a text file
- Read in a text file

Unit examples (WEBDEV): Handling text files

[ + ] This example explains how to handle "non HFSQL" files with WEBDEV and it allows you to:
- Create a text file
- Write into a text file
- Read in a text file

Unit examples (WINDEV Mobile): Handling text files

[ + ] Handling external "text" files:
- Create a text file
- Write into a text file
- Read in a text file

Business / UI classification: Business Logic

Component: wd280std.dll