fTime (Function)

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Functions for managing external files

fTime

Presentation

Example

Modifying the date and time associated with a file

Managing the seconds

Managing errors

Operating mode in Windows Vista (and later)

Operating mode in the different operating systems

Creation time, modification time or access time

Equivalence

See also

fTime (Function)

In french: fHeure

Returns or modifies the different times associated with a file or with a directory (creation, modification or access).

In this version, you cannot modify the time associated with a directory on Pocket PC.

In this version, you cannot find out or modify the creation time of a file or directory.

Versions 15 and later

This function is now available for Android applications.

New in version 15

This function is now available for Android applications.

Versions 17 and later

This function is now available for iPhone/iPad applications.

New in version 17

This function is now available for iPhone/iPad applications.

Versions 18 and later

This function is now available in Android Widget mode.

This function is now available in Windows Store apps mode.

New in version 18

This function is now available in Android Widget mode.

This function is now available in Windows Store apps mode.

This function is now available in Android Widget mode.

This function is now available in Windows Store apps mode.

Versions 21 and later

This function is now available in Universal Windows 10 App mode.

New in version 21

This function is now available in Universal Windows 10 App mode.

Example

See additional examples

// Retrieve the modification time of a file
ResTime = fTime("C:\MyDirectories\File.txt", "", fModify)

// Retrieve the creation time of a file
ResTime = fTime("\MyDirectories\File.txt", "", fCreation)

Syntax

<Result> = fTime(<File or directory path> [, <New time> [, <Type of time>]])

<Result>: Character string

Time associated with the file or directory (in HHMMSS format),
Empty string ("") if an error occurred. To find out the error details, use ErrorInfo associated with the errMessage constant.

<File or directory path>: Character string (with quotes)

Name and full (or relative) path of file (up to 260 characters).
Full (or relative) path of directory (up to 260 characters).
A UNC path can be used. If this parameter corresponds to a directory name, this name may (or may not) end with "\".
Versions 15 and later
This parameter can be in Ansi or Unicode format.
This parameter can correspond to a full path or to a relative path in relation 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 has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories, as well as onto the external memory (SDCard).
New in version 15
This parameter can be in Ansi or Unicode format.
This parameter can correspond to a full path or to a relative path in relation 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 has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories, as well as onto the external memory (SDCard).
This parameter can be in Ansi or Unicode format.
This parameter can correspond to a full path or to a relative path in relation 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 has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories, as well as onto the external memory (SDCard).
This path must be a full path or a UNC path. It cannot be a relative path.
Versions 17 and later
This parameter can correspond to a full path or to a relative path in relation to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories.
New in version 17
This parameter can correspond to a full path or to a relative path in relation to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories.
This parameter can correspond to a full path or to a relative path in relation to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories.

<New time>: Optional character string (with quotes)

Modifying a time: new time associated with the specified file or directory (in HHMMSS format),
Reading a time: empty string ("").
Only the time associated with a file can be modified. This parameter is ignored for a directory.

<Type of time>: Optional constant

Indicates the time to use:
fAccess Time of last access to the file or directory.
This constant is not available.
fCreation Time of file/directory creation.
This constant is not available.
fModify
(Default value) Time of last modification made to the file or directory.

Remarks

Modifying the date and time associated with a file

To modify the date and time associated with a file, you have the ability to use fDateTime.

Remark: You also have the ability to use fDate and fTime successively. However, fDateTime is faster.

Managing the seconds

All the methods for disk formatting (FAT, NTSF, ...) are not precise to the second. Depending on the method used, fTime may round the time passed in parameter.

For example, for a FAT drive, the time for file access has a precision of one day. Therefore, the access time is "000000" and it cannot be modified.

Managing errors

fTime generates an error in the following cases:

the specified file is opened or locked by another application,
the specified file does not exist,
the name of the specified file is invalid,
the format of <New time> is incorrect. A WLanguage error occurs if the format of <New time> is incorrect.
a Unicode string was used for <Path of file or directory> in an operating system such as Windows 98 or Windows Me.

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).

Indeed, in Windows Vista (and later), with the UAC mechanism (User Account Control) enabled, you must have the administrator privileges to handle and/or modify the files or directories in the 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 into the Windows directory or into the "Program Files" directory,
use the system directory corresponding to the application (returned by SysDir associated with the srCommonAppData constant).

Operating mode in the different operating systems

The time associated with a file or a directory cannot be modified in the following systems: Windows 98, Windows ME.
The different times associated with a directory cannot be modified on a Pocket PC.
You cannot find out or modify the creation time associated with a file or with a directory.

Creation time, modification time or access time

In most cases, the creation time, the modification time and the access time are identical.

Equivalence

The operating mode of fTime is equivalent to the operating mode of ceFileTime.

The only difference is:

fTime handles a file or a directory found on the Pocket PC from a WINDEV Mobile application.
ceFileTime handles a file or a directory found on the Pocket PC from a standard WINDEV application.

Component : wd240std.dll