Problem deleting a created file in Script task

Question

Problem deleting a created file in Script task

stricknyn

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Points: 6560
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May 26, 2009 at 10:41 am

#130743

Hello all,
This seems pretty straight forward but I can't figure out why it's happening for the life of me. I have a package which has a script task. All I want to do is create a file then delete that same file. The file gets created just fine. The problem i'm having is when I attempt to delete the file. I get an exception that states that "the file is being used by another process." When the file gets created, I'm not sure why the code is maintaing a hold on the file which of course is preventing me from deleting the same file I just created. Can someone shed some light as to why this is happening and maybe an alternative solution? Below is my code.
Note: I've also tried the File.create(filename) and File.delete(filename) and I get the same result.
Public Sub Main()
Try
Dim MyFileInfo As FileInfo = New FileInfo(Dts.Variables("FileLocation").Value & Dts.Variables("Filename").Value)
MyFileInfo.Create()
MyFileInfo.Delete()
Dts.TaskResult = ScriptResults.Success
Catch ex As Exception
Dts.TaskResult = ScriptResults.Failure
MessageBox.Show(ex.GetType.FullName)
End Try
End Sub

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Mukti SSCrazy Points: 2826 More actions · Answer 1

Not sure why you would want to do that, but try to put delay between the create and delete. you are right its not releasing the handle to the file in the background and moved on to the next step.

HTH

Paul_J Hall of Fame Points: 3698 More actions · Answer 2

You will need to close the file stream before attempting the delete.

Try something like this:

Dim folder as string = CStr(Dts.Variables("FileLocation").Value)

Dim fileName as string = CStr(Dts.Variables("Filename").Value)

Dim filePath As String = System.IO.Path.Combine(folder, fileName)

Dim fs As System.IO.FileStream = System.IO.File.Create(filePath)

fs.Close()

System.IO.File.Create(filePath)

Phil Parkin SSC Guru Points: 246962 More actions · Answer 3

stricknyn (5/26/2009)
Hello all,
This seems pretty straight forward but I can't figure out why it's happening for the life of me. I have a package which has a script task. All I want to do is create a file then delete that same file. The file gets created just fine. The problem i'm having is when I attempt to delete the file. I get an exception that states that "the file is being used by another process." When the file gets created, I'm not sure why the code is maintaing a hold on the file which of course is preventing me from deleting the same file I just created. Can someone shed some light as to why this is happening and maybe an alternative solution? Below is my code.
Note: I've also tried the File.create(filename) and File.delete(filename) and I get the same result.
Public Sub Main()
Try
Dim MyFileInfo As FileInfo = New FileInfo(Dts.Variables("FileLocation").Value & Dts.Variables("Filename").Value)
MyFileInfo.Create()
MyFileInfo.Delete()
Dts.TaskResult = ScriptResults.Success
Catch ex As Exception
Dts.TaskResult = ScriptResults.Failure
MessageBox.Show(ex.GetType.FullName)
End Try
End Sub

Blimey what a frustrating few minutes I just had trying to solve this! The following solution worked for me - needed to release the MyFileInfo handle and introduce a delay:

Public Sub Main()

Try

Dim MyFileInfo As FileInfo = New FileInfo("c:\windows\temp\temp.tmp")

MyFileInfo.Create()

MyFileInfo = Nothing

Delay(5)

File.Delete("c:\windows\temp\temp.tmp")

Dts.TaskResult = Dts.Results.Success

Catch ex As Exception

Dts.TaskResult = Dts.Results.Failure

MsgBox(ex.GetType.FullName & ": " & ex.Message)

End Try

End Sub

Sub Delay(ByVal dblSecs As Double)

Dim dblWaitTil As Date

dblWaitTil = Now.AddSeconds(dblSecs)

Do Until Now > dblWaitTil

DoEvents() ' Allow windows messages to be processed

Loop

End Sub

You'll also need an imports to make the DoEvents work.

Why are you doing this??

Phil

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence
- Martin Rees
The absence of consumable DDL, sample data and desired results is, however, evidence of the absence of my response
- Phil Parkin

stricknyn SSCertifiable Points: 6560 More actions · Answer 4

Hi,

I'm doing this to ensure that the value entered in the package by users is a valid filename. Creating the file in the try catch block will catch the exception if the filename isn't valid when it tries to create the file. I can then handle the exception appropriately.

I know I can write code to validate the variable directly, but I think the best way to validate if a file name is valid is to create the file. After successfully creating it, I just need to delete it, which of course was where I was having the issue.

Thanks,

Strick

Phil Parkin SSC Guru Points: 246962 More actions · Answer 5

Ahhh, makes sense.

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence
- Martin Rees
The absence of consumable DDL, sample data and desired results is, however, evidence of the absence of my response
- Phil Parkin

Paul_J Hall of Fame Points: 3698 More actions · Answer 6

Note that creating the file does not only validate the full file path (folder + filename). It also does other things like checking that the account the code is running under has the necessary permissions.

stricknyn SSCertifiable Points: 6560 More actions · Answer 7

Yeah I absoulutely agree with that. That was more or less why I chose the option to create the file. My plan was to have mutiple catch blocks to get the main 2 or 3 possible exceptions and the general one to catch the rest.

Strick