XP_cmdshell DIR

  • Hi experts,

    I was wondering if there is an alternative to running XP_cmdshell DIR.

    Basically, I run xp_cmdshell to gather file info on a folder.

    without using XP_cmdshell, is there other method?

    Thank you for the help.

  • there are also sp_OA* procedures...


    * Noel

  • If you want to try a new technology, Powershell can do this.

    Do you want info inside SQL Server for something?

  • Deee -Daah! (7/24/2008)


    Hi experts,

    I was wondering if there is an alternative to running XP_cmdshell DIR.

    Basically, I run xp_cmdshell to gather file info on a folder.

    without using XP_cmdshell, is there other method?

    Thank you for the help.

    If all you need is filenames, try this...

    EXEC Master.dbo.xp_DirTree "filepath or UNC",1,1

    If you need it in a table, create a table similar to the output of that, and use INSERT/EXEC to populate it.

    If you need more than just file names, post back.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Hi Jeff, thank you. I think this will work. But I also need the filesize & filedates. I can store them in a #temp table.

    Best Regards,

    Michael

  • Try this, Michael... It's not done yet, but it'll do what you want without hitting up xp_CmdShell....

    CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.GetDirDetails

    /**************************************************************************************************

    Purpose:

    Replacement code for the sp_GetFileDetails proc that was available in SQL Server 2000

    which is no longer available in SQL Server 2005 except this gets all the file details

    for all the files in the directory provided.

    Notes:

    1. If the directory does not exist or there are no files in the directory, an empty

    result set will be returned.

    2. If the trailing backslash on the path is missing, it will be added automatically.

    3. No error checking is done. Either a valid result set is returned or an empty

    result set is returned (much like a function operates).

    Usage:

    EXEC dbo.GetDirDetails 'drive:path or UNC'

    Revision History:

    Rev 00 - 05/23/2008 - Jeff Moden

    - Initial concept borrowed from Simple-Talk.com (Phil Factor) and

    modified for multiple files.

    Rev 01 - 05/25/2008 - Jeff Moden

    - Formalize the code for use.

    **************************************************************************************************/

    --===== Declare the I/O parameters

    @piFullPath VARCHAR(128)

    AS

    --===== Suppress the auto-display of rowcounts so as not to interfere with the returned

    -- result set

    SET NOCOUNT ON

    --=================================================================================================

    -- Local variables

    --=================================================================================================

    --===== These are processing control and reporting variables

    DECLARE @Counter INT --General purpose counter

    DECLARE @CurrentName VARCHAR(256) --Name of file currently being worked

    DECLARE @DirTreeCount INT --Remembers number of rows for xp_DirTree

    DECLARE @IsFile BIT --1 if Name is a file, 0 if not

    --===== These are object "handle" variables

    DECLARE @ObjFile INT --File object

    DECLARE @ObjFileSystem INT --File System Object

    --===== These variable names match the sp_OAGetProperty options

    -- Made names match so they're less confusing

    DECLARE @Attributes INT --Read only, Hidden, Archived, etc, as a bit map

    DECLARE @DateCreated DATETIME --Date file was created

    DECLARE @DateLastAccessed DATETIME --Date file was last read (accessed)

    DECLARE @DateLastModified DATETIME --Date file was last written to

    DECLARE @Name VARCHAR(128) --File Name and Extension

    DECLARE @Path VARCHAR(128) --Full path including file name

    DECLARE @ShortName VARCHAR(12) --8.3 file name

    DECLARE @ShortPath VARCHAR(100) --8.3 full path including file name

    DECLARE @Size INT --File size in bytes

    DECLARE @Type VARCHAR(100) --Long Windows file type (eg.'Text Document',etc)

    --=================================================================================================

    -- Create temporary working tables

    --=================================================================================================

    --===== Create a place to store all file names derived from xp_DirTree

    IF OBJECT_ID('TempDB..#DirTree','U') IS NOT NULL

    DROP TABLE #DirTree

    CREATE TABLE #DirTree

    (

    RowNum INT IDENTITY(1,1),

    Name VARCHAR(256) PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED,

    Depth BIT,

    IsFile BIT

    )

    --===== Create a place to store the file details so we can return all the file details

    -- as a single result set

    IF OBJECT_ID('TempDB..#FileDetails','U') IS NOT NULL

    DROP TABLE #FileDetails

    CREATE TABLE #FileDetails

    (

    RowNum INT IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED,

    Name VARCHAR(128), --File Name and Extension

    Path VARCHAR(128), --Full path including file name

    ShortName VARCHAR(12), --8.3 file name

    ShortPath VARCHAR(100), --8.3 full path including file name

    DateCreated DATETIME, --Date file was created

    DateLastAccessed DATETIME, --Date file was last read

    DateLastModified DATETIME, --Date file was last written to

    Attributes INT, --Read only, Compressed, Archived

    ArchiveBit AS CASE WHEN Attributes& 32=32 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END,

    CompressedBit AS CASE WHEN Attributes&2048=2048 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END,

    ReadOnlyBit AS CASE WHEN Attributes& 1=1 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END,

    Size INT, --File size in bytes

    Type VARCHAR(100) --Long Windows file type (eg.'Text Document',etc)

    )

    --=================================================================================================

    -- Make sure the full path name provided ends with a backslash

    --=================================================================================================

    SELECT @piFullPath = @piFullPath+'\'

    WHERE RIGHT(@piFullPath,1)<>'\'

    --=================================================================================================

    -- Get all the file names for the directory (includes directory names as IsFile = 0)

    --=================================================================================================

    --===== Get the file names for the desired path

    -- Note that xp_DirTree is available in SQL Server 2000, 2005, and 2008.

    INSERT INTO #DirTree (Name, Depth, IsFile)

    EXEC Master.dbo.xp_DirTree @piFullPath,1,1 -- Current diretory only, list file names

    -- Remember the row count

    SET @DirTreeCount = @@ROWCOUNT

    --===== Update the file names with the path for ease of processing later on

    UPDATE #DirTree

    SET Name = @piFullPath + Name

    --=================================================================================================

    -- Get the properties for each file. This is one of the few places that a WHILE

    -- loop is required in T-SQL.

    --=================================================================================================

    --===== Create a file system object and remember the "handle"

    EXEC dbo.sp_OACreate 'Scripting.FileSystemObject', @ObjFileSystem OUT

    --===== Step through the file names and get the properties for each file.

    SET @Counter = 1

    WHILE @Counter <= @DirTreeCount

    BEGIN

    --===== Get the current name and see if it's a file

    SELECT @CurrentName = Name,

    @IsFile = IsFile

    FROM #DirTree

    WHERE RowNum = @Counter

    --===== If it's a file, get the details for it

    IF @IsFile = 1 AND @CurrentName LIKE '%%'

    BEGIN

    --===== Create an object for the path/file and remember the "handle"

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAMethod @ObjFileSystem,'GetFile', @ObjFile OUT, @CurrentName

    --===== Get the all the required attributes for the file itself

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAGetProperty @ObjFile, 'Path', @Path OUT

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAGetProperty @ObjFile, 'ShortPath', @ShortPath OUT

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAGetProperty @ObjFile, 'Name', @Name OUT

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAGetProperty @ObjFile, 'ShortName', @ShortName OUT

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAGetProperty @ObjFile, 'DateCreated', @DateCreated OUT

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAGetProperty @ObjFile, 'DateLastAccessed', @DateLastAccessed OUT

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAGetProperty @ObjFile, 'DateLastModified', @DateLastModified OUT

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAGetProperty @ObjFile, 'Attributes', @Attributes OUT

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAGetProperty @ObjFile, 'Size', @Size OUT

    EXEC dbo.sp_OAGetProperty @ObjFile, 'Type', @Type OUT

    --===== Insert the file details into the return table

    INSERT INTO #FileDetails

    (Path, ShortPath, Name, ShortName, DateCreated,

    DateLastAccessed, DateLastModified, Attributes, Size, Type)

    SELECT @Path,@ShortPath,@Name,@ShortName,@DateCreated,

    @DateLastAccessed,@DateLastModified,@Attributes,@Size,@Type

    END

    --===== Increment the loop counter to get the next file or quit

    SELECT @Counter = @Counter + 1

    END

    --===== House keeping, destroy and drop the file objects to keep memory leaks from happening

    EXEC sp_OADestroy @ObjFileSystem

    EXEC sp_OADestroy @ObjFile

    --===== Return the details for all the files as a single result set.

    -- This is one of the few places in T-SQL where SELECT * is ok.

    SELECT * FROM #FileDetails

    GO

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Hope this article will answer your question,

    http://venkattechnicalblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/finding-subdirectories-and-directory.html

    Thanks and Regards,
    Venkatesan Prabu, 😛
    My Blog:

    http://venkattechnicalblog.blogspot.com/

  • Jeff, thank you very much. This is perfect.

    Kindest Regards,

    Michael

  • You bet... thanks for the feedback, Micheal. 🙂

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Jeff -

    I adapted your code above and it works most of the time except when I want to get the size of compressed backup files created by Quest LiteSpeed. In this case, the file size is returned as NULL. I was wondering if you know of any workaround for this problem.

    Thanks in advance.

  • chrs-513176 (8/20/2010)


    Jeff -

    I adapted your code above and it works most of the time except when I want to get the size of compressed backup files created by Quest LiteSpeed. In this case, the file size is returned as NULL. I was wondering if you know of any workaround for this problem.

    Thanks in advance.

    I have no idea what Quest LiteSpeed does to the file size, if anything. What do you see for those files if you do a DIR on the that same directory? Also, if a file is in the process of being built, it very well could return a NULL for file size.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Perhaps the file size is more than 2GB?

    Anyways, have you tried using SQLCLR for this?


    N 56°04'39.16"
    E 12°55'05.25"

  • SwePeso (8/22/2010)


    Perhaps the file size is more than 2GB?

    Anyways, have you tried using SQLCLR for this?

    Yep... that could certainly be it. There are other things we can do. I have to admit, though... a properly written CLR with some wildcard and other capabilities would probably do very well here.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • The file size is greater than 2GB. Is that the max this method can return? Unfortunately, I'm still on 2000 so CLR is not an option for me.

  • You know you posted your question in a SQL Server 2005 forum?


    N 56°04'39.16"
    E 12°55'05.25"

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