How do you get the creation date of files in a directory in Objective c

Question

I'm learning Objective-C and I'm converting an Applescript utility to Objective-C.

I need to understand how to get the NSFileCreationDate of all files in the directory so I can copy the newest file to another location. I don't know how to get the NSFileCreationDate of each file in the directory.

This code gets the listing of the directory but each time I try to get the NSFileCreationDate it gives me the NSFileCreationDate of the enclosing folder.

I have to read a plist file to get the path to the backup location.

1. Read plist file for backup location
2. Get create date of files

3. Copy the newest file to * wholepath , file on desktop

   NSString filePath = [@"~/Library/Preferences/com.viive.Viive.plist" stringByExpandingTildeInPath]; NSMutableDictionary plistDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:filePath];

   NSString *value;
   value = [plistDict objectForKey:@"backupPath"];
   
   
   NSFileManager *filemgr;
   NSArray *filelist;
   filemgr = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
   filelist = [filemgr contentsOfDirectoryAtPath:value error: nil];
   NSArray *array = filelist;
   NSUInteger index = 0;
   for (id element in array) {
   NSLog(@"Element at index %lu is: %@", (unsigned long)index, element);
   index++;
   }
   NSDictionary* fileAttribs = [[NSFileManager defaultManager] attributesOfItemAtPath:////     error:nil];
   NSDate *result = [fileAttribs fileCreationDate]; //or fileModificationDate
   NSLog(@"%@",result);
   
   //////
   
    NSString* desktop = [@"~/Desktop/LOGS-I-NEED-" stringByExpandingTildeInPath];
       NSString* computername = [[NSHost currentHost] localizedName];
       NSString* wholepath = [desktop stringByAppendingString:computername];
   

I've googled this info and since I'm new to this the answers I'm finding are not making a lot of sense to me. If anyone knows of a better way I'm all ears.

Thanks All !!

Answer 1

I figured it out with the help of you guys leading me in the right direction. Thanks to everyone who commented!

Here my final code to help anyone else with a similar issue.

NSString *s = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"tell application \"12345\" to backup"];
NSAppleScript *as = [[NSAppleScript alloc] initWithSource: s];
[as executeAndReturnError:nil];

///////

NSString *filePath = [@"~/Library/Preferences/com.12345.12345.plist" stringByExpandingTildeInPath];
NSMutableDictionary* plistDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:filePath];

NSString *value;
value = [plistDict objectForKey:@"backupPath"];

/////

NSDateFormatter *dateformat = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
[dateformat setDateFormat:@"YYY-MM-dd'T'HH:MM:ss'"];
NSDate *maxdate = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"1900-01-01 00:00:00 +0000"];

NSFileManager *filemgr;
NSArray *filelist;

filemgr = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
filelist = [filemgr contentsOfDirectoryAtPath:value error: nil];
NSArray *array = filelist;
NSUInteger index = 0;
NSString *currentdb;
for (id element in array) {
    NSLog(@"Element at index %lu is: %@", (unsigned long)index, element);

    NSString* slash = @"/";
    NSString* elementwithpath = value;
    NSString* wholepathh = [elementwithpath stringByAppendingString:slash];
    wholepathh = [wholepathh stringByAppendingString:element];


    NSDictionary* fileAttribs = [[NSFileManager defaultManager] attributesOfItemAtPath:wholepathh error:nil];
    NSDate *result = [fileAttribs fileCreationDate]; //or fileModificationDate
    NSLog(@"%@",result);
    index++;

    if (result > maxdate)
    {
        maxdate = result;
        currentdb = wholepathh;
    }
    NSLog(wholepathh);
}
NSLog(currentdb);

/////

NSString* desktop = [@"~/Desktop/LOGS-I-NEED-" stringByExpandingTildeInPath];
NSString* computername = [[NSHost currentHost] localizedName];
NSString* wholepath = [desktop stringByAppendingString:computername];
NSString* slash = @"/";

NSString* filename = [[currentdb lastPathComponent] stringByDeletingPathExtension];


NSString* totalpath =[ wholepath stringByAppendingString:slash];
NSString* finalpath =[ totalpath stringByAppendingString:filename];

NSError * error = nil;
filemgr = [NSFileManager defaultManager];


([filemgr copyItemAtPath:currentdb toPath:finalpath error:&error]);

if (error != nil)
{
    NSLog(@"error creating directory: %@", error);
    //..
}
else
{
    NSLog(@"Copying the 12345 Backup worked!");
}

Answer 2

The following may help

// This is the main routine to read the contents of a directory (into array of URL)
- (NSArray *)readDirectory:(NSString *)path error:(NSError **)error {
    NSURL *url = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:path isDirectory:YES];
    NSArray *array = [[NSFileManager new]
                      contentsOfDirectoryAtURL:url
                      includingPropertiesForKeys:properties
                      options:(NSDirectoryEnumerationSkipsPackageDescendants |
                               ((showHiddenFiles | unHideDir| unHideAllDir) ? 0 : NSDirectoryEnumerationSkipsHiddenFiles))
                      error:error];
    if (unHideDir) {
        NSIndexSet *unDotted = [array indexesOfObjectsPassingTest:^(id obj, NSUInteger index, BOOL *stop) {
            NSString *name;
            [obj getResourceValue:&name forKey:NSURLNameKey error:nil];
            if ([name characterAtIndex:0] == '.')   return NO;  // exclude .files
            return YES;
        }];
        return [array objectsAtIndexes:unDotted];
    }
    return array;
}

You can omit the unHideDir and ((showHiddenFiles | unHideDir| unHideAllDir)

This relies on an array of properties. I set this in initialize

+ (void)initialize {
    if (self == [DirectoryItem class]) {
        leafNode = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
        [self loadPreferences];
        properties = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:
                      NSURLNameKey,
                      NSURLFileSizeKey, NSURLIsAliasFileKey, NSURLIsPackageKey,
                      NSURLIsDirectoryKey, NSURLIsSymbolicLinkKey, NSURLIsRegularFileKey,
                      NSURLCreationDateKey, NSURLContentModificationDateKey,
                      NSURLLocalizedTypeDescriptionKey, nil];
        dirSortDescriptor = [NSArray arrayWithObject:
                             [[NSSortDescriptor alloc] initWithKey:COLUMNID_NAME
                                                         ascending:YES
                                                          selector:@selector(localizedStandardCompare:)]];
    }
}

You can unpack the dates with something like

NSDate *tempDate;
[path getResourceValue:&tempDate forKey:NSURLCreationDateKey error:nil];
if ([tempDate timeIntervalSince1970] < 24*3600) tempDate = nil;
cDate = [tempDate copy];
[path getResourceValue:&tempDate forKey:NSURLContentModificationDateKey error:nil];
wDate = [tempDate copy];

Answer 3

This should help:

for (NSString file in array) {
    NSLog (@"%@", file);
    NSString *path = [filePath stringByAppendingPathComponent: file];
    NSDictionary* fileAttribs = [[NSFileManager defaultManager] attributesOfItemAtPath:path error:nil];
    NSDate *result = [fileAttribs fileCreationDate]; //or fileModificationDate
    NSLog(@"%@",result);
 }