CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++
SpecialK
SpecialK

Reputation: 23

movefile() fails error 2 or 123

I'm updating a c++ routine to move files that was written in visual studio express 2008/2010. I'm now running VS Express 2012

Obviously there are changes to the compiler because string functions have to be upgraded to strcpy_s etc. No problem. This is a console app. I never extended my C++ knowledge past C++ to C# etc. as I need little more than to be able to write small utils to do things on the command line. Still I'm able to write somewhat complex utilities.

My issue is movefile() function always fails to move with either error 2 or 123. I'm working in C:\users\alan\downloads folder so I know I have permission. I know the file is there. Small snippet of code is:

char source=".\\test.txt";     // edited for clarity.
char dest=".\\test.txt1";
printf("\nMove\n    %s\n to %s\n",source,dest);   // just to see what is going on
MoveFile((LPCWSTR) source, (LPCWSTR) dest);
printf("Error %u\n",GetLastError());

output is : Move .\test.txt to .\test.txt1 Error 2

All of my strings are simple char strings and I'm not exactly sure, even after reading, what LPCWSTR was type def'd for and if this is the culprit. So to get this to compile I simply typedef'd my strings. And it compiles. But still it won't move the files.
The code is more complex in developing the source & dest variables but I've reduce it to a simple "just append a 1 to the file name" situation to see if I can just simply rename it. I thought C:\xxx\yyy\zzz\test.txt was maybe wrong in some fashion but that idea fell though with the above test. I've done it with and without the .\ same issue. I'm running out of ideas other than making my own fileopen read/write binary function to replace movefile(). I'm really against that but if I have to I will.

EDIT: I pasted the printf from original code that used FullPathName, I've corrected the snippet.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1821

Answers (2)

SpecialK
SpecialK

Reputation: 23

Thanks Andrew Medico. I used MoveFileA and the program seems to work now.
I'm not sure I turned off unicode, but I did change one item in the properties.

I'll need to read up on the compiler about unicode/ansi settings. But for now the issue is fixed and I'm sure I've got the idea of what I need to do. "research"!!!!

Upvotes: 1

nobody
nobody

Reputation: 20163

The fact that you are casting your arguments to LPCWSTR suggests that you are compiling your program with UNICODE defined, which means you are calling MoveFileW and the compiler warned about an argument type mismatch.

Inserting a cast does not fix that. You are telling the compiler to stop complaining, but you haven't actually fixed the problem (the underlying data is still wrong).

Actual solutions:

  1. Use WCHAR as MoveFileW expects (or TCHAR/LPTSTR and the _T macro).
  2. Explicitly call MoveFileA
  3. Compile without UNICODE defined.

Upvotes: 4

Related Questions