How to test if a directory exist in qbasic?

Question

I'm writing a program in Qbasic. I'd like to know how to test if a folder exists.

The idea is:

IF "c:\user\basic\blablabla\" exists (?? how to programm the "exist" test?)
THEN CHDIR "c:\user\basic\blablabla\"
ELSE 
MKDIR "c:\user\basic\blablabla\"
CHDIR "c:\user\basic\blablabla\"
ENDIF

I hope i'm clear enough,

thank you very much for your suggestions !

:)

Answer 1

Another sample to detect directory exists in QB64:

PRINT "Enter dirspec";: INPUT Spec$
IF _DIREXISTS(Spec$) THEN
    PRINT "Directory exists."
ELSE
    PRINT "Directory not found."
END IF
END

Answer 2

Another subroutine to count directories/filenames in QB45:

DECLARE SUB CheckSpec (Var$, Var1!, Var2!)
REM subroutine to count directories\filenames in QB pd 2019 ejo
REM load QB /L QB.QLB
REM links qb.lib into qb.qlb
REM   link /q qb.lib,qb.qlb,Nul,bqlb45.lib;
TYPE DTAtype
  Drive AS STRING * 1
  SearchTemplate AS STRING * 11
  SearchAttr AS STRING * 1
  EntryCount AS STRING * 2
  ClusterNumber AS STRING * 2
  Reserved AS STRING * 4
  Filebits AS STRING * 1
  FileTime AS STRING * 2
  FileDate AS STRING * 2
  FileSize AS STRING * 4
  ASCIIZfilename AS STRING * 13
END TYPE
TYPE RegTypeX
 AX    AS INTEGER
 BX    AS INTEGER
 CX    AS INTEGER
 DX    AS INTEGER
 bp    AS INTEGER
 si    AS INTEGER
 di    AS INTEGER
 flags AS INTEGER
 DS    AS INTEGER
 ES    AS INTEGER
END TYPE
DECLARE SUB InterruptX (intnum AS INTEGER, inreg AS RegTypeX, outreg AS RegTypeX)
DO
  COLOR 15, 0
  PRINT "Enter filespec(*.*)";
  INPUT Filespec$
  IF Filespec$ = "" THEN Filespec$ = "*.*"
  COLOR 14, 0
  PRINT "Searching: "; Filespec$
  CALL CheckSpec(Filespec$, Var1, Var2)
  COLOR 15, 0
  IF Var1 THEN PRINT "Directories:"; Var1
  IF Var2 THEN PRINT "Filenames:"; Var2
  IF Var1 = 0 AND Var2 = 0 THEN PRINT "No files foound."
  COLOR 14, 0
  PRINT "Again(y/n)?";
  LOCATE , , 1
  DO
     x$ = INKEY$
     IF LCASE$(x$) = "n" THEN PRINT : COLOR 7, 0: END
     IF LCASE$(x$) = "y" THEN PRINT : COLOR 7, 0: EXIT DO
  LOOP
LOOP
END
' var1=dirs, var2=files
SUB CheckSpec (Var$, Var1, Var2)
 DIM InregsX AS RegTypeX
 DIM OutregsX AS RegTypeX
 DIM DTAfile AS DTAtype
 DIM ASCIIZ AS STRING * 260
 DIM Current.DTA.SEG AS INTEGER
 DIM Current.DTA.OFF AS INTEGER
 ASCIIZ = UCASE$(Var$) + CHR$(0)
 Var1 = 0: Var2 = 0
 ' store current dta
 InregsX.AX = &H2F00
 CALL InterruptX(&H21, InregsX, OutregsX)
 Current.DTA.SEG = OutregsX.ES
 Current.DTA.OFF = OutregsX.BX
 ' store function dta
 InregsX.AX = &H1A00
 InregsX.DS = VARSEG(DTAfile)
 InregsX.DX = VARPTR(DTAfile)
 CALL InterruptX(&H21, InregsX, OutregsX)
 ' findfirst
 InregsX.AX = &H4E00
 InregsX.CX = &H37
 InregsX.DS = VARSEG(ASCIIZ)
 InregsX.DX = VARPTR(ASCIIZ)
 CALL InterruptX(&H21, InregsX, OutregsX)
 ' check carry flag error
 DO
    IF (OutregsX.flags AND &H1) = &H0 THEN
       ' store filename attribute bits
       Filebits% = ASC(DTAfile.Filebits)
       ' check directory bit
       IF (Filebits% AND &H10) = &H10 THEN
          Var1 = Var1 + 1
       ELSE
          Var2 = Var2 + 1
       END IF
       ' find next filename
       InregsX.AX = &H4F00
       CALL InterruptX(&H21, InregsX, OutregsX)
    ELSE
       EXIT DO
    END IF
 LOOP
 ' restore current dta
 InregsX.AX = &H1A00
 InregsX.DS = Current.DTA.SEG
 InregsX.DX = Current.DTA.OFF
 CALL InterruptX(&H21, InregsX, OutregsX)
END SUB

Answer 3

Another way to detect directory exists in QB:

REM function to detect directory exists in QB pd 2019 ejo
REM load QB /L QB.QLB
TYPE DTAtype
 Drive AS STRING * 1
 SearchTemplate AS STRING * 11
 SearchAttr AS STRING * 1
 EntryCount AS STRING * 2
 ClusterNumber AS STRING * 2
 Reserved AS STRING * 4
 Filebits AS STRING * 1
 FileTime AS STRING * 2
 FileDate AS STRING * 2
 FileSize AS STRING * 4
 ASCIIZfilename AS STRING * 13
END TYPE
TYPE RegTypeX
 AX    AS INTEGER
 BX    AS INTEGER
 CX    AS INTEGER
 DX    AS INTEGER
 bp    AS INTEGER
 si    AS INTEGER
 di    AS INTEGER
 flags AS INTEGER
 DS    AS INTEGER
 ES    AS INTEGER
END TYPE
DECLARE SUB InterruptX (intnum AS INTEGER, inreg AS RegTypeX, outreg AS RegTypeX)
DIM InregsX AS RegTypeX
DIM OutregsX AS RegTypeX
DIM DTAfile AS DTAtype
DIM ASCIIZ AS STRING * 260
DIM Current.DTA.SEG AS INTEGER
DIM Current.DTA.OFF AS INTEGER
PRINT "Enter directory";
INPUT Filespec$
ASCIIZ = Filespec$ + CHR$(0)
' store current dta
InregsX.AX = &H2F00
CALL InterruptX(&H21, InregsX, OutregsX)
Current.DTA.SEG = OutregsX.ES
Current.DTA.OFF = OutregsX.BX
' store function dta
InregsX.AX = &H1A00
InregsX.DS = VARSEG(DTAfile)
InregsX.DX = VARPTR(DTAfile)
CALL InterruptX(&H21, InregsX, OutregsX)
' findfirst
InregsX.AX = &H4E00
InregsX.CX = &H37
InregsX.DS = VARSEG(ASCIIZ)
InregsX.DX = VARPTR(ASCIIZ)
CALL InterruptX(&H21, InregsX, OutregsX)
' check carry flag error
IF (OutregsX.flags AND &H1) = &H0 THEN
   ' store filename attribute bits
   Filebits% = ASC(DTAfile.Filebits)
   ' check directory bit
   IF (Filebits% AND &H10) = &H10 THEN
      PRINT "Directory exists."
   ELSE
      PRINT "Filename exists."
   END IF
ELSE
   PRINT "Filespec not found."
END IF
' restore current dta
InregsX.AX = &H1A00
InregsX.DS = Current.DTA.SEG
InregsX.DX = Current.DTA.OFF
CALL InterruptX(&H21, InregsX, OutregsX)
END

Answer 4

If memory serves (and it sometimes doesn't):

FolderExists = (Dir$("C:\User\basic\blahblahbla\nul") <> "")

should work in older versions of BASIC that support Dir$() but don't support the attribute parameter. The NUL device is assumed to exist in every folder, so it's a way to check for a folder, even if that folder is empty.

Answer 5

Try changing the directory to blablabla. If it doesn't exist, there'll be an error. Trap this error and specify an error handling routine.

ON ERROR GOTO doesnotexist
CHDIR "c:\user\basic\blablabla\"
END

doesnotexist:
MKDIR "c:\user\basic\blablabla\"
CHDIR "c:\user\basic\blablabla\"
RESUME NEXT