How do I Wait for files to finish populating a directory before processing...

[dapiechocki]

I am using the FilesystemWatcher to look for files in a Directory, it does not matter what the file is. After a file appears it starts my ftp process and I end up with a bunch of 0 byte files because it processed before all the files arrived. I would like to WaitFor... (Files_Created) to finish but dont seem to have the right syntax to get this to work properly. I have working code up until it loops. As you can see I have tried various processes to get it to work... mostly commented out. I also have imported just about everything trying to get this to work. Please ask away. Thanks

Imports System
Imports System.IO.File
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Collections.Specialized
Imports System.Diagnostics
 
Public Class FileSystemMonitor
 
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Dim fsw As New FileSystemWatcher()  ' create an object of FileSystemWatcher
 
        ' set properties of FileSystemWatcher object
        fsw.Path = "c:\Test"
        fsw.IncludeSubdirectories = True
 
        ' add event handlers 
        AddHandler fsw.Created, New FileSystemEventHandler(AddressOf File_Created)
 
        fsw.EnableRaisingEvents = True  ' enable monitoring
 
        Console.WriteLine("Started Monitoring WinServ Dir. Press enter key to stop.")
        Console.ReadLine()
 
    End Sub
 
    ' event handler to handle created event 
    Public Shared Sub File_Created(ByVal obj As Object, ByVal e As FileSystemEventArgs)
 
        Dim fName As String = System.IO.Path.GetFileName(e.FullPath) 'file name with extension
        Dim newPath As String = "C:\Test" 'Newpath with no file
        Dim nPathAndFile As String = String.Concat(newPath, fName) 'Newpath with file and ext
        Dim S As New StringCollection()
        Dim T() As String = {nPathAndFile}
        Dim i As String
        Dim Count As Integer = 0
 
        For Each i In T
            Count += 1
            Dim di = New DirectoryInfo(newPath)
            Dim fi = di.GetFiles("*", SearchOption.AllDirectories)
            Console.WriteLine(fi.Length.ToString) ' & " " & nPathAndFile)
 
        Next
 
 
 
 
        'If File.Exists(nPathAndFile) Then
        'Console.WriteLine("Starting Transfer")
        'Dim psi As New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo("C:\ftp2.bat")
        'psi.RedirectStandardOutput = True
        'psi.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
        'psi.UseShellExecute = False
        'Dim ftp As System.Diagnostics.Process
        'ftp = System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(psi)
        'Dim myOutput As System.IO.StreamReader = ftp.StandardOutput
        'Console.WriteLine(myOutput)
        'ftp.WaitForExit(1000)
        'If ftp.HasExited Then
        'Console.WriteLine("Transfer Done")
        'Dim s As String
        'For Each s In System.IO.Directory.GetFiles("C:\Test")
        'System.IO.File.Delete(s)
        'Next s
        'End If
        'For Each i In T
        'Delete(i)
        'Thread.Sleep(2000)
        'Next
        'End If
    End Sub
End Class
'Dim delt As New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo("C:\delt.bat")
'delt.RedirectStandardOutput = True
'delt.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
'delt.UseShellExecute = False
'Dim delt2 As System.Diagnostics.Process
'delt2 = System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(delt)

[tlhintoq]

Welcome to pain in the butt that is Windows. As soon as a new record is put into the file directory, windows fires a NewFileEvent. Just checking to see if the file exists won't cut it, because even at 0k it does technically exist.

When using FileSystemWatcher I usually put the path of the new file into a Queue rather than react immediately. I can then handle the queue at me leisure; checking every 10 seconds to see if the file size has changed. Once the size has remained stable for 30 seconds I figure it must be done.

Hopefully someone will pop up with a better approach and we can both learn something. But it has been a method that serves me well for a long time.

[dapiechocki]

WOW, that sounds like a tricky process. You wouldnt happen to have any sample code laying around would you?

The problem lies in FSW processing files in a batch but then wants to loop throuth the code for every file. I want it to sit and wait until there is no folder activity (Change or created events) happening before it goes to the ftp. I am not a VB expert and dont know mutch about multi-threading

[tlhintoq]

It's really not that tricky. Your queue can be an actual 'queue' object.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/7977ey2c.aspx
Or just a simple List<string> of the paths.
Or make a class that has a path, size and date in it to give yourself some flexibility - then make a List<> of those to loop through.

On a timer check the FileInfo.ModifiedDate of each file in the list (or the last known filesize). If it hasn't changed in 30 seconds, you're probably good.

I code in C#, plus it's all proprietary to the company I work for... so I can't really just give it out.

But give it a play. You'll learn more by doing and experimenting anyway.