fDate (Function)

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Modifying the date and time associated with a file
Handling errors
Operating mode in the different operating systems
Operating mode in Windows Vista (and later)

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fDate (Function)

In french: fDate

Returns or modifies the different dates associated with a file or directory (date created, modified or accessed).

In this version, you cannot find out or modify the creation date of a file or directory.

Example

See additional examples

// Retrieve the modification date of a file
ResDate = fDate("C:\MyDirectories\File.txt", "", fModify)

Syntax

<Result> = fDate(<File or directory path> [, <New date> [, <Type of date>]])

<Result>: Character string

Date associated with the file or directory (in YYYYMMDD format),
Empty string ("") if an error occurred. To get more details on the error, use ErrorInfo.
ErrorInfo cannot be used to identify the error.

<File or directory path>: Character string

Name and full (or relative) path of the file (up to 260 characters).
Full (or relative) path of directory (up to 260 characters). If this parameter corresponds to a directory name, this name may (or may not) end with "\".
A UNC path can be used.
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: In Android, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories, as well as onto the external memory (SDCard).
This parameter can correspond to a full path or a path relative to the current directory (returned by fCurrentDir). This parameter is case-sensitive.
Reminder: On iPhone/iPad, an application has the rights to write into its setup directory or into one of its subdirectories.

<New date>: Optional character string

Modifying a date: new date associated with the file or directory (in YYYYMMDD format).
Reading a date: empty string ("").
The creation date of a file or directory cannot be modified.

<Type of date>: Optional constant

Indicates the date to handle:
fAccess Date of last access to the file or directory.
This constant is not available.
fCreation Creation date of the file or directory.
This constant is not available.
fModify
(Default value) Date of the last modification made to a file or directory.

The creation date of a file or directory cannot be modified.
Only files with a date later than January 1, 1970 can be modified.

Remarks

Modifying the date and time associated with a file

To modify the date and time associated with a file, you have the ability to use fDateTime.

Remark: You also have the ability to use fDate and fTime successively. However, fDateTime is faster.

Handling errors

fDate throws an error in the following cases:

the specified file is opened or the file is locked by another application,
the specified file or directory does not exist,
the name of the specified file is invalid,
the year of one of the file dates is before 1980 (or 1970 in Java),
the format of <New date> is incorrect.
...

Operating mode in the different operating systems

The date associated with a file or a directory cannot be modified in the following systems: Windows 98, Windows ME.
The creation date of a file or directory cannot be modified.
Only files with a date later than January 1, 1970 can be modified.

Operating mode in Windows Vista (and later)

If this function does not operate properly in Windows Vista (and later), check whether the file or directory used is not in one of the system directories (Windows directory or "Program Files" directory).

In Windows Vista (and later), with the UAC mechanism (User Account Control) enabled, you must have administrator privileges to handle and/or modify the files or directories in system directories (Windows directory or "Program Files" directory).

Programming tip: To handle and/or modify the files or directories without administrator privileges, you should:

avoid writing to the Windows directory or to the "Program Files" directory,
use the system directory of the application (returned by SysDir with the srAppDataCommun constant, for example).

Component: wd280std.dll