Q33178: Example to Load OS/2 Disk Directory into String Array

Article: Q33178
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 6.00 6.00b 7.00
Operating System(s): OS/2
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 31-JAN-1990

This article discusses two methods to put a disk directory listing
into a string array under OS/2 protected mode. (Note: This article was
written because the FILES statement in BASIC only outputs to the
screen, not to a file or to string variables.)

Example 1 shows a simple method to SHELL to the DIR command, redirect
the output to a file, and input from the file into string variables.
(Example 1 also works correctly in MS-DOS.)

Example 2 shows how to invoke OS/2 API functions (DosFindFirst and
DosFindNext) to retrieve a disk directory into string variables.

This article applies to Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions 6.00 and
6.00b for MS-DOS and MS OS/2 and to Microsoft BASIC Professional
Development System (PDS) Version 7.00 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2.

Note: In Microsoft BASIC PDS 7.00, the DIR$ function can be used to
accomplish the same thing as these two routines show. The use of DIR$
is documented on Page 107 of the "Microsoft BASIC 7.0: Language
Reference" manual.

For an article about how to invoke MS-DOS (or OS/2 real mode)
functions to accomplish the same thing, query in this Knowledge Base
on the following keywords:

   INTERRUPT and FINDFIRST and FINDNEXT

In MS OS/2 protected mode, you can use the API CALLs DosFindFirst and
DosFindNext to retrieve a disk directory listing and load it into a
string array, as shown in Example 2 below. Example 2 does NOT apply to
QuickBASIC Versions 4.50 and earlier because they cannot compile
programs for OS/2 protected mode.

Example 1 (the simplest technique) is as follows:

' Works in QuickBASIC 2.00, 2.01, 3.00, 4.00, 4.00b, 4.50, and
' BASIC compiler 6.00 and 6.00b.
nf = 200   ' Handles directory listing up to 200 lines.
DIM buffer$(nf)
INPUT "Enter Search Path: ", path$   ' Enter path such as c:
SHELLSTRING$ = "dir " + path$ + " >dirfile.dat"
SHELL SHELLSTRING$   ' SHELL to the MS-DOS DIRectory command.
OPEN "dirfile.dat" FOR INPUT AS #1
pntr% = 0
WHILE NOT EOF(1) AND pntr% < nf
  pntr% = pntr% + 1
  INPUT #1, buffer$(pntr%)  ' Inputs one directory line at a time.
  PRINT buffer$(pntr%)
WEND
CLOSE #1
KILL "dirfile.dat"
END

Example 2 is as follows:

The following sample program is for MS OS/2 protected mode (to be
compiled only in BASIC compiler Version 6.00 or 6.00b in MS OS/2
protected mode or BASIC PDS Version 7.00 in MS OS/2 protected mode):

'The TYPE below is taken from the following include file: BSEDOSFL.BI
TYPE FILEFINDBUF
        fdateCreation   AS INTEGER
        ftimeCreation   AS INTEGER
        fdateLastAccess AS INTEGER
        ftimeLastAccess AS INTEGER
        fdateLastWrite  AS INTEGER
        ftimeLastWrite  AS INTEGER
        cbFile          AS LONG
        cbFileAlloc     AS LONG
        attrFile        AS INTEGER
        cchName         AS STRING * 1
        achName         AS STRING * 13
END TYPE

DECLARE FUNCTION DosFindFirst%( _
        BYVAL P1s AS INTEGER,_
        BYVAL P1o AS INTEGER,_
        SEG   P2  AS INTEGER,_
        BYVAL P3  AS INTEGER,_
        SEG   P4  AS FILEFINDBUF,_
        BYVAL P5  AS INTEGER,_
        SEG   P6  AS INTEGER,_
        BYVAL P7  AS LONG)

DECLARE FUNCTION DosFindNext%( _
        BYVAL P1 AS INTEGER,_
        SEG   P2 AS FILEFINDBUF,_
        BYVAL P3 AS INTEGER,_
        SEG   P4 AS INTEGER)

DEFINT a-z

DIM buffer AS FileFindBuf
DIM filelist(255) as string*13
DIM reserved  AS LONG

CLS

INPUT "Enter the Filename(s) : ";flname$
flname$=flname$+chr$(0)

atr= 0+2+4+16    'normal + hidden + system + subdirectory
dirh=1
searchcount=1
bufflen=36
x=DosFindFirst%(varseg(flname$),sadd(flname$),_
                dirh,atr,buffer,bufflen,searchcount,reserved)
IF (X=0) THEN
   DO
     counter=counter+1
     filelist(counter)=buffer.achName
     buffer.achName=string$(13,32)  'assign blanks
   LOOP WHILE (DosFindNext%(dirh,buffer,bufflen,searchcount) = 0 )
ELSE
    PRINT "No MATCH was found"
    END
END IF

for i = 1 to counter
    print filelist(i)
next i

END

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