DirCopy

[random667]

I am working on making a backup program and I would like to be able to backup files only if they have been changed since the last backup.

I have been looking at DirCopy, but it only seems to have the option to overwrite or not.

Also looked at FileGetTime to compare the files, but i am not sure if or how it could be used with DirCopy.

Any ideas on how to do this?

Thanks.

[SmOke_N]

I am working on making a backup program and I would like to be able to backup files only if they have been changed since the last backup.

I have been looking at DirCopy, but it only seems to have the option to overwrite or not.

Also looked at FileGetTime to compare the files, but i am not sure if or how it could be used with DirCopy.

Any ideas on how to do this?

Thanks.

Could always do a FileGetSize() first with a conditional statement, if the two sizes aren't the same then then do an overwrite.

You could also do a FileRead on both files then do a StringCompare if the string compare is <> or greater than 0 then do the over write.

Then you could also do a checksum of the files (find around the forum) but I'd imagine this method (in autoit) to be much slower then the other two methods.

[random667]

Could always do a FileGetSize() first with a conditional statement, if the two sizes aren't the same then then do an overwrite.

You could also do a FileRead on both files then do a StringCompare if the string compare is <> or greater than 0 then do the over write.

Then you could also do a checksum of the files (find around the forum) but I'd imagine this method (in autoit) to be much slower then the other two methods.

I was afraid of that, and was hoping for just another flag that could be used with DirCopy.

I have started making a script to go through all of the files and copy them one at a time and compare the files.

This is what i have so far, and now my head hurts:

#include <Array.au3>
#include <File.au3>

$NamesArray = StringSplit("Kathleen,FrontDesk,BackShop", ",")
$PathsArray = StringSplit("Administrator\My Documents,Administrator\Favorites,Administrator\Application Data,All Users\Application Data,Administrator\Local Settings\Application Data", ",")

For $i = 1 To UBound($NamesArray) - 1 Step + 1
    For $j = 1 To UBound($PathsArray) - 1 Step + 1
        $NetworkPath = "\\" & $NamesArray[$i] & "\Documents and Settings\" & $PathsArray[$j] & "\"
        $BackupPath = @MyDocumentsDir & "\Backup\" & $NamesArray[$i] & "\Documents and Settings\" & $PathsArray[$j] & "\"
        SaveFiles($NetworkPath, $BackupPath)
        CheckSubFolders($NetworkPath, $BackupPath)
    Next
Next

Func SaveFiles($NetworkPath, $BackupPath)
    $FileList = _FileListToArray($NetworkPath, "*", 1)
    For $k = 1 To UBound($FileList) - 1 Step + 1
        $FileName = $FileList[$k]
        $File1Time = FileGetTime($NetworkPath & $FileName)
        $File2Time = FileGetTime($BackupPath & $FileName)
        If $File1Time <> $File2Time Then
            FileCopy($NetworkPath & $FileName, $BackupPath, 9)
        EndIf
    Next
EndFunc  ;==>SaveFiles

Func CheckSubFolders($NetworkPath, $BackupPath)
    $SubFolderList = _FileListToArray($NetworkPath, "*", 2)
    For $k = 1 To UBound($SubFolderList) Step + 1
        $SubFolderName = $SubFolderList[$k]
        $SubFolderPath = $NetworkPath & $SubFolderName & "\"
        $SubFolderList = _FileListToArray($FolderPath, "*", 2)
        SaveFiles($SubFolderPath, $BackupPath & $SubFolderName)
    Next
EndFunc  ;==>CheckSubFolders

And i think this script will only go through the first set of files and folders, but not the sub-sub folders, but i haven't done any testing yet.

Edited April 17, 2008 by random667

[randallc]

Hi,

Probably easier to make your recursive file list to an array first (see link to _FileListToArrayNew), then just loop through your comparisons in one hit..

Best, Randall

[PS - alternatively of course, just wrap xcopy with "/d"]

Edited April 17, 2008 by randallc

[random667]

I think i have it figured out now, my test worked anyway.

For my test I made a folder called "TestFolder1" in the documents folder on my tv computer, inside "TestFolder1" i created a text file named Document1.txt and a folder named "TestFolder2", Inside "TestFolder2" i created a text file named Document2.txt and a folder named "TestFolder3", Inside "TestFolder3"... and so on, ten subfolders deep.

This test code correctly copied all of the files into the correct folders and sub folders.

Here is my working test script:

#include <Array.au3>
#include <File.au3>

$NamesArray = "Tv\my documents\TestFolder1\"
$NetworkPath = "\\Tv\my documents\TestFolder1\"
$BackupPath = @MyDocumentsDir & "\Backup\" & $NamesArray
SaveFiles($NetworkPath, $BackupPath)

Func SaveFiles($NetworkPath, $BackupPath)
    $FileList = _FileListToArray($NetworkPath, "*", 1)
    For $k = 1 To UBound($FileList) - 1 Step + 1
        $FileName = $FileList[$k]
        $File1Time = FileGetTime($NetworkPath & $FileName)
        $File2Time = FileGetTime($BackupPath & $FileName)
        If $File1Time <> $File2Time Then
            FileCopy($NetworkPath & $FileName, $BackupPath & $FileName, 9)
        EndIf
    Next    
    CheckSubFolders($NetworkPath, $BackupPath)
EndFunc  ;==>SaveFiles

Func CheckSubFolders($NetworkPath, $BackupPath)
    $SubFolderList = _FileListToArray($NetworkPath, "*", 2)
    For $k = 1 To UBound($SubFolderList)-1 Step + 1
        $SubFolderName = $SubFolderList[$k]
        $SubFolderPath = $NetworkPath & $SubFolderName & "\"
        $SubBackupPath = $BackupPath & $SubFolderName & "\"
        $SubSubFolderList = _FileListToArray($SubFolderPath, "*", 2)
        SaveFiles($SubFolderPath, $SubBackupPath)
    Next
EndFunc  ;==>CheckSubFolders

[GEOSoft]

You could also use FileRead()

If FileRead($FileA) <> FileRead($FileB) Then

Now check the file size, time, and whatever else you want.

Actually for my own backup, I just FileInstall("7za.exe") which is the command line version of 7Zip. That compresses my backups and by using the proper switches I can make it add to the backup only if the existing file has changed since the last backup.

Sample on request only.

Edited April 17, 2008 by GEOSoft