How to set file date?

[Dave Straayer]

I am dealing with a minor Y2K bug, and need to be able to automate setting a number of files' time/date stamp to a specific date (in 1999!) to test a workaround. Does anybody know an easy way to do this? Perhaps a call to an SDK function?

Dave Straayer

Dave Straayer
Varatouch, Inc.

[Chris Eastwood]

You can do this with the WinAPI SetFileTime call - here's an example - create a new project with a form (FORM1) and a button (Command1), then paste in the following code :


option Explicit
'
'The Win32 API includes native functions that
'allow you to change a file's properties, such as time and date, without a
'third-party DLL.
'
'
private Type FILETIME
dwLowDate as Long
dwHighDate as Long
End Type
'
private Type SYSTEMTIME
wYear as Integer
wMonth as Integer
wDayOfWeek as Integer
wDay as Integer
wHour as Integer
wMinute as Integer
wSecond as Integer
wMillisecs as Integer
End Type
'
private Const FILE_SHARE_READ = &H1
private Const FILE_SHARE_WRITE = &H2
private Const GENERIC_WRITE = &H40000000
private Const OPEN_EXISTING = 3
'
private Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" _
(byval hObject as Long) as Long
private Declare Function CreateFile Lib "kernel32" _
Alias "CreateFileA" (byval lpFileName as string, _
byval dwDesiredAccess as Long, byval dwShareMode _
as Long, byval lpSecurityAttributes as Long, byval _
dwCreationDisposition as Long, byval _
dwFlagsAndAttributes as Long, byval hTemplateFile _
as Long) as Long
'
private Declare Function LocalFileTimeToFileTime Lib _
"kernel32" (lpLocalFileTime as FILETIME, lpFileTime _
as FILETIME) as Long
private Declare Function SetFileTime Lib "kernel32" _
(byval hFile as Long, byval MullP as Long, byval _
NullP2 as Long, lpLastWriteTime as FILETIME) as Long
private Declare Function SystemTimeToFileTime Lib _
"kernel32" (lpSystemTime as SYSTEMTIME, lpFileTime _
as FILETIME) as Long
'
private Sub SetFileDate(sFileName as string, sDate as string)
'
Dim hFile as Long
Dim lResult as Long
Dim udtSysTime as SYSTEMTIME
Dim udtFileTime as FILETIME
Dim udtLocalTime as FILETIME
'
With udtSysTime
.wYear = Year(sDate)
.wMonth = Month(sDate)
.wDay = Day(sDate)
.wDayOfWeek = Weekday(sDate) - 1
.wHour = Hour(sDate)
.wMinute = Minute(sDate)
.wSecond = Second(sDate)
End With
'
lResult = SystemTimeToFileTime(udtSysTime, _
udtLocalTime)
lResult = LocalFileTimeToFileTime(udtLocalTime, _
udtFileTime)
'
hFile = CreateFile(sFileName, GENERIC_WRITE, _
FILE_SHARE_READ _
Or FILE_SHARE_WRITE, byval 0&, OPEN_EXISTING, _
0, 0)
'
lResult = SetFileTime(hFile, byval 0&, byval 0&, _
udtFileTime)
'
Call CloseHandle(hFile)
'
End Sub
'
private Sub Command1_Click()
'
' Of course, this only works if you have the relevant file
' on your harddisk (ie. it exists!)
'
SetFileDate "c:\chris.dat", "01/01/2000"
End Sub





Chris Eastwood

CodeGuru - the website for developers
http://codeguru.developer.com/vb