Re: st: RE: recursively search folder sub directories and store filenames in a text file

[Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>]

If I understand you correctly, you can use -file read- to read from a
file regardless of what is in memory. Or use Mata (e.g. -cat()-) to
read into a string matrix. Or read in the filenames first, put them
somewhere else, e.g. a set of local macros, and then read in your
dataset.
Nick
njcoxstata@gmail.com


On 31 October 2013 10:00, Tim Evans <Tim.Evans@phe.gov.uk> wrote:
> What I meant to finish off below was that I couldn't resolve the fact that I needed to load the data file created in the first part of the routine to access the data (filenames) for which I wanted to combine into one dataset, while simultaneously needing an empty datasheet in order to use -insheet- to read in each file of interest and append into one large dataset - I couldn't work this out, so stopped.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu [mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Tim Evans
> Sent: 31 October 2013 09:46
> To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> Subject: RE: st: RE: recursively search folder sub directories and store filenames in a text file
>
> Robert,
>
> Thanks for all of your help. I eventually went down the route of saving the results in a log-file and then reading in the files and the code I used is below. I did try to take advantage of the datafile you helped create in your second suggestion, but I couldn't overcome the fact that I loaded the file to access the values (filenames) but at the same time having an empty dataset.
>
> --BEGIN CODE--
>
> clear all
>
> cd "T:\Final"
>
> cap program drop dirlist
> program define dirlist
>
>    syntax, fromdir(string)
>
>    // list of all files in "`fromdir'"
>    local flist: dir "`fromdir'" files "*.csv"
>    foreach f of local flist {
>       dis "`fromdir'/`f'"
>    }
>
>    // recursively list directories in "`fromdir'"
>    local dlist: dir "`fromdir'" dirs "*"
>    foreach d of local dlist {
>       dirlist , fromdir("`fromdir'/`d'") `list'
>    }
>
> end
>
> log using filenames.log, replace
>
> local cdir = "`c(pwd)'"
> dirlist, fromdir("`cdir'")
>
> log close
>
> insheet using filenames.log
> keep if  regexm(v1, "^T") == 1  ///Clean log file of any rows not associated with a filename and path rename v1 filename
>
> outsheet using "T:\Final\final_txt.txt", nonames replace
>
> clear all
>
> file open myfile using "T:\Final\final_txt.txt", read file read myfile line
>
> insheet using `line', comma names
> di as text `line'
> save master_data, replace
> clear
> file read myfile line
> while r(eof)==0 {
>         insheet using `line'
>         di as text `line'
>         save temp, replace
>         append using master_data, force
>         save master_data, replace
>         **save temp, replace
>         clear
>                 file read myfile line
> }
> append using master_data
>
> outsheet using "T:\Final\combined_data.csv", comma names replace
>
> --END CODE--
>
> Best wishes
>
> Tim
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu [mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Robert Picard
> Sent: 30 October 2013 15:18
> To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> Subject: Re: st: RE: recursively search folder sub directories and store filenames in a text file
>
> If this is a one shot deal, I would have simply copied the output from the results window to a text file and processed the list from there.
> Using a log file to capture the list is also simple. It does make sense however that a program that recursively lists files save the list to a dataset so here's a modified version that adds that capability. While I was at it, I added a -pattern()- option if you want to restrict the search.
>
> Robert
>
> * ----- begin example --------------------------- cap program drop dirlist program define dirlist
>
>   syntax , fromdir(string) save(string) ///
>     [pattern(string) replace append]
>
>   // get files in "`fromdir'" using pattern
>   if "`pattern'" == "" local pattern "*"
>   local flist: dir "`fromdir'" files "`pattern'"
>
>   qui {
>
>     // initialize dataset to use
>     if "`append'" != "" use "`save'", clear
>     else {
>       clear
>       gen fname = ""
>     }
>
>     // add files to the dataset
>     local i = _N
>     foreach f of local flist {
>       set obs `++i'
>       replace fname = "`fromdir'/`f'" in `i'
>     }
>     save "`save'", `replace'
>
>   }
>
>   // recursively list directories in "`fromdir'"
>   local dlist: dir "`fromdir'" dirs "*"
>   foreach d of local dlist {
>     dirlist , fromdir("`fromdir'/`d'") save(`save') ///
>     pattern("`pattern'") append replace
>   }
>
> end
>
> * start from the current directory
> local cdir = "`c(pwd)'"
>
> * list all files
> dirlist, fromdir("`cdir'") save("allfiles.dta") replace
>
> * list all Excel files
> dirlist, fromdir("`cdir'") save("dofiles.dta") ///
>   pattern("*.xls") replace
>
> * ----- end example -----------------------------
>
> On Wed, Oct 30, 2013 at 6:16 AM, Tim Evans <Tim.Evans@phe.gov.uk> wrote:
>> Robert,
>>
>> Thank you very much, this does indeed seem to do the trick - I am impressed! What I would like to do is save the files I list into either a .dta file, or to a text file which I can then read into Stata. The aim then will be to run through each record and open the file.
>>
>> My only suggestion I have at the moment would be to open a log file and save this, although this might not be the best way of doing things. Do you have any advice?
>>
>> Bes wishes
>>
>> Tim
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
>> [mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Robert
>> Picard
>> Sent: 29 October 2013 13:45
>> To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
>> Subject: Re: st: RE: recursively search folder sub directories and
>> store filenames in a text file
>>
>> Here is a way, from an initial directory, to recursively list all files in Stata.
>>
>> Robert
>>
>> * ----- begin example --------------------------- cap program drop
>> dirlist program define dirlist
>>
>>    syntax , fromdir(string)
>>
>>    // list of all files in "`fromdir'"
>>    local flist: dir "`fromdir'" files "*"
>>    foreach f of local flist {
>>       dis "`fromdir'/`f'"
>>    }
>>
>>    // recursively list directories in "`fromdir'"
>>    local dlist: dir "`fromdir'" dirs "*"
>>    foreach d of local dlist {
>>       dirlist , fromdir("`fromdir'/`d'") `list'
>>    }
>>
>> end
>>
>> local cdir = "`c(pwd)'"
>> dirlist, fromdir("`cdir'")
>>
>> * ----- end example -----------------------------
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 29, 2013 at 8:04 AM, Tim Evans <Tim.Evans@phe.gov.uk> wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I am using Stata 11.2 and have a working directory called "T:\Projects\Final". In this folder I have a number of subfolders i.e. GEH_2013, SWB_2013 and within these I have for example GEH_COL and GEH_OGD. Within these folders I have a csv file.
>>>
>>> So folder structure looks like :
>>>
>>> T:\Projects\Final
>>> T:\Projects\Final\GEH_2013
>>> T:\Projects\Final\GEH_2013\GEH_COL
>>> T:\Projects\Final\GEH_2013\GEH_COL\ GEH_COL_combined.csv
>>> T:\Projects\Final\GEH_2013\GEH_OGD
>>> T:\Projects\Final\GEH_2013\GEH_OGD\ GEH_OGD_combined.csv
>>> T:\Projects\Final\SWB_2013
>>> T:\Projects\Final\SWB_2013\SWB_COL
>>> T:\Projects\Final\SWB_2013\SWB_COL\SWB_COL_combined.csv
>>> T:\Projects\Final\SWB_2013\SWB_OGD
>>> T:\Projects\Final\SWB_2013\SWB_OGD\SWB_OGD_combined.csv
>>>
>>>
>>> What I am trying to do is ultimately identify the names of each csv file contained at the third level of sub-directory and append the csv files into one large file.
>>>
>>> I have taken a look at using the following:
>>>
>>> rcd, :! dir *.csv /a-d /b >filelist.txt
>>>
>>> but all this does is create a text file in each sub-directory with the name of the csv file in that directory - so for T:\Projects\Final I have an empty text file as no csv files here, but what I need is a single text file that contains the filename and path for each csv file contained within T:\Projects\Final.
>>>
>>> Once I have this, my aim is to use the filenames and paths stored in the text file and to combine each csv file into one file.
>>>
>>> If anyone has a more elegant method of appending all csv files that are stored within sub-directories of a folder then I'd be grateful to hear!
>>>
>>> Best wishes
>>>
>>> Tim
>>>
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