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📁 Mastering Directory Creation in Uniface: The dircreate Statement

#uniface #procscript #programming #development

Working with directories is a fundamental aspect of many applications, and Uniface provides a powerful and flexible way to create directories through the dircreate statement. Let's dive into this essential ProcScript command! 🚀

🎯 What is dircreate?

The dircreate statement creates a specified directory in the current working directory using any file redirections defined in the assignment file. It's a simple yet powerful command that can be used across all Uniface component types.

Basic Syntax 

dircreate NewDirPath
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Simple Example 

dircreate "exports"
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⚙️ Parameters and Configuration

The dircreate statement takes a single parameter:

Parameter Data Type Description
NewDirPath String Directory name, optionally preceded by the path to the directory. Must end with a directory separator.

📏 Path Specifications

  • Maximum Length: 255 bytes for any path, file name, or directory name
  • Valid Separators: Backward slash (\), forward slash (/), and period (.) with square brackets ([a.b])
  • Input Types: String, field, variable, or function that evaluates to a string

🔄 Return Values

The dircreate statement provides clear feedback through $procerror:

Value Error Constant Meaning
0 - ✅ Successful
-13 ❌ OS command error occurred

💡 Pro Tip: Use /pri=64 to display the exact error message in the message frame when encountering OS command errors.

🛠️ Practical Examples

Creating a Directory in Current Working Directory 

dircreate "coffee"
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Creating a Directory in an Existing Directory 

dircreate "sub1dir/coffee/"
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Or using the alternative syntax:

dircreate "[.sub1dir.coffee.]"
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🚫 Common Failure Scenarios

The dircreate operation will fail if:

  • 📂 Directory already exists
  • 🔒 Insufficient authorization level
  • ❌ Invalid syntax
  • 🚷 Specifies the $RES path (e.g., "$RES:/NewDirPath")

🖥️ Platform-Specific Behavior

Unix Systems

On Unix, directories are created with read and write access for world, group, and user levels. 🐧

iSeries Systems

On iSeries, dircreate can create:

  • Without IFS prefix: Libraries or files in libraries (max one directory separator)
  • With IFS prefix: IFS directories with subdirectories (subject to file system rules)

🎉 Best Practices

  1. Always check return values: Monitor $procerror for operation success
  2. Use proper separators: Leverage Uniface's cross-platform directory separators
  3. Handle errors gracefully: Implement proper error handling for failed operations
  4. Validate paths: Ensure paths don't exceed 255 bytes

🔍 Conclusion

The dircreate statement is a versatile tool in the Uniface developer's toolkit. Whether you're organizing application data, creating export directories, or managing file structures, understanding this command will enhance your ProcScript capabilities. 💪

Remember to always validate your directory paths and handle potential errors appropriately. Happy coding! 🎯

Based on Uniface Documentation 10.4 | Created with AI assistance

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