FileExists(xxxxx) in a network?

[Ian Branch 128]

Hi Team,

Using D10.3.

I am trying to use FileExists(xxx); in a network environment but it doesn't seem to like it.  I am using the following test code..

{code}

procedure TForm21.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  sAppName: string;
begin

  sAppName := 'Testfile.exe';
  sAppName := Copy(sAppName, 0, LastDelimiter('.', sAppName) - 1);
  sAppName := ExtractFilePath(Application.ExeName) + sAppName + '.Tips';
  MessageDlg('Tips file name is - '+sAppName, mtInformation, [mbOK], 0);
  //
  if FileExists(sAppName) then
     MessageDlg(sAppName+' found OK.', mtInformation, [mbOK], 0)
  else
     MessageDlg('Unable to find '+sAppName, mtInformation, [mbOK], 0);
  //
end;

{code}

The two MessageDlg show the correct information and it all works fine on my PC.

When I run it from the server on the network the MessageDlg still show the correct server drive/path and filename however it doesn't find 'the 'Testfile.Tips'.

Have I done something wrong?  Should I be using some other Test for existence of the file?

Note - The initial sAppName is normally derived from Application.ExeName but I have hard coded it for the test app.

 

Regards & TIA,

Ian

Edited January 16, 2019 by Ian Branch

[Ian Branch 128]

For the record, I have tried hard coding..

{code}

  sAppName := '\\192.168.1.35\F-TestServer\C:\TestArea\Testfile.Tips';

  MessageDlg('Tips file name is - '+sAppName, mtInformation, [mbOK], 0);
  //
  if FileExists(sAppName) then

....

....

{code}

Without success.

Edited January 16, 2019 by Ian Branch
Added aditional piece of code.

[FredS 138]

Some very old versions of Delphi had this issue, simple fix was to use:

 

function MyFileExits(FileName: string): boolean;
var
  SearchRec: TSearchRec;
begin
  if (FindFirst(FileName, faAnyFile, SearchRec) = 0) then
  begin
    SysUtils.FindClose(SearchRec);
    Result := True;
  end
  else
    Result := False;
end;

 

[Ian Branch 128]

Hi Fred,

Thanks for that but it didn't fix the issue.

I should have stated up front i was using D10.3.  My bad.

Ian

[FredS 138]

OK,

 

sAppName := '\\192.168.1.35\F-TestServer\C:\TestArea\Testfile.Tips'; 

 

should be

 

sAppName := '\\192.168.1.35\F-TestServer\C$\TestArea\Testfile.Tips'; 

 

[Ian Branch 128]

Hi Fred,

Sorry to report no good. 😞

For my education, why the $ instead of :?

Ian

[FredS 138]

The format is \\<server>\<share>\<path>

Admin shares can be accessed with <drive letter>$.

 

After taking a closer look at what you are doing, why would 'c:' be a valid path inside a share?

 

 

 

 

[Attila Kovacs 631]

@Ian Branch Are you holding some infos back? How is a colon in your UNC path? Linux server? Does samba supports colon in UNC? 

[Ian Branch 128]

The bottom line here is I am trying to do something in an environment I am unfamiliar with.

I am working remotely into a Customer's test PC.

Looking closer at the environment I suspect that he has it locked down tightly.  I assumed F-TestServer was the root directory of the PC .  As there are several drives on it I assumed it needed a drive specifier.

All very confusing att, that is why I am trying to make sense of it.

Ian

[Ian Branch 128]

It is a Windows 2012 R2 Server.

[FredS 138]

49 minutes ago, Ian Branch said:

All very confusing

 

Try:

LTips := ChangeFileExt(Application.ExeName, '.Tips');

 

[Ian Branch 128]

All,

Thank you for your inputs.  I had no joy making it work.

I have instead changed the mechanism to .ini file processing which is working fine.

Regards & Tks again.

Ian