PREP_PROCESS_FILENAME

Use the PREP_PROCESS_FILENAME script function to retrieve a list of files that are available in a specific directory. The script lets you filter for particular file names, and specify whether to include subdirectories and folders. On the host, the Agent retrieves the files. The script function returns a reference to a data sequence that you can use for further processing by assigning the return code to the :PROCESS script statement. Use the GET_PROCESS_LINE script function to access each line in the data sequence.

Important! Agents for applications (Oracle applications, PeopleSoft, and SAP) do not support PREP_PROCESS_FILENAME.

Notes:

• The script function causes all open transactions of the script to be written to the AE database. For more information, see Script Processing.
• You cannot assign a new value to the script variable that contains the reference to the data sequence. Use :CLOSE_PROCESS to discard the existing data sequence, and then assign a new value.
• There is no error message if the data sequence does not contain the content that you specify. The :PROCESS script statement does not process the data sequence in this case.

Syntax

PREP_PROCESS_FILENAME (Host, File name, [Wildcards], [Subfolder], [Filter] [,"COL=Definition1[, Definition2]"] [,"UC_LOGIN=Login object"])

Parameters

• PREP_PROCESS_FILENAME
  Retrieves a list of file names

• Host
  Name of the Agent on the computer on which the files are located
  Format: script literal or script variable

• File name
  Path and file name to search for
  Format: script literal or script variable
  Notes:

  • Use the wildcard character * to stand for any number of characters, or ? for a single character in the file name.
  • Do not use wildcards in the path.
  • Case sensitivity is determined by the parameter Wildcards.
    

• Wildcards
  (Optional) Indicates whether the file name is specified with wildcard characters
  Format: script literal or script variable
  Allowed values:

  • Y (default)
    File name contains wildcard characters, case insensitive
  • N
    File name does not contain wildcard characters, case sensitive
    

• Subfolder
  (Optional) Determines whether to include subfolders and subdirectories in the search
  Format: script literal or script variable
  Allowed values:

  • Y
    Subfolders and subdirectories are included
  • N (default)
    Subfolders and subdirectories are excluded

• Filter
  (Optional) Additional filter for file names in the data sequence
  Format: script literal or script variable
  Default value: *
  Notes:

  • The filter is case insensitive
  • Use the wildcard character * to stand for any number of characters, or ? for a single character.

• COL
  Use the following format COL=Definition1[, Definition2]. For more information, see Defining Columns.

• Login object
  (Optional) Name of a Login object
  The login user in the Login object is checked for access to the file system that should be scanned.
  Format: script literal or script variable
  Important!

  • If you do not specify a Login object, the user must have the following privilege: File Transfer: Start without Login object specified and the FT_ANONYMOUS=Y must be set. For more information, see Granting Automation Engine Privileges and UC_HOSTCHAR_DEFAULT - Host Characteristics
  • Enclose the complete phrase UC_LOGIN=Login object in quotation marks.
  • (z/OS) UserIDs without a password (such as PROTECTED UserIDs in the Login object) cannot be used anymore since v12.1 when login security was improved and password requirements were changed. See Login (LOGIN).

Note: Include commas between the parameters even if you omit parameters. Do not place a comma after the last parameter that you specify.

Defining Columns

To split the data sequence lines into columns, specify the Column separation parameter as follows:

COL=Definition1[, Definition2]

Where

• COL
  
  Keyword for column separation

• Definition1
  
  Defines whether the data sequence lines are split into columns
  
  Format: script literal or script variable
  
  Allowed values:

  • NONE
    
    Lines are not split into columns
  • LENGTH
    Sets a predefined column size
    Note: Use LENGTH_TAB in Definition2 to specify the size.
  • DELIMITER
    Separates columns with a delimiter
    Note: Use DELIMITER in Definition2 to specify the delimiter.

• Definition2
  (Optional) Defines column sizes and names, or the delimiter
  Note: If you specify Definition2, you must specify Definition1.
  Format: script literal or script variable
  Allowed values:

  • LENGTH_TAB
    Specifies column sizes and column names
    Example:"COL=LENGTH,LENGTH_TAB='3=drive,100=file name'"
    Notes:
    • Separate individual column definitions with commas.
    • Specify up to 22 columns with a total of 2048 bytes.
    • Specify the column size as the number of characters. The maximum size is 255 characters.
    • (Optional) specify column names. Names can be up to 32 characters long.
    • Use quotation marks before the first and after the last column definition. Use double quotation marks if you use single quotation marks for script literals in Definition2, or vice versa.
  • DELIMITER
    Defines a delimiter that separates columns
    The lines of the data sequence are returned as columns that are placed before, between or after the delimiter string.
    Example:
    "COL=DELIMITER,DELIMITER=*'*"
    'COL=DELIMITER,DELIMITER=@"@'
    Default value: ;
    Notes:
    • You can use any characters as the delimiter.
    • The delimiter can be a string of up to 10 characters.
    • Enclose the delimiter with any character: *Delimiter*. The enclosing characters are not displayed in the output.
    • A column is not separated if a line does not include a delimiter.
    • If you use single quotation marks as delimiters, then you must enclose Definition2 in double quotation marks, or vice versa.

Return Codes

The script function retrieves a reference to a data sequence that contains a list of retrieved file names. The following return codes indicate errors:

• 20240
  Login information is missing
• 20303
  Automation Engine authorization error
• 20349
  Agent is not available
• 20510
  A CP or WP is specified instead of an Agent
• 20514
  Invalid entry when used with wildcard characters
  

Examples

The following example lists all HTML documents contained in the Web Help of the Automation Engine documentation. The use of wildcards is explicitly specified. The resulting list of files is printed in the activation report.

:SET &HND# = PREP_PROCESS_FILENAME("WIN01","c:\AUTOMIC\documentation\webhelp\german\uc*.htm","Y",,,,"UC_LOGIN=WIN_LOGIN")
:PROCESS &HND#
:   SET &LINE# = GET_PROCESS_LINE(&HND#)
:   PRINT &LINE#
:ENDPROCESS

The following example creates a list of all stylesheets that are supplied with the Automation Engine documentation. All subfolders of the documentation directory are included in the search. The result contains no drive specification, and is written to the activation report.

:SET &HND# = PREP_PROCESS_FILENAME("WIN01", "\AUTOMIC\documentation\uc*.css","Y","Y",)
:PROCESS &HND#
:   SET &LINE# = GET_PROCESS_LINE(&HND#)
:   PRINT &LINE#
:ENDPROCESS

The following example creates a list of all AE programs. The individual lines are split in columns, with the columns separated by backslashes. The script retrieves the fifth column in the data sequence, which contains the file name of the program, and writes the results in the activation report.

:SET &HND# = PREP_PROCESS_FILENAME("WIN01","c:\AUTOMIC\server\bin\*.exe",,,,"COL=DELIMITER,DELIMITER=*\*")
:PROCESS &HND
: SET &LINE# = GET_PROCESS_LINE(&HND#,5)
: PRINT &LINE#
:ENDPROCESS

The following example retrieves the same files, but this time, a filter excludes all files except those that contain the string "server" in the file name.

:SET &HND# = PREP_PROCESS_FILENAME("WIN01","c:\AUTOMIC\server\bin\*.exe",,,"*server*","COL=DELIMITER,DELIMITER=*\*")
:PROCESS &HND#
: SET &LINE# = GET_PROCESS_LINE(&HND#,5)
: PRINT &LINE#
:ENDPROCESS

See also: