Bash to select oldest folder in directory and write to log
In the bash below the oldest folder in a directory is selected. If there are 3folders in the directory /home/cmccabe/Desktop/NGS/test and nothing is done to them (ie. no files deleted, renamed) then the bash correctly identifies f1 as the oldest. However, if something is done to the folder then the bash identifies f2 as the oldest. I am not sure why or how to prevent that from happening. Thank you .
folders in directory
Code:
f1
f2
f3
Bash
Code:
# oldest folder used analysis and version log created
dir=/home/cmccabe/Desktop/NGS/test
{
read -r -d $'\t' time && read -r -d '' filename
} < <(find "$dir" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 -printf '%T+\t%P\0' | sort -z )
printf "The oldest folder is $filename, created on $time and analysis done using v1.3 by $USER at $(date "+%D %r")\n" >> /home/cmccabe/Desktop/NGS/test/log
echo "$filename"
Last edited by cmccabe; 11-22-2016 at 09:39 AM..
Reason: fixed format
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Discussion started by: cmccabe
19 Replies
LEARN ABOUT ULTRIX
folder
folder(1mh)folder(1mh)Name
folder - set folder or display current folder name
Syntax
folder [ +folder ] [ msg ] [ options ]
Description
The command lets you set the current folder, or display information about it. It can also be used to manage the folder stack.
If you use the command without a +folder argument, information about the current folder is displayed on the screen. If you use with the
+folder argument, the named folder is set to be the current folder. Information about the named folder is also displayed on the screen.
If you use with the msg argument, it will set the specified message to be current. Information on the current folder is also displayed.
You can use both the +folder and msg arguments together in one command.
If you specify a +folder that does not exist, you are asked whether you want to create it. This is a good way to create an empty folder
for later use.
The display is identical whether you set the folder or display the contents of the current folder. The following example shows the type of
display that is produced. The display lists the current folder, the number of messages in it, the range of the messages (low-high), and
the current message within the folder. It also flags extra files if they exist.
inbox+ has 16 messages ( 3- 22); cur= 15.
Options-all Displays information on all the folders in your Mail directory. The folders are listed alphabetically, with a line of informa-
tion given for each folder. This is identical to the display produced by the command. See
-fast
-nofast Lists only the name of the current folder, with no additional information. This is faster because the folders need not be read.
-header
-noheader Displays a header produced by the system, in addition to the information about the current file. This header is identical to the
one that appears at the top of the listing produced by or by The header can be suppressed by using the -noheader option.
-help Prints a list of the valid options to this command.
-list
-nolist Lists the contents of the folder-stack. No +folder argument is allowed with this option. The contents of the folder-stack are
listed automatically when the -pop or -push option is used. This corresponds to the operation in the C-shell.
-pack
-nopack Re-numbers messages in the folder. Messages are re-numbered sequentially, and any gaps in the numbering are removed. The
default operation is -nopack, which does not change the numbering in the folder.
-pop Discards the top of the folder-stack, after setting the current folder to that value. No +folder argument is allowed with this
option. This corresponds to the operation in the C-shell; see The -push and -pop options are mutually exclusive: the last occur-
rence of either one overrides any previous occurrence of the other.
-push Pushes the current folder onto the folder-stack, and makes the +folder argument into the current folder. If +folder is not
given, the current folder and the top of the folder-stack are exchanged. This corresponds to the operation in the C-shell; see
The -push switch and the -pop switch are mutually exclusive: the last occurrence of either one overrides any previous occurrence
of the other.
-recurse
-norecurse
Lists each folder recursively. Information on the current folder is displayed, followed by information on any sub-folders which
it contains.
-total
-nototal Displays only the total number of messages and folders in your Mail directory. This option does not print any information about
the current folder. It can be suppressed using the -nototal option.
The defaults for are:
+folder defaults to the current folder
msg defaults to none
-nofast
-noheader
-nototal
-nopack
-norecurse
Examples
The following example shows how can be used to change the current folder to and display information on that folder. The plus sign (+) next
to indicates that it is now the current folder.
% folder +test
test+ has 2 messages ( 1- 2); cur= 2.
The next example shows the display produced by using the -all option to
Folder # of messages ( range ); cur msg (other files)
V2.3 has 3 messages ( 1- 3).
adrian has 20 messages ( 1- 20); cur= 2.
brian has 16 messages ( 1- 16).
chris has 12 messages ( 1- 12).
copylog has 242 messages ( 1- 242); cur= 225.
inbox+ has 73 messages ( 1- 127); cur= 127.
int has 4 messages ( 1- 4); cur= 2 (others).
jack has 17 messages ( 1- 17); cur= 17.
TOTAL= 387 messages in 8 folders.
This display is identical to that produced by the command. See for an explanation of this display.
The next example shows how to use to create an empty folder:
% folder +test
Create folder "$HOME/Mail/test"? y
test+ has no messages.
You can also use to create an empty sub-folder within an existing folder. The following example shows how you can create a sub-folder in
the folder
% folder +test/testtwo
Create folder "$HOME/Mail/test/testwo"? y
test/testtwo+ has no messages.
See for more details of sub-folders.
Files
The user profile.
Profile Components
Path: To determine your MH directory
Current-Folder: To find the default current folder
Folder-Protect: To set mode when creating a new folder
Folder-Stack: To determine the folder stack
lsproc: Program to list the contents of a folder
See Alsocsh(1), refile(1mh), mhpath(1mh)folder(1mh)
11-22-2016
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