last created

[miles_rich]

is there anyway that php can get the file names of the last 2 created files?

[cahva]

This should do it:

<?php
// Read the directory
$dirtree=$_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].'/somedir';
if ($dir = @opendir($dirtree)) {
	while (($file = readdir($dir)) !== false) {
		if (is_file($file))
			$filez[filectime($file)]=$file;			  

	}
closedir($dir);
}

// sort them by key(timestamp) and go to end
ksort ($filez);
end($filez);

for ($i=0; $i<2;$i++) {
	echo current($filez)." ".date('Y-m-d H:i:s',key($filez))."<br>";
	prev($filez);
}
?>

[codeDV]

Hi, I have created a function which is able to return a specified number of files in a specified order. It basically uses some array sorting functions.

The first argument is the path of the directory in which you want to search for the files.

The second argument is the constant specifying whether the files should be sorted by name, last modified, last accessed and created.

The third argument is the constant specifiying whether the file should be sorted in ascending order or descending order. This argument is optional and defaults to ORDER_ASCENDING.

The fourth argument specifies the number of files that should be returned in the array. If set to 0 all files will be returned. This argument is optional and defaults to 0.

The last argument is a a variable which can be modified by the function which returns any errors.

The following constants should be defined before using the function:

<?php
define ('ORDER_ASCENDING', 0); // sort array in ascending order
define ('ORDER_DESCENDING', 1); // sort array in descending order

define ('SRT_ALPHA', 0); // sort files by name
define ('SRT_MODIFIED', 1); // sort files by date last modifired
define ('SRT_ACCESSED', 2); // sort files by date last accessed
define ('SRT_CREATED', 3); // sort files by date creates
/*
 * this functions returns the files in a directory in specified order
 * can also be used to specify a limit to the number of files created
 * array sort_files (string dir, int sortby, int sortorder, int max)
 */

function sort_files ($dir, $sortby, $sortorder = ORDER_ASCENDING, $max = 0, $error = '') {
    if (! $dirhwnd = @opendir($dir)) { // did an error occurwhile opening the directory
        $error = $GLOBALS['php_errormsg'];
        return 0;
    }

switch ($sortby) {
    /* choose the function which should be used to obtain the data which will be used to sort the arrray */
    case SRT_ALPHA:
         $func = 'basename';
         break;
    case SRT_MODIFIED:
         $func = 'filemtime';
         break;
    case SRT_ACCESSED:
         $func = 'fileatime';
         break;
    case SRT_CREATED:
         $func = 'filectime';
         break;
}

while ($file = readdir($dirhwnd)) {
    // search the directory for files
    $path = $dir . '/' . $file;

    if (is_file($path)) {
       if (! $value = @$func($path)) { // obtain the sort data using the functions chosen earlier
           $error = $GLOBALS['php_errormsg'];
           return 0;
       }
       $array_files[$path] = strtolower($value); // convert the data to lowercase for names
    }
}

// now sort the array in ascending or descending order
if ($sortorder == ORDER_ASCENDING) {
    if ($sortby == SRT_ALPHA)
       asort ($array_files, SORT_REGULAR);
    else
       asort ($array_files, SORT_NUMERIC);
} else {
    if ($sortby == SRT_ALPHA)
       asort ($array_files, SORT_REGULAR);
    else
       asort ($array_files, SORT_NUMERIC);
}

// return the required number of array items
return $max?array_slice($array_files, 0, $max):$array_files;
}
?>

So to return the last two created files you would just use this line of code:

$files = sort_files ('.', SRT_CREATED, ORDER_ASCENDING,2);

This is a more universal function that I created myself a little while ago. If you just need to sort the by date created and reaturn the first two elements then cahva's function will be more efficient. Hope I was of some help,

ADAM

[marcnyc]

Hi guys, I just stumbled on the same problem and this post sure is helpful!!!

I tested both functions. The first one returned at least 10 errors so I tried the other one.

codeDV's function seems VERY interesting and useful so i decided to use it. When I tried it I got no errors but for some reason the array does NOT contain the latest two files and I don't know why... I also tried creating a new file in that directory to see if the script would find it, but it didn't!

codeDV do you have any ideas why this is happening?

[marcnyc]

Hello, I am posting again because I am still hoping somebody will read my post and possibly help me with codeDV's function, which seems so cool but for some reason doesn't work...
help please. thanks

[TomT64]

The problem is that ORDER_ASCENDING and ORDER_DESCENDING do the same thing, they both use asort. change the second set of asorts to arsort() and the array will reverse order, but only if you select ORDER_DESCENDING, then you get the two latest files. The script he gave always shows you the two EARLIEST files created. SO do everything except for where it says

// now sort the array in ascending or descending order

and replace that and everything below with:

    // now sort the array in ascending or descending order
    if ($sortorder == ORDER_ASCENDING) {
        if ($sortby == SRT_ALPHA)
           asort ($array_files, SORT_REGULAR);
        else
           asort ($array_files, SORT_NUMERIC);
    } else {
        if ($sortby == SRT_ALPHA)
           arsort ($array_files, SORT_REGULAR);
        else
           arsort ($array_files, SORT_NUMERIC);
    }

// return the required number of array items
return $max?array_slice($array_files, 0, $max):$array_files;
}
?>

Then use:

$files = sort_files ('.', SRT_CREATED, ORDER_DESCENDING,2);

Hope I was helpful

Edit: Sorry, I made it so that it searched for modified files. I changed it above.

[codeDV]

Apologies to all. Thanks TomT64. The arsort function sorts the array in reverse odrer which is what I should have put. But for some reason didn't.

The corrected function as a whole is below:

<?php
define ('ORDER_ASCENDING', 0); // sort array in ascending order
define ('ORDER_DESCENDING', 1); // sort array in descending order

define ('SRT_ALPHA', 0); // sort files by name
define ('SRT_MODIFIED', 1); // sort files by date last modifired
define ('SRT_ACCESSED', 2); // sort files by date last accessed
define ('SRT_CREATED', 3); // sort files by date creates
/*
 * this functions returns the files in a directory in specified order
 * can also be used to specify a limit to the number of files created
 * array sort_files (string dir, int sortby, int sortorder, int max)
 */

function sort_files ($dir, $sortby, $sortorder = ORDER_ASCENDING, $max = 0, $error = '') {
    if (! $dirhwnd = @opendir($dir)) { // did an error occurwhile opening the directory
        $error = $GLOBALS['php_errormsg'];
        return 0;
    }

switch ($sortby) {
    /* choose the function which should be used to obtain the data which will be used to sort the arrray */
    case SRT_ALPHA:
         $func = 'basename';
         break;
    case SRT_MODIFIED:
         $func = 'filemtime';
         break;
    case SRT_ACCESSED:
         $func = 'fileatime';
         break;
    case SRT_CREATED:
         $func = 'filectime';
         break;
}

while ($file = readdir($dirhwnd)) {
    // search the directory for files
    $path = $dir . '/' . $file;

    if (is_file($path)) {
       if (! $value = @$func($path)) { // obtain the sort data using the functions chosen earlier
           $error = $GLOBALS['php_errormsg'];
           return 0;
       }
       $array_files[$path] = strtolower($value); // convert the data to lowercase for names
    }
}

// now sort the array in ascending or descending order
if ($sortorder == ORDER_ASCENDING) {
    if ($sortby == SRT_ALPHA)
       asort ($array_files, SORT_REGULAR);
    else
       asort ($array_files, SORT_NUMERIC);
} else {
    if ($sortby == SRT_ALPHA)
       arsort ($array_files, SORT_REGULAR);
    else
       arsort ($array_files, SORT_NUMERIC);
}

// return the required number of array items
return $max?array_slice($array_files, 0, $max):$array_files;
}
?>

[marcnyc]

Hello and thanks to the both of your for your help in "sorting" this thing out ;-)

I added the line:

$files = sort_files ($DOCUMENT_ROOT.'/interviews/sidebars', SRT_CREATED, ORDER_DESCENDING, 4);

like it has been suggested and now it works but there are a still few things I wanna say because they got me thinking...

Please bare with me and remember I am a beginner/newbie so I might be saying some bullshit here, please accept my apologies if that is the case.

1. IF the following line

              $array_files[$path] = strtolower($value); // convert the data to lowercase for names 

   is supposed to make the path of the files lowercase then I don't think that is working because mine stay upper/lower case, which by the way is what I want since I am on unix and I have capitals in some file names... if indeed it is supposed to make everything lower case I'd like to suggest the author of the script to make this an option since people in my case my not want that, and also if it is supposed to make it all lower case you might wanna look into why it is not working... the answer might be in my second point, coming up...

2. I supposed most people using such script are going to do something with the files in the array such as including them in a page, at least that is what I wanna do...
   While trying to do that I encountered some problems due to the population of the array. The array $files is sorted in such a way that the keys are indeed what should, in my humble opinion, be the values and I don't even know that the values are... In other words by adding this to troubleshoot:

   echo '<pre>';
   print_r($files);
   echo '</pre>';

   I found out that the array looks like this:

   Array
   (
       [d:/www/chaindlk.com/httpdocs/interviews/sidebars/HL-interview_SteveRoach.inc] => 1054627620
       [d:/www/chaindlk.com/httpdocs/interviews/sidebars/HL-interview_ProJekt.inc] => 1054626180
       [d:/www/chaindlk.com/httpdocs/interviews/sidebars/HL-interview_Wumpscut.inc] => 1054102500
       [d:/www/chaindlk.com/httpdocs/interviews/sidebars/HL-interview_TheFairSex.inc] => 1052432220
   )

   meaning that they key is actually the value that I am looking for, so when I was doing

   echo $files[1];

   to get the path I wasn't getting any output at all...

I solved this situation with this code:

$i=1;
foreach($files as $value => $key) {
	$interview[$i] = $value;
	$i++;
}

so now I can include the files like this:

include($interview[1]);

If my assumption is correct (that the array population is wrong/weird) then this might also have to do on why the above mentioned lower case thing isn't working...

Anyway, remember I am a newbie, I am just going by inspiration, hunches so be patient with me...

[codeDV]

I have had a look at the function. I converted the file names to lower case for sort purposes. What sort purpose I did it for though remains a mystery to me. So it is OK to take out that function, it will speed it up a fraction.

The reason I set the array index’s to that of the file name is so that you know what file the related array values is attached too. So if I use your example in your previous post with array indexes of numbers then it would look like this and you would have no clue which file is which:

Array 
( 
    [0] => 1054627620 
    [1] => 1054626180 
    [2] => 1054102500 
    [3] => 1052432220 
)

You can however modify the function so an array is returned with just the file names and not the sort values:

<?php
define ('ORDER_ASCENDING', 0); // sort array in ascending order
define ('ORDER_DESCENDING', 1); // sort array in descending order

define ('SRT_ALPHA', 0); // sort files by name
define ('SRT_MODIFIED', 1); // sort files by date last modifired
define ('SRT_ACCESSED', 2); // sort files by date last accessed
define ('SRT_CREATED', 3); // sort files by date creates
/*
 * this functions returns the files in a directory in specified order
 * can also be used to specify a limit to the number of files created
 * array sort_files (string dir, int sortby, int sortorder, int max)
 */

print_r (sort_files(".", SRT_ACCESSED, ORDER_ASCENDING, 7));
print_r (sort_files(".", SRT_MODIFIED, ORDER_DESCENDING, 6));
print_r (sort_files(".", SRT_ALPHA, ORDER_ASCENDING, 5));
print_r (sort_files(".", SRT_CREATED, ORDER_DESCENDING, 4));

function sort_files ($dir, $sortby, $sortorder = ORDER_ASCENDING, $max = 0, $error = '') {
    if (! $dirhwnd = @opendir($dir)) { // did an error occurwhile opening the directory
        $error = $GLOBALS['php_errormsg'];
        return 0;
    }

switch ($sortby) {
    /* choose the function which should be used to obtain the data which will be used to sort the arrray */
    case SRT_ALPHA:
         $func = 'basename';
         break;
    case SRT_MODIFIED:
         $func = 'filemtime';
         break;
    case SRT_ACCESSED:
         $func = 'fileatime';
         break;
    case SRT_CREATED:
         $func = 'filectime';
         break;
}

while ($file = readdir($dirhwnd)) {
    // search the directory for files
    $path = $dir . '/' . $file;

    if (is_file($path)) {
       if (! $value = @$func($path)) { // obtain the sort data using the functions chosen earlier
           $error = $GLOBALS['php_errormsg'];
           return 0;
       }
       $array_sort[$path] = strtolower($value); // convert the data to lowercase for names
    }
}

// now sort the array in ascending or descending order
if ($sortorder == ORDER_ASCENDING) {
    if ($sortby == SRT_ALPHA)
       asort ($array_sort, SORT_REGULAR);
    else
       asort ($array_sort, SORT_NUMERIC);
} else {
    if ($sortby == SRT_ALPHA)
       arsort ($array_sort, SORT_REGULAR);
    else
       arsort ($array_sort, SORT_NUMERIC);
}

// get all the file path's
   $array_files = array_keys($array_sort);

// return the required number of array items
return $max?array_slice($array_files, 0, $max):$array_files;
}
?>

I used the array_keys() function that returns an array containing the keys of the array supplied in the first arguement.

[marcnyc]

First off, what is this?

print_r (sort_files(".", SRT_ACCESSED, ORDER_ASCENDING, 7)); 
print_r (sort_files(".", SRT_MODIFIED, ORDER_DESCENDING, 6)); 
print_r (sort_files(".", SRT_ALPHA, ORDER_ASCENDING, 5)); 
print_r (sort_files(".", SRT_CREATED, ORDER_DESCENDING, 4)); 

I don't think we need this, especially because it looks at the files contained in the folder where the script is launched from and NOT at the files in the folder contained in the $dir variable...

Also you said it is safe to remove the lower case conversion but if I comment this line:

$array_sort[$path] = strtolower($value); // convert the data to lowercase for names 

I get this:

Warning: Wrong datatype in asort() call in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 61

Warning: First argument to array_keys() should be an array in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 70

Warning: First argument to array_slice() should be an array in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 73

Warning: Wrong datatype in arsort() call in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 66

Warning: First argument to array_keys() should be an array in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 70

Warning: First argument to array_slice() should be an array in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 73

Warning: Wrong datatype in asort() call in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 59

Warning: First argument to array_keys() should be an array in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 70

Warning: First argument to array_slice() should be an array in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 73

Warning: Wrong datatype in arsort() call in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 66

Warning: First argument to array_keys() should be an array in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 70

Warning: First argument to array_slice() should be an array in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 73

Warning: Wrong datatype in arsort() call in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 66

Warning: First argument to array_keys() should be an array in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 70

Warning: First argument to array_slice() should be an array in D:\WWW\chaindlk.com\httpdocs\TEST\last-date.php on line 73

Other than that (if I don't uncomment the lowercase line and if I do remove those 4 print_r lines that look at the wrong directory), it seems to work...

[codeDV]

THIS - Is a demonstration.

I don't know what your script does. I just made a function and demonstrated its use using the current directory. You must now insert the function into your project and use and change it your way.

The moral of this story is. Learn the code, know exactly what it does. You can choose to have your hand held through the process or you can choose to learn it and do it yourself.

[marcnyc]

codeDV, you misunderstood me!! If you read what I wrote you'll see that I wasn't asking you anything, I was just letting you know... On my side I have already been using your code for days as I had worked around the problems...

There is not need to react like that
I have simply pointed out that:

1. I don't know what your four print_r lines put before the function definition but I do know that they look at the folder the script is in REGARDLESS of what folder you specify in the $dir variable... In other words, even if I run the function and specify a folder the print_r lines won't apply to that folder, instead they'll look at the scripts folder, that's all I said...
   I think you put them there to troubleshoot your script and you forgot to remove them... Since as you say this is a demonstration of your script I am sure it's in your best interest to demostrate it correctly and not to leave in un-necessary lines that create un-necessary output.

2. you said the sort line was removable but apparently it isn't JUST removable because if you remove it you get errors.

Like I said I have been using the code. I was using even three posts ago when I came up with that work around which I have posted to help other users...
I wasn't asking for help just trying to help...
I am using the function, it works great, and I said it did!

[codeDV]

I used the print_r() lines to demonstrate the function. I did use for debugging processes and considered removing them,but decided not to. All you need is the constant declarations and the function its self.

Sorry if I appeard a bit stern in my last post. I had had a bad day. I'm not sure why your function won't work without the strtolower() function but this is all you need to do to remove it:

$array_sort[$path] = $value;

[marcnyc]

Ok that line worked, thanks.
I still think those for troubleshooting lines are wrong in some way, I mean how can you troubleshoot a script if the troubleshooting code is looking at a folder that in many cases is different that the one the script is launched for... Anyway, it's no big deal, I was just curious, as far as me I consider this thread solved and I wanna thank you for having provided us with a great piece of code, very useful and versatile indeed.

[msbask]

Could anyone advise how I might change the code to include the following:

 List all files including subdirectories of a directory
 (i.e. files in /home/mysite/images/ AND all it's subdirectories)

 Only list .jpg .gif  and .png files

Thanks!