Text File Creator & Type Codes

timstring

If you don't understand Mac file structures, please go on to the next topic.

From the very beginning in 1984, long before digital cameras, until the advent of OS X, Macs never had file extensions. On the other hand, The first 4 bytes of a file were a creator code, and the next 4 were the file type. When OS X and the UNIX kernel came along, then the MacOS got away from the creator/type codes. Suddenly, leave it to Micro$soft, they are important again. Here's a line from an Excel macro I'm trying to write:

strDir = Dir("iMacHD:Library:WebServer:Documents:DispatchReports:DispatchReportsFolder:", MacID("TEXT"))

This will only select the files in the particular directory that have the type code--you guessed it--"TEXT". The problem I am facing is that PHP doesn't assign type/creator codes, so in the file's properties, both codes are '????'. I am using PHP to generate .csv files, and I need to set the type code to "TEXT" (or anything else for that matter) for import into excel. Is there a way to do this?

I'm not going to get a duck on this one.

Weedpacket

Five ideas off the top of my head:

I assume OSX provides command-line utilities for manipulating the resource fork; have PHP call one of those to set the type code
Loop through all the file names and filter those that have the right form
Control what is in the directory so that only relevant files appear there
Do whatever it is you're doing in PHP in Excel instead.
Do whatever it is you're doing in Excel in PHP instead.

Oh, and a quick search to see if there was a sixth idea I hadn't thought of didn't turn up much, though "Loop through Files in Folder on a Mac (Dir for Mac Excel)" may have promise for you (I haven't looked into it).

timstring

a. I assume OSX provides command-line utilities for manipulating the resource fork; have PHP call one of those to set the type code

Didn't know I could do that. Need to do some research.

b. Loop through all the file names and filter those that have the right form

Did that after Dir("iMacHD:Library:WebServer😃ocuments😃ispatchReports😃ispatchReportsFolder:", MacID("TEXT")) didn't work.

c. Control what is in the directory so that only relevant files appear there

So long as the files end in '.csv', my routine will find them.

d. Do whatever it is you're doing in PHP in Excel instead.

The problem with that is that the database had over 68,000 rows last year. Running reports from inside Excel on that many records takes forever. MySQL is much more efficient.

e. Do whatever it is you're doing in Excel in PHP instead.

The table that is generated in PHP on the screen is practically identical to the one I create in Excel. Why Exsmell? Because the bossman wants the data in excel spreadsheets. If I could generate excel files from inside PHP that are formatted, I'd certainly do it.

#6 I stumbled on that sight night before last. I'm still wading through all the information. I only steal good stuff, and there's a lot to steal.