can't figure out loop
 

############################################################################

#                                                                          #

#   This program seeks out every copy of "starcraft.exe" in the computer   #

#   and deletes them.                                                      #

#   Created by Matt in Python 2.5 May 2007.                                #

#                                                                          #

############################################################################

 

import os

def file_find(folder):

    """search for a filename fname starting in folder"""

    for root, dirs, files in os.walk(folder):

        for file in files:

            # make search case insensitive

            if fname.lower() == file.lower():

                return os.path.join(root)

    return None

def deleteFileSearched():

    global COUNTER

    os.remove(trueResult)

    print trueResult + " deleted successfully..."

    COUNTER += 1

 

def main():

    # file to search for ...

    global fname

    global folder

    global trueResult

    global allfiles

 

    li2 = ["stardat.mpq", "starcraft.exe", "Local.dll",

           "storm.dll", "Smack32.dll"]

    li = ["c:\\", "d:\\", "e:\\", "f:\\"]

    for fname2 in li2:

        fname = fname2

        # folder to start search ...

        for folder in li:

            result = file_find(folder)

            if result == None:

                print fname, "not found in", folder

                continue

 

            trueResult = "<A href="file://\\".join((result">\\".join((result, fname))

            print "File found -->", trueResult

            deleteFileSearched()

    return True

COUNTER = 0

killSwitch = main()

while killSwitch == False:

    if killSwitch == True:

        break

    killSwitch = main()

print COUNTER, "files deleted"

I need a way to make this loop until it doesn't find any file in any directory.... I can't figure out how to make it do that.

Re: can't figure out loop
 

Perhaps add near the start of main():
found = False
and add the last line to this sequence:

            print "File found -->", trueResult

            deleteFileSearched()

            found = True

... and change return True at the end of main() to return found.

So found starts out "False" meaning "none found" and gets set to "True" when anything is found. A "True" return from main() is interpreted as "not done, call me again".

I'd also change the loop at the bottom to be more like:

while main():

        pass  # True, call again

print COUNTER, "files deleted"

I'm not quite sure why a single pass doesn't do the trick, but that's not my business.

Re: can't figure out loop
 

i'm helping an admin of a network where the users put starcraft everwhere and anywhere, and rename the folders, and have it in more than one place at once. so i need it to run until its found everywhere they hid it and wipe out the critical files.

Re: can't figure out loop
 

LOL. Net administration is like cat-herding.

Here's a possibility for you: Starcraft won't run if the user doesn't have admin rights...

Just a thought. :)

Anyways, consider these two methods:

for file in file_list:

    if file somewhere in file_system:

       delete it.

vs.

for file in entire_file_system:

   if file in file_list:

      delete it.

From a theoretical point of view, both are equally time-consuming. But practically, the second one wins hands-down because you are only traversing the file system once, which requires a lot of hard-drive access time.

AND,

the second one is easier to code.

def main():



    drives = ['c:/','d:/','e:/','f:/']

    bad_guys = ["stardat.mpq", "starcraft.exe", "Local.dll",

             "storm.dll", "Smack32.dll"]     

    for drive in drives:

        for root, dirs, files in os.walk(drive):

           for file in files:

               if file in bad_guys:

                  print 'found %s in %s' % (file, root)

                  delete_file(os.path.join(root,file))

main()

I left out the counter and most of the logging, but that's the gist.