Retrieves the specified files or folders, one at a time.

Parameters

Remarks

A file-loop is useful when you want to operate on a collection of files and/or folders, one at a time.

All matching files are retrieved, including hidden files. By contrast, OS features such as the DIR command omit hidden files by default. To avoid processing hidden, system, and/or read-only files, use something like the following inside the loop:

if A_LoopFileAttrib contains H,R,S  ; Skip any file that is either H (Hidden), R (Read-only), or S (System). Note: No spaces in "H,R,S".
	continue  ; Skip this file and move on to the next one.

To retrieve files' relative paths instead of absolute paths during a recursive search, use SetWorkingDir to change to the base folder prior to the loop, and then omit the path from the Loop (e.g. Loop, *.*, 0, 1). That will cause A_LoopFileFullPath to contain the file's path relative to the base folder.

Files in an NTFS file system are probably always retrieved in alphabetical order. Files in other file systems are retrieved in no particular order. To ensure a particular ordering, use the Sort command as shown in the Examples section below.

The following variables exist within any file-loop. If an inner file-loop is enclosed by an outer file-loop, the innermost loop's file will take precedence:

See Loop for information about Blocks, Break, Continue, and the A_Index variable (which exists in every type of loop).

Related

Loop, Break, Continue, Blocks, SplitPath, FileSetAttrib, FileSetTime

Examples

; Example #1:
Loop, %ProgramFiles%\*.txt, , 1  ; Recurse into subfolders.
{
	MsgBox, 4, , Filename = %A_LoopFileFullPath%`n`nContinue?
	IfMsgBox, No
		break
}



; Example #2: Calculate the size of a folder, including the files in all its subfolders:
SetBatchLines, -1  ; Make the operation run at maximum speed.
FolderSizeKB = 0
FileSelectFolder, WhichFolder  ; Ask the user to pick a folder.
Loop, %WhichFolder%\*.*, , 1
	FolderSizeKB += %A_LoopFileSizeKB%
MsgBox Size of %WhichFolder% is %FolderSizeKB% KB.



; Example #3: Retrieve file names sorted by name (see next example to sort by date):
FileList =  ; Initialize to be blank.
Loop, C:\*.*
	FileList = %FileList%%A_LoopFileName%`n
Sort, FileList, R   ; The R option sorts in reverse order. See Sort for other options.
Loop, parse, FileList, `n
{
	if A_LoopField =  ; Ignore the blank item at the end of the list.
		continue
	MsgBox, 4,, File number %A_Index% is %A_LoopField%.  Continue?
	IfMsgBox, No
		break
}



; Example #4: Retrieve file names sorted by modification date:
FileList =
Loop, %UserProfile%\Recent\*.*, 1  ; UserProfile exists as an environment variable on some OSes.
	FileList = %FileList%%A_LoopFileTimeModified%`t%A_LoopFileName%`n
Sort, FileList  ; Sort by date.
Loop, parse, FileList, `n
{
	if A_LoopField =  ; Omit the last linefeed (blank item) at the end of the list.
		continue
	StringSplit, FileItem, A_LoopField, %A_Tab%  ; Split into two parts at the tab char.
	MsgBox, 4,, The next file (modified at %FileItem1%) is:`n%FileItem2%`n`nContinue?
	IfMsgBox, No
		break
}



; Example #5: Copy only the source files that are newer than their counterparts
; in the destination:
CopyIfNewer:
; Caller has set the variables CopySourcePattern and CopyDest for us.
Loop, %CopySourcePattern%
{
	copy_it = n
	IfNotExist, %CopyDest%\%A_LoopFileName%  ; Always copy if target file doesn't yet exist.
		copy_it = y
	else
	{
		FileGetTime, time, %CopyDest%\%A_LoopFileName%
		EnvSub, time, %A_LoopFileTimeModified%, seconds  ; Subtract the source file's time from the destination's.
		if time < 0  ; Source file is newer than destination file.
			copy_it = y
	}
	if copy_it = y
	{
		FileCopy, %A_LoopFileFullPath%, %CopyDest%\%A_LoopFileName%, 1   ; Copy with overwrite=yes
		if ErrorLevel <> 0
			MsgBox, Could not copy "%A_LoopFileFullPath%" to "%CopyDest%\%A_LoopFileName%".
	}
}
Return



; Example #6: Convert filenames passed in via command-line parameters to long names,
; complete path, and correct uppercase/lowercase characters as stored in the file system.
; This script requires v1.0.25+.
Loop %0%  ; For each file dropped onto the script (or passed as a parameter).
{
	GivenPath := %A_Index%  ; Retrieve the next command line parameter.
	Loop %GivenPath%
		LongPath = %A_LoopFileLongPath%
	MsgBox The case-corrected long path name of file`n%GivenPath%`nis:`n%LongPath%
}