Create a directory using tex

Create a directory using tex

[Aditya Mahajan]

Hi,

  I want to create a macro that writes files in a sub directory. 
If the directory is already created, things work fine. However, if the 
directory is not there, tex complains

! I can't write on file ....

Please type another output file name:

  Is there a way I can ask tex to create a directory if one does not 
exist?

Aditya

Re: Create a directory using tex

[Taco Hoekwater]

Aditya Mahajan wrote:
> Hi,
> 
>   I want to create a macro that writes files in a sub directory. 
> If the directory is already created, things work fine. However, if the 
> directory is not there, tex complains
> 
> ! I can't write on file ....
> 
> Please type another output file name:
> 
>   Is there a way I can ask tex to create a directory if one does not 
> exist?

Not with TeX, but you can use \write18 or \installprogram  to run a
system command.

Taco

Re: Create a directory using tex

[Aditya Mahajan]

On Tue, 29 Aug 2006, Taco Hoekwater wrote:

> Aditya Mahajan wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>>   I want to create a macro that writes files in a sub directory.
>> If the directory is already created, things work fine. However, if the
>> directory is not there, tex complains
>>
>> ! I can't write on file ....
>>
>> Please type another output file name:
>>
>>   Is there a way I can ask tex to create a directory if one does not
>> exist?
>
> Not with TeX, but you can use \write18 or \installprogram  to run a
> system command.

Can I ask TeX to check if a directory exists or is writable. I want it 
to give an informative message if the directory does not exist.

Or is there a way to check if a file is writable, so that I can do

\doiffilewritable{dir/tempfile}{\donothing}{\message{Warning}{Please 
create directory 'dir' \endinput}

Aditya

Re: Create a directory using tex

[Taco Hoekwater]

Aditya Mahajan wrote:
> Can I ask TeX to check if a directory exists or is writable.

I do not think so.

And on second thought: not even \write18 will work always, because
whether or not TeX can write a file (in a subdir or even in the
local directory) depends in part on settings in texmf.cnf that
are not visible outside TeX.

Cheers, Taco

Re: Create a directory using tex

[Hans Hagen]

Aditya Mahajan wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Aug 2006, Taco Hoekwater wrote:
>
>   
>> Aditya Mahajan wrote:
>>     
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>>   I want to create a macro that writes files in a sub directory.
>>> If the directory is already created, things work fine. However, if the
>>> directory is not there, tex complains
>>>
>>> ! I can't write on file ....
>>>
>>> Please type another output file name:
>>>
>>>   Is there a way I can ask tex to create a directory if one does not
>>> exist?
>>>       
>> Not with TeX, but you can use \write18 or \installprogram  to run a
>> system command.
>>     
>
> Can I ask TeX to check if a directory exists or is writable. I want it 
> to give an informative message if the directory does not exist.
>
> Or is there a way to check if a file is writable, so that I can do
>
> \doiffilewritable{dir/tempfile}{\donothing}{\message{Warning}{Please 
> create directory 'dir' \endinput}
>
>   
for a while there has been a way to ask for file characteristics 
(x-dir-01 can be used to generate a clickable listing and x-dir-05 for 
indentifying files)

permissions were not part of that but easy to add, i'm generating you a 
beta that has permissions added

\usemodule[x][dir-05]

\getfilestate{context.tex}

\doifinstringelse{w}{\getvariable{filestate}{permissions}}
  {writable}
  {not writable}


\end



-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
              Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
     tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
                                             | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Re: Create a directory using tex

[Hans Hagen]

Taco Hoekwater wrote:
> Aditya Mahajan wrote:
>   
>> Can I ask TeX to check if a directory exists or is writable.
>>     
>
> I do not think so.
>
> And on second thought: not even \write18 will work always, because
> whether or not TeX can write a file (in a subdir or even in the
> local directory) depends in part on settings in texmf.cnf that
> are not visible outside TeX.
>   
if this is part of a project thing, you can use ctx files to add pre/post stuff like checking files, converting files, in this case making directories, etc 

Hans 

-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
              Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
     tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
                                             | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Re: Create a directory using tex

[Aditya Mahajan]

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006, Hans Hagen wrote:

> Aditya Mahajan wrote:
>> On Tue, 29 Aug 2006, Taco Hoekwater wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Aditya Mahajan wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>>   I want to create a macro that writes files in a sub directory.
>>>> If the directory is already created, things work fine. However, if the
>>>> directory is not there, tex complains
>>>>
>>>> ! I can't write on file ....
>>>>
>>>> Please type another output file name:
>>>>
>>>>   Is there a way I can ask tex to create a directory if one does not
>>>> exist?
>>>>
>>> Not with TeX, but you can use \write18 or \installprogram  to run a
>>> system command.
>>>
>>
>> Can I ask TeX to check if a directory exists or is writable. I want it
>> to give an informative message if the directory does not exist.
>>
>> Or is there a way to check if a file is writable, so that I can do
>>
>> \doiffilewritable{dir/tempfile}{\donothing}{\message{Warning}{Please
>> create directory 'dir' \endinput}
>>
>>
> for a while there has been a way to ask for file characteristics
> (x-dir-01 can be used to generate a clickable listing and x-dir-05 for
> indentifying files)
>
> permissions were not part of that but easy to add, i'm generating you a
> beta that has permissions added

Thank you. I will play around with this and ctx preprocessing.

Aditya

> \usemodule[x][dir-05]
>
> \getfilestate{context.tex}
>
> \doifinstringelse{w}{\getvariable{filestate}{permissions}}
>  {writable}
>  {not writable}
>
>
> \end
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>                                          Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
>              Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
>     tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
>                                             | www.pragma-pod.nl
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>
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>

-- 
Aditya Mahajan, EECS Systems, University of Michigan
http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~adityam || Ph: 7342624008