AutoHotkey Community

Posted: **25 Aug 2017, 19:04**

Hi,

Is this normal that the FileExist function returns an empty string (= false) when checking for the existence of the root of an UNC path? Any reason for this?

For example:

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#SingleInstance force
MsgBox, % FileExist("\\127.0.0.1") ; returns empty (= false)
MsgBox, % FileExist("\\127.0.0.1\") ; returns empty (= false)
MsgBox, % FileExist("\\127.0.0.1\Users\") ; returns "RD" (= true)
MsgBox, % FileExist("C:\") ; returns "SHD" (= true)

Posted: **26 Aug 2017, 14:03**

An AutoIt user reports these results with FileExists command:

AutoIt Code:

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MsgBox(1,"test", FileExists("\\127.0.0.1")) ; returns false
MsgBox(1,"test", FileExists("\\127.0.0.1\")) ; returns false
MsgBox(1,"test", FileExists("\\127.0.0.1\mp3")) ; returns true
MsgBox(1,"test", FileExists("C:\")) ; returns true

Posted: **26 Aug 2017, 15:01**

If AutoIt does the same thing and PathFileExists which is probably what Autohotkey and AutoIt use describes it as the correct behavior then I would say this is normal.

Posted: **26 Aug 2017, 15:40**

Thanks for posting this page. The answer is here:

A path specified by Universal Naming Convention (UNC) is limited to a file only; that is, \\server\share\file is permitted. A UNC path to a server or server share is not permitted; that is, \\server or \\server\share. This function returns FALSE if a mounted remote drive is out of service.

It is normal but, in my view, just not logic :-)

Since an UNC root is not permitted, I checked if A_LastError would flag it. But no: A_LastError = 0.

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#SingleInstance force
bln := FileExist("\\127.0.0.1") ; returns empty (= false)
MsgBox, %A_LastError%

Posted: **26 Aug 2017, 15:53**

That's interesting. I knocked up some quick RegEx:

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q::
vList := " ;continuation section
(
\\127.0.0.1
\\127.0.0.1\
\\127.0.0.1\Users\
C:\
)"
Loop, Parse, vList, `n, `r
{
	vPath := A_LoopField
	MsgBox, % RegExMatch(vPath, "^\\\\\d{3}\.\d{1}\.\d{1}\.\d{1}\\?$") "`r`n" vPath
}
return

Can you use this?

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MsgBox, % FileExist("\\127.0.0.1\*")

Posted: **26 Aug 2017, 16:43**

JnLlnd wrote:It is normal but, in my view, just not logic

Cant argue with that

. I guess the people who made it this way thought it won't be logical to treat a network share as a file.

After checking Autohotkey source code it actually uses GetFileAttributes. And FindFirstFile when you use a wildcard.
They both suffer from the same problem so @jeeswg's suggestion unfortunately won't help. You can try to use WNetGetResourceInformation with DllCall I think it will do what you want.

Posted: **26 Aug 2017, 17:45**

jeeswg wrote:That's interesting. I knocked up some quick RegEx:
...

Interesting, can I use your RegEx brain for a minute (or two)? What would be the RegEx expresion used with RegExMatch that would return true for the following paths and false for any other path?

\\127.0.0.1
\\127.0.0.1\
\\MyDomain
\\MyDomain\

This would help me make a workaround. Not checking if file (folder) exists when it is an UNC root would be sufficient for my need.

jeeswg wrote:Can you use this?
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MsgBox, % FileExist("\\127.0.0.1\*")

Unfortunately, it returns the same result. Same for "\\127.0.0.1\*." or "\\127.0.0.1\*.*".

obeeb wrote:Cant argue with that ;). I guess the people who made it this way thought it won't be logical to treat a network share as a file.

Not a file I agree, but it could be treated as a folder...

obeeb wrote:After checking Autohotkey source code it actually uses GetFileAttributes.

GetFileAttributes wrote:If you call GetFileAttributes for a network share, the function fails, and GetLastError returns ERROR_BAD_NETPATH. You must specify a path to a subfolder on that share.

Wouldn't it be possible to retrieve this error in AHK after FileExist? A_ErrorLevel is useless actually.

Posted: **26 Aug 2017, 17:49**

My RegEx example above can handle:
\\???.?.?.?
\\???.?.?.?\

RegEx for these 4 would be:
\\127.0.0.1
\\127.0.0.1\
\\MyDomain
\\MyDomain\

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MsgBox, % RegExMatch(vPath, "^(\Q\\127.0.0.1\E|\Q\\MyDomain\E)\\?$")

Posted: **26 Aug 2017, 17:53**

Oh, my example was not clear enough. I meant UNC with *any* IP adresses or domain with *any* name. Thanks :-)

Posted: **26 Aug 2017, 17:57**

You can replace \d{1} with say \d{1,2}. To specify a certain number of digits.
This currently handles: '\\???.?.?.?' and '\\???.?.?.?\'.

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RegExMatch(vPath, "^\\\\\d{3}\.\d{1}\.\d{1}\.\d{1}\\?$")

I'm not really familiar enough with the possibilities to be more specific.
Perhaps this, \\ then letters/digits/. and an optional trailing \.

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RegExMatch(vPath, "^\\\\[A-Za-z0-9.]+\\?$")

Posted: **26 Aug 2017, 18:19**

jeeswg wrote:Perhaps this, \\ then letters/digits/. and an optional trailing \.

Thank you jeeswg. I'll work on it later and stop hijacking this thread for RegEx help :-)

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