MShoaib has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hi, I am trying to pick files and directories from multiple directories and folders for further processing in my programme logic. I am able to pick majority of the files and directories. However, with -f and all other remaining file operators (that I have already tried so far), I am unable to pick following type of files from the cache folder.

1: /(a directory)/4-http???wscont1.apps.microsoft.co?winstore?1.8x?2d60181a-b6d7-499a-9414-f07b0f932419?AppTile.1.396657.404061.png

2: /(a directory)/4-https???wscont.apps.microsoft.com?winstore?6.3.0.1?100?GB?en-us?MS?467?features1de1406b-b4ec-4d86-9066-68bf9c5d67f2.json

3: (another file path)etc.

Can someone advise, which code to use to pick this type of files being present in 'a directory'?

I am using following code:-

``` 
for (@files) {
    $element = $_; 
    if (-d $_) {
    push @directories, process_files ($_);
    ++$dir_counter;
    } elsif (-f $_) { 
    ++$file_counter;
   next; 
   } elsif ($_ =~ /\.dat$/i || $_ =~ /\.png$/i) {      
     ++$file_counter;             
    next; 
   } else {
      print NOW "I am in else statement: process_files($_)\n";    
 } #   else loop end

[download]
```

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: File types not being picked up by script
by ysth (Canon) on Jul 06, 2025 at 17:41 UTC
    What do you mean by "pick up", that both -f and -d are false? What is join(':',stat $_)?

    You don't show the code that sets @files; a common mistake in directory recursion is forgetting to add the directory to the beginning of the path. There are other common problems too; you really should use one of the File::Find modules for this.
[reply]
[d/l]
[select]

      Hi, by pick up I mean to say that, the code finds all of the directories and files correctly, except the ones I listed that it does not.

      I dont have the join(':',stat $_) in my code.

      As per your comment, I have added the code below on how I set the @files

      ``` 
      my @files;

my $path = shift;

opendir (DIR, $path)
or die "Unable to open $path: $!";

my @files =
# Third: Prepend the full path
map { $path . '\\' . $_ }
# Second: take out '.' and '..'
grep { !/^\.{1,2}$/ }
# First: get all files
readdir (DIR);
closedir (DIR);

      [download]
      ```
[reply]
[d/l]
        I am not sure exactly what you are trying to do but as has been mentioned File::Find is the right tool for this job. This is some untested code for your pleasure... 
        use strict;
use warnings;
use File::Find;

my $starting_dir = "put path to dir here";

my $count_dat_png = 0;

find(\&wanted, $starting_dir);
print "number of dat and png files: $count_dat_png\n";


sub wanted
{
    return if -d ; # skip directories
                   # . and .. are directories
                   # or just leave this out entirely
        
    if (-f and ( /\.dat$/i or /\.png$/i))
    {
        #print "$File::Find::name\n"; #full name if you want
        $count_dat_png++;
    }
}

        [download]
        added: I would read the example and explanation of the module File::Find carefully.
[reply]
[d/l]

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