How to handle "file in use error" popup

[jamesd1]

I have a macro that periodically checks for new downloaded videos in as certain directory and then processes them and moves them to a new directory. It works fine except that occasionally the macro runs at the same time that a video is currently downloading and when it tires to move the unfinished download that, of course, doesn't work and popups up a "file in use error" window. Pressing tab and return skips the moving of the vid so the macro continues processing, which is what I want. But I'm not sure how to build a function into the macro that recognizes this pop-up when it occurs so it can automatically skip the in-use video with a Tab Return key combo.

[Samrae]

Check out the "If File Ready" and "Wait for File Ready" commands. These commands determine if an application has finished writing to a file.

[jamesd1]

I understand the concept, but how and where do I insert the If File Ready logic and Wait for File Ready into a macro that is trying to move all of the video files in a directory from one place to another? Typically, it will have perhaps moved three files and on coming to the 4th files that is not ready I would get the error.

[Samrae]

If File Ready
  Copy File or Files: AFile.avi
End If

If you show us how your macro moves files we can be more specific.

[jamesd1]

I have two Macros that are of the form:

"Move File or Files" with the *.* parameter so it moves all the files in a directory.

 

There might be 4 files in the dir and 3 might be ready to move while the 4th is not yet ready.

[Samrae]

Something like this may work.

Repeat with Folder
  If File Ready "%T1%"
    Move File or Files: "%T1%"
  End If
Repeat End

[jamesd1]

I'm only vaguely familiar with use of variables in Macro Express; cook-book stumbled through the process two times years ago.

 

What variable goes in the T1 and how do I define it?

[jamesd1]

Is there another method to use that would detect the pop-up error window so I could just Macro Express keystrokes to skip/dismiss the pop-up any time it occurred? I can't look inside Macro Express to see how to identify the window because Macro Express is running when the error occurs and so I can't call it up to see how to identify the pop-up.

[Samrae]

I'm only vaguely familiar with use of variables in Macro Express; cook-book stumbled through the process two times years ago.

Use of variables is key to powerful macros.

 

What variable goes in the T1 and how do I define it?

The variables T1 through T99 are string variables. The Repeat with Folder command will put the name of a file in T1 each time it loops. It will loop once for each file in the specified folder. If you have questions, try it.

[Samrae]

Is there another method to use that would detect the pop-up error window so I could just Macro Express keystrokes to skip/dismiss the pop-up any time it occurred?

Not with Macro Express 3. Perhaps with Macro Express Pro.

[acantor]

Macro Express Pro supports error trapping, but I'm not sure that will be the best way to script this. I think you are good to go with Macro Express 3. But the time has come for you to get a handle on variables. And possibly the "repeat with folder" command.

 

It's worth the effort to get comfortable with variables. A nice learning project is to assign a variable to a value, modify the value, and then display it. Maybe something like this, in pseudo-code:

 

T1 = "Hello my name is ME"

Modify T1: Replace every " " (space) in T1 with "" (nothing)

Message Box T1

 

Result:

 

HellomynameisME