Delete a folder by deleting all files in all subfolders

[Babado]

I would like to delete the folder folderToDelete, which contains subfolders and those folders might contain subfolders, and so on.

I do not have permission to do the x command.

I have the following code (after looking at the following post Delete folder (directory) and all files in it😞

%macro delete_folder(folderToDelete);

data work.FilesToDelete;
   length Name $ 100;

   keep Name;

   rc = filename("folder", "&folderToDelete.");
   dirId = dopen("folder");

   do i = 1 to dnum(dirID);
      Name = dread(dirId, i);
      output;
   end;

   rc = dclose(dirId);
run;

data _null_;
   set work.FilesToDelete end=lastDeleted;

   put "Deleting " Name;

   rc = filename("delfile", cats("&folderToDelete./", Name));
   rc = fdelete("delfile");
   put "del file " rc=;
   rc = filename("delfile");

   if lastDeleted then do;
      put "Deleting the folder '&folderToDelete.'";
      rc = filename("folder", "&folderToDelete.");
      rc = fdelete("folder");
      put "del folder " rc=;
      rc = filename("folder");
   end;
run;

%mend;

However, since my folder contains subfolders, only the tables are delete and not the subfolders, resulting in the main folder not being deleted. In that sense, what I would like was to apply a function recursively to delete every file inside any subfolder (or any other suggestion you might have).

As an example, if my folder has the following structure:

> folder

   > subfolder_1
      > T_1_1.sas7bdat
      > T_1_2.sas7bdat
      > T_1_3.sas7bdat
         > subsubfolder_1
             > T_1_1_1.sas7bdat
   > subfolder_2
      > T_2_1.sas7bdat
   > T_1.sas7bdat
   > T_2.sas7bdat
   > T_3.sas7bdat
   > T_4.sas7bdat

after running the first data step, which reads the folder, I get

Name

subfolder_1

subfolder_2

T_1.sas7bdat

T_2.sas7bdat

T_3.sas7bdat

T_4.sas7bdat

and then in the second data step, only the tables are deleted.

However, I would like to delete the entirety of the folder. Can someone help?

[Patrick · Accepted solution]

You could use the %dirtree macro that I found here: https://github.com/sasutils/macros/blob/master/dirtree.sas 

Spoiler

%macro dirtree
  /*---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Build dataset of files in directory tree(s)
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
  (directory    /* Pipe delimited directory list (default=.) */
  ,out=dirtree  /* Output dataset name */
  ,maxdepth=120 /* Maximum tree depth */
  );
  /*---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Use SAS functions to gather list of files and directories

  directory - Pipe delimited list of top level directories

  out - Dataset to create
  maxdepth - Maximum depth of subdirectories to query

  Output dataset structure
  --NAME-- Len  Format      Description
  FILENAME $256             Name of file in directory
  TYPE       $1             File or Directory? (F/D)
  SIZE        8 COMMA20.    Filesize in bytes
  DATE        4 YYMMDD10.   Date file last modified
  TIME        4 TOD8.       Time of day file last modified
  DEPTH       3             Tree depth
  PATH     $256             Directory name

  Size is not available for the directories.
  LASTMOD timestamp is only available on Unix for directories.

  Will not scan the subtree of a directory with a path that is
  longer then 256 bytes. For such nodes TYPE will be set to L .

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
  %local fileref ;
  %let fileref=__FL__ ;
  %if 0=%length(&directory) %then %let directory=. ;

  * Setup dataset and seed with starting directory list ;
  data &out;
    length filename $256 type $1 size 8 date time 4 depth 3 path $256 ;
    retain filename ' ' depth 0 type ' ' date . time . size . ;
    format size comma20. date yymmdd10. time tod8. ;
    do _n_=1 to countw(symget('directory'),'|');
      path=scan(symget('directory'),_n_,'|');
      output;
    end;
  run;

  %* Allow use of empty OUT= dataset parameter ;
  %let out=&syslast;

  data &out;
    modify &out;
    retain sep "%sysfunc(ifc(&sysscp=WIN,\,/))";
    retain maxdepth &maxdepth;
  * Create FILEREF pointing to current file/directory ;
    rc1=filename("&fileref",catx('/',path,filename));
    if rc1 then do;
      length message $256;
      message=sysmsg();
      put 'ERROR: Unable to create fileref for ' path= filename= ;
      put 'ERROR- ' message ;
      stop;
    end;
  * Try to open as a directory to determine type ;
    did=dopen("&fileref");
    type = ifc(did,'D','F');
    if type='D' then do;
  * Make sure directory name is not too long to store. ;
      if length(catx('/',path,filename)) > vlength(path) then do;
        put 'NOTE: Directory name too long. ' path= filename= ;
        type='L';
        rc3=dclose(did);
      end;
      else do;
  * Move filename into the PATH and if on Unix set lastmod ;
        path=catx(sep,path,filename);
        filename=' ';
        if sep='/' then do;
          lastmod = input(dinfo(did,doptname(did,5)),nldatm100.);
          date=datepart(lastmod);
          time=timepart(lastmod);
        end;
      end;
    end;
    else do;
  * For a file try to open file and get file information ;
      fid=fopen("&fileref",'i',0,'b');
      if fid then do;
        lastmod = input(finfo(fid,foptname(fid, 5)), nldatm100.);
        date=datepart(lastmod);
        time=timepart(lastmod);
        size = input(finfo(fid,foptname(fid,ifn(sep='/',6,4))),32.);
        rc2 = fclose(fid);
      end;
    end;
  * Update the observation in the dataset ;
    replace;
    if type='D' then do;
  * When current file is a directory add directory members to dataset ;
      depth=depth+1;
      if depth > maxdepth then put 'NOTE: ' maxdepth= 'reached, not reading members of ' path= ;
      else do i=1 to dnum(did);
        filename=dread(did,i);
        output;
      end;
      rc3=dclose(did);
    end;
  * Clear the fileref ;
    rc4=filename("&fileref");
  run;

%mend dirtree;

Then use the macro to create a directory listing and delete all listed files and folders.

%let topFolderToDelete=c:\temp\deldirtest;

/* create table work.dirtree with directory listing */
%dirtree(&topFolderToDelete);
proc sort data=work.dirtree;
  by DESCENDING path DESCENDING type;
run;

/** delete files and folders **/
/* 1. folder separator \ or / (Win or Unix/Linux)? */
data _null_;
  set work.dirtree;
  if find(path,'\') then sep='\';
  else sep='/';
  if not missing(sep) then 
    do;
      call symputx('sep',sep);
      stop;
    end;
run;

/* 2. delete files and folders */
data _null_;
  set work.dirtree;
  by DESCENDING path DESCENDING type;
  fname='tempfile';
  if type='F' then
    rc=filename(fname, catx("&sep",path,filename));
  else
    rc=filename(fname, path);
  if rc = 0 and fexist(fname) then
     rc=fdelete(fname);
  rc=filename(fname);
run;

[Babado]

Works like charm. Thanks.

[whymath]

There is a new way now: use the GIT_DELETE_REPO function(https://go.documentation.sas.com/doc/en/workbenchcdc/v_001/vwblefunctionsref/n05xa2vo2wnzzon1ujsxkgd...)

Don't be fuzzy about the "GIT" name, this function can be used to delete local file folders, with or without files in it.