How To: Read a Directory of Filenames

It is often useful to read a local or network directory and populate a PhixFlow stream with the names of the files. This can be used as a reference list for subsequent processing and can also form the basis of a duplicate detection pattern, ensuring that files are not processed mor than once. The examples below show how to read the entire folder contents,as well as just speciifc file types.

Example 1: Read all files

Step-by-step guide

1. Add a File Collector to the model and confiure it as follows:
   
   1. Source Type = Specified Directory
   2. File Type = File Details Only
   3. File Location Strategy = All Files in Folder
   4. Input Directory Expression = Enter the name of the folder relative to the Import File Locaion in  System Configuration. Put the folder name in double quotes e.g "Data Files"
   5. File Pattern Expression = ".*." (This will read all file types)
2. Make sure the Enabled and Allow on-Schedued collection checkboxes are checked and then save and close the file colletor
3. Hover over the file collector and select Add a New Stream
4. Add an attribute to the stream to hold the fie name and enter the expression "in._fileName" without the quotes.
5. Run analysis on the stream and view the filenames 

Example 2: Read all files with a given file extention

Step-by-step guide

1. Add a File Collector to the model and confiure it as follows:
   
   1. Source Type = Specified Directory
   2. File Type = File Details Only
   3. File Location Strategy = All Files in Folder
   4. Input Directory Expression = Enter the name of the folder relative to the Import File Locaion in  System Configuration. Put the folder name in double quotes e.g "Data Files"
   5. File Pattern Expression = ".*." (This will read all file types)
2. Make sure the Enabled and Allow on-Schedued collection checkboxes are checked and then save and close the file colletor
3. Hover over the file collector and select Add a New Stream
4. Add an attribute to the stream to hold the fie name and enter the expression "in._fileName" without the quotes.
5. Run analysis on the stream and view the filenames 

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