User Guide > Process Steps and Components > Queue Step > File Folder Queue
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File Folder Queue
Note:  For general information about Queue Steps, see Queue Step.
File Folder Queue allows a file folder to be treated like a message queue. The files in the folder can be retrieved into message objects by using the GetMessage action in a Queue step (you can read more than one file using a loop). Message objects can also be written to the folder as files using the PutMessage action. The properties of the session control the files that are read and the names of the files that are written, and whether to preserve the message properties.
Note:  When the File Folder Queue becomes empty, an error message is displayed in the result window and the log - “Error reading message: FFQueue: No more files matching the pattern *.<extension> can be found in directory <path>”. This error indicates that there are no more files to process. If you are using this component in a loop, you can look in the log file and see how many times the process iterated through the loop before the error was thrown.
File Folder Queue Properties
Property
Default Value
Description
Directory
 
Folder for reading (when Action is GetMessage) and writing (when Action is PutMessage) files.
Supported Actions
Action
Description
Connect
Opens a persistent connection to the component source.
Disconnect
Closes an existing connection with the component source and performs any clean up actions if required.
GetMessage
Retrieves message into a message object.
PutMessage
Writes a message object into the queue.
Supported Action Parameters
Action
Parameter
Description
GetMessage
Message
Name for the message.
PutMessage
Message
Name for the message.
 
Supported Action Properties
Action
Parameter
Description
GetMessage
Working directory
Location where the files are stored after being processed.
This property is displayed only if the Delete files when finished property is set to TRUE.
Delete files when finished
If set to TRUE then the processed files are moved to the Working directory that you defined using the Working directory GetMessage property. Default value is FALSE.
File name pattern
Allows you to specify a regular expressions or matching pattern using wildcards and literal characters for searching in the directory. Only those files that match the specified pattern are searched. You can specify multiple comma separated patterns.
Encoding
Encoding of the source data.
Type or select from a list of allowed values:
• ISO-8859-1 to ISO-8859-9
• UTF-8 (default)
• UTF-16
• Cp1252
• EUC-JP
For value descriptions, see Encoding Tips.
Maximum number of attempts
Specifies the maximum number of retry attempts the File Folder Queue step makes to get a file for processing from the directory before it determines that there are no more files to be fetched.
Default value is 5.
Sleep interval
Specifies the number of seconds/minutes/hours (as specified by the Sleep interval timeout type property) that the File Folder Queue step waits after each attempt it makes to fetch the file or determine if the fetching of file is complete.
Default value is 1.
Sleep interval timeout type
The unit of Sleep interval time property. You can choose from Seconds, Minutes, and Hours.
Default value is Seconds.
PutMessage
File name pattern
This property automatically assigns unique and descriptive names to all the files that are generated. You can choose from the available patterns for assigning names to the files. Choose from the following options:
• %n - Adds number to the file name
• %d - Adds current date with time stamp to the file name
• %c - Converts current date and time to seconds and then adds it to the file name
Default value is: MessageFile%n.txt
Encoding
Encoding of the source data.
Type or select from a list of allowed values:
• ISO-8859-1 to ISO-8859-9
• UTF-8 (default)
• UTF-16
• Cp1252
• EUC-JP
For value descriptions, see Encoding Tips.
Replace existing object
Replace existing object in the target folder. The target folder is the “Directory” that you assigned when you defined the component property.
Default value is TRUE.
File name pattern for newly created file
Selected pattern will be added between file name and file extension. Available values are:
• Number pattern (default)
• Date pattern
• TimeStamp pattern
For example if you select “Number pattern” and the file name is “ABC.txt” then the file name pattern considered for file name generation will be “ABC%n.txt”.
This property is displayed only if Replace Existing Object property is set to FALSE.
Last modified date: 12/03/2024