Problems with Path information and the Change Path script

The notes below are the results of tests passed by me to Extensis TS. They may explain why you are having problems when using the change path script.

(Ref note from Portfolio scripts Readme.) NOTE: Portfolio stores the path internally using ':' characters instead of '/' characters, so you must enter the path using these characters for this script to work.<<<

Windows uses a backslash (\) and not a forward slash (/) in denoting directory levels in a path.

Portfolio stores the path internally using ':' . Not always, as the attached database record export TEST.txt shows. The records listed in the text file are an export of 3 records. The first came from a CD with the Volume label 'LATE', the second was archived from the 'C:' drive of a (Win 98) networked PC and the third was archived from the 'C:' drive of the local PC. The results are:

Filename Volume Path
0067951B.TIF LATE LATE:NEW:IMAGES:0067951B.TIF
0000302B.TIF C ::LIZ:C:IMAGES:0000302B.TIF
logobw.bmp C: C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Test\logobw.bmp

Note that the path for the third item uses backslashes and not colons. According to the readme, the path should be all colons, as for the other two. This error is consistently reproducible when archiving from a local hard drive. Note also the Volume field entry shows a colon terminator (C:). I've done some testing and attach it as a doc (it is documentation-in-progress for the project mentioned below under 'background').

This causes problems when trying to use the "Change Path" script. If you try to set a replace path of e.g. C:\myfolder\ you should enter C::myfolder: substituting colons for backslashes. The result is C\\myfolder\. This location is unreadable and the record is now corrupted. Fixable by updating for a few records - but not acceptable for thousands of records. How do you script for a true colon character?

Working with the last test entry shown above, replacing C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Test\ with C::WINDOWS:Desktop:Test: shows C\\WINDOWS\Desktop\Test\logobw.bmp on screen and exports as C::WINDOWS:Desktop:Test:logobw.bmp. Interestingly, although the Volume field is adjusted to C the file cannot be found. I then tried running the script again the remove one of the double backslashes(\\) to give a screen Path field of C\Windows\Desktop\Test\logobw.bmp and Volume field C.

Question: Problems with Path information and the Change Path script [FAQ00063.htm]
Last Update:- 31 May 2006

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