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Ben Nadel at cf.Objective() 2011 (Minneapolis, MN) with: Alec Irwin
Ben Nadel at cf.Objective() 2011 (Minneapolis, MN) with: Alec Irwin

Ask Ben: Creating An Archive Folder / File List (Part II)

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A while back, I was asked how to make a simple ColdFusion page that would allow the viewing of archive folders and their contents. At the time, the page was designed to handle a single list of directories and then a single list of sub-files. I have been asked to update that code to allow for sub-directories and sub-sub-directories (you get the point).

Below is the updated code that allows for a single page to point to a directory and drill down through all the sub directories. All files are linked directly. All sub folders get viewed via the URL.folder variable that keeps getting passed back to the same ColdFusion script.

I am not taking into account the different slashes on different platforms. For this demo, the backward slash is considered a "server" slash for a server path and the forward slash is considered a "web" slash for web-based paths (ie. URLs).

<!--- Kill extra output. --->
<cfsilent>

	<!---
		This is the name of the archive folder for which we
		want to list out the archive documents and sub folders.
	--->
	<cfparam
		name="URL.folder"
		type="string"
		default=""
		/>

	<!--- Decode the folder value. --->
	<cfset URL.folder = UrlDecode( URL.folder ) />

	<!---
		For security reasons, we want to get rid of any suspect
		values in the folder variable. These include "../"
		which would go to a parent directory or "/" which will
		go to the root perhaps.
	--->
	<cfset URL.folder = URL.folder.ReplaceAll(
		"(\.\.[\\/])+", ""
		).ReplaceAll(
			"([\\/]){2,}", "$1"
			) />

	<!---
		Set the directory path of the root archive
		directory (this one). This is the folder in which
		you want to allow users to browse archive folders
		and files.
	--->
	<cfset strRoot = ExpandPath( "./" ) />


	<!---
		Check to see if we have an archive folder selected.
		If we do, then we want to query that one. If not,
		then we want to get the list of all the archive folders.
		Furthermore, if we have an archive folder, just
		check to make sure the folder exists.
	--->
	<cfif (
		Len( URL.folder ) AND
		DirectoryExists( strRoot & "\" & URL.folder )
		)>

		<!--- Set the query path to be the archive folder. --->
		<cfset strQueryPath = (strRoot & "\" & URL.folder) />

		<!---
			Add the trailing slash to the folder for use with
			further linking. Going foward, we can assume the
			the folder variable will have this trailing slash.
		--->
		<cfset URL.folder = (URL.folder & "\") />

	<cfelse>

		<!---
			We have no archive folder selected (or it did not
			exist). Query the root directory.
		--->
		<cfset strQueryPath = strRoot />

		<!---
			Reset the folder variable so we don't get confused
			later on.
		--->
		<cfset URL.folder = "" />

	</cfif>


	<!---
		Query for the files / folders in the selected
		directory (might be root OR an archive folder).
	--->
	<cfdirectory
		action="LIST"
		directory="#strQueryPath#"
		recurse="false"
		name="qDirectoryList"
		/>

</cfsilent>

<cfoutput>
<html>
<head>
	<title>Document Archive</title>
</head>
<body>

	<h1>
		Document Archive
	</h1>

<!---
		Check to see if we are deeper than the root directory.
		We will know that we are if our folder variable has
		some value in it. If it does, we will provide tools
		to jump up a single directory or to go back to the
		archivee root.
	--->
<cfif Len( URL.folder )>

		<h2>
			#URL.folder#
		</h2>

		<p>
			&laquo; <a href="#CGI.script_name#">Back to Archive Root</a>
		</p>


		<!---
			When outputting the parent directory path, be sure
			to strip out the last directory and traililng slash
			from the existing folder path.
		--->
		<p>
			&laquo; <a href="#CGI.script_name#?folder=#UrlEncodedFormat( URL.folder.ReplaceAll( "[\\/]?[^\\/]+[\\/]?$", "" ) )#">Back to Parent Directory</a>
		</p>

		<hr />

	</cfif>


<!---
		Loop over directory list. This may contain both files
		and folders. If we come across a folder or sub
		directory, then we will provide a link to view that
		directory (through the archive viewer). If we come
		across a file, we will link directly to that file.
	--->
<cfloop query="qDirectoryList">

<!---
			Check to see if we are dealing with a sub folder.
		--->
		<cfif (qDirectoryList.Type EQ "Dir")>

<!---
				We are dealing with a directory. Add this folder
				name to the folder path we are sending back
				in the URL. Since we are dealing with a server
				path at this point, replace any "Web" slashes
				with "server" slashes... / -to- \.
			--->
			<p>
				<a href="#CGI.script_name#?folder=#UrlEncodedFormat( URL.folder.ReplaceAll( "/", "\\" ) & qDirectoryList.name )#">#qDirectoryList.name#</a> &raquo;
			</p>

<cfelse>

			<!---
				We are dealing with a file. Output the link
				to the file from the root directory (since
				that is where we still are from the browser's).
				standpoint. Include the name of the sub folder
				in the path. Since we are dealing with a web
				path, replace all "server" slashes with "web"
				slashes... \ -to- /.
			--->
			<p>
				<a href="./#URL.folder.ReplaceAll( "\\", "/" )##qDirectoryList.name#">#qDirectoryList.name#</a>
			</p>

</cfif>

	</cfloop>

</body>
</html>
</cfoutput>

Hope that helps.

Want to use code from this post? Check out the license.

Reader Comments

I believe in love. I believe in compassion. I believe in human rights. I believe that we can afford to give more of these gifts to the world around us because it costs us nothing to be decent and kind and understanding. And, I want you to know that when you land on this site, you are accepted for who you are, no matter how you identify, what truths you live, or whatever kind of goofy shit makes you feel alive! Rock on with your bad self!
Ben Nadel