Move-File: Can't move certain Files to another Folder!

Hello! I want to extract some Files based on a certain criteria (here: bytes < 70 000 000). But I don't get it to work, some Ideas?

This is my approach so far..

files_zum_Testen = dir('...\MOVE_MDF\*.mf4');
move_bedingung = [files_zum_Testen.bytes] < 70000000;
move_list = fullfile({files_zum_Testen(move_bedingung).folder}, {files_zum_Testen(move_bedingung).name});

movefile (move_list, newFolder)

[Stephen23]

You will need to use a loop, and move each file separately.

The movefile documentation describes its source input as one character vector or string scalar, It does not state that the source can be a cell array of character vectors or a non-scalar string.

It states that multiple files can be matched using the wildcard *. But because you want to match on some other property (not using a wildcard) you will have to call movefile for each file.

Answer 1

[Geoff Hayes]

Malte - you haven't posted the error message or describe fully what you mean by I don't get it to work. According to movefile input arguments, the source is a character vector corresponding to a single file or directory. I don't think that passing in a cell array (list of files) will work and so you will need to move each file individually.

[Malte Räuchle]

Ok I understand. How can I move each file indivdually?

The error message which I forgot is: Argument must be a string scalar or character vector. So - as you said - passing in a cell array is not working, but somehow I can't work around it.

[Malte Räuchle]

When I change it to Character Vector this error appears: No matching files were found.

[Geoff Hayes]

Malte - if you have a cell array of files, you will need to loop over each file. You could do it something like

files_zum_Testen = dir('...\MOVE_MDF\*.mf4');
move_bedingung = files_zum_Testen([files_zum_Testen.bytes] < 70000000);

for k = 1:length(move_bedingung)
    fileToMove = move_bedingung(k);
    sourceFileName = fullfile(fileToMove.folder, fileToMove.name);
    movefile(sourceFileName, newFolder);
end

I haven't tested the above, but the idea should be clear enough on what to do.

[Malte Räuchle]

Hi Geoff, thanks for your answer and the really good approach. The idea is now clear for me but when runnung the script I have problems with the destination variable (newFolder).

The error: Undefined function or variable 'newFolder' . I thought I create this folder with the command 'movefile' ?

files_zum_Testen = dir('...\MOVE_MDF\*.mf4');
move_bedingung = [files_zum_Testen.bytes] < 70000000;
for k = 1:length(move_bedingung)
    fileToMove = move_bedingung(k);
    sourceFileName = fullfile(files_zum_Testen(fileToMove).folder, files_zum_Testen(fileToMove).name);
    movefile(sourceFileName, newFolder)
end

[Malte Räuchle]

If I do it like this:

movefile(sourceFileName, '...\newFolder')

only 1 File is moving to the newFolder, but the correct result would be 2 Files. And the error: Error using fullfile - Not enough input arguments occurs. And I have no explanation for it..

[Stephen23]

"And I have no explanation for it.."

Your approach means that when the logical scalar fileToMove is false then you are generating comma-separated lists with zero outputs, and so fullfile has zero input arguments. That causes the error. While you could make this approach work (e.g. use if and you need to use index k rather than a logical scalar to select from files_zum_Testen) it would likely be simpler and clearer to use the logical array to filter the required files before the loop, e.g.:

D = '...\MOVE_MDF';
S = dir(fullfile(D,'*.mf4'));
X = [S.bytes] < 70000000;
C = {S(X).name}; % filter here!
for k = 1:numel(C)
    F = fullfile(D,C{k});
    movefile(F, newFolder)
end

[Malte Räuchle]

Thank you all for your help. I'm new to matlab and still learning.. A combination of both answers was a good solution and exactly what I needed!!

Appreciate it!