File access time - mIRC Discussion Forums

From mirc help

Code:

$file(filename)

Returns information about the specified file. 

Properties: size, ctime, mtime, atime, shortfn, longfn, attr
$file(mirc.exe).size          returns the file size
$file(mirc.exe).ctime          returns creation time
$file(mirc.exe).mtime          returns last modification time
$file(mirc.exe).atime          returns last access time

It seems to me that the atime property returns the same time as the mtime property.

Is this a feature or a bug?

It's not a bug or a feature, the access time and modification time are two different things, $file($mircexe).atime and .mtime are different in my test

only reason I can think of why that happends is because of a virus 'on-access' scanner

wims, can you please show me how you tested the atime and mtime properties?

I have tested them on files within $mircdir and c:\, with mirc version 6.35 an 6.17, with anti-virus enabled and disabled.
ie

Code:

echo -s $file(test.txt).atime
echo -s $file(c:\test.txt).atime

I create the file, modify it and close it, then read it and close it again. atime seems to change at the first read access, but then not change again with subsequent reads till I modify it.

the file in your first example uses the file in the mIRC operational directory. Use

Code:

//echo -a $mircdir

to see where this directory is located.

The file in your second example uses the file in your C root directory.

Comparing the .ctime & .atime values of two different files is not a fair comparison of those two time values.

Russell, the point of my last post was to show that I had tried test.txt in $mircdir and test.txt in the root directory, creating each file and accessing each file separately, and subsequently checking the atime property. It was to see if mirc was treating files in $mircdir differently from those in other directories. Sorry if it wasn't clear.

Can somebody who says that they get a different response from .atime and .mtime please show me their method?

//echo -- $file(c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe).mtime

Quote:

1208135534

//echo -- $file(c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe).atime

Quote:

1263105298

File creation, modification and access are different. Creation falls under modification which falls under access. However, access does not necessarily mean modification (the file could be accessed in read-only mode) and modification does not necessarily mean creation (the file could already exist).

Please ask such questions as this in a forum that is relevant to your operating system in the future.

"File creation, modification and access are different." -- Really?

"Please ask such questions as this in a forum that is relevant to your operating system in the future. " --- My operating system is Windows .. does mirc run on Linux?

echo -s $file(mirc.ini).atime

Code:

1263156594

echo -s $read(mirc.ini)

Code:

n7=#Chataway

echo -s $file(mirc.ini).atime

Code:

1263156594

As you can see, subsequent file access is not altering the access time returned by the atime property.

Ok. Just wrote a dll in Delphi to return file access time. It behaves in the same manner as mirc's atime property behaves for me.

Still can't see why, though. I think that to read a file you must access it, and if you access it the access time would be updated.

Maybe it is being buffered somewhere, and the disk file is not being accessed unless the buffer changes.... who knows.

Originally Posted By: lerpicus

"File creation, modification and access are different." -- Really?

"Please ask such questions as this in a forum that is relevant to your operating system in the future. " --- My operating system is Windows .. does mirc run on Linux?

mIRC runs on Linux using the WINE interface. And feel free to ask any questions concerning mirc & your OS here.

DJ_Sol, Thank you. At times one wonders at the superciliousness of those assigned by the gods to help lesser mortals.

On a lighter note, This website has provided the following information

Quote:

Resolution of file last accessed date is 1 hour for NTFS and 1 day for FAT. This means that only access hour or day will be recorded for this file property, skipping access minutes or hours accordingly.]

An answer at last!

Thanks to all who tried to help.

That's due to implementation -- atime may be modified at the time when the underlying fopen() or fclose() is called. I'm not sure which is the case, but either:
i. mIRC only needs to call fopen() once to read multiple times, so multiple reads won't result in multiple fopen()'s.
ii. mIRC has not yet called fclose().

I'd tell you to do your freaking research, but you've already found a site which states the following:

Quote:

Any viewing, copying or moving of the documents, images and other files automatically alters last accessed date stamp of the file.

Thus, contradicting yourself and backing my statement. At least you would have learnt something. Hopefully, your lesson learnt was to do your research before you say things that may be stupid.