GetFileLastAccessTime Activity

Purpose: This activity gets the last access timestamp of a file. The last access time indicates when the file was last read or accessed. This is useful for tracking file usage, identifying recently accessed files, or auditing file access patterns.

Input Properties

FilePath

The file path to get the last access time for. This must be an existing file that is accessible.

Type: string

Required: Yes

Example: "C:\Data\Document.txt"

Output Properties

LastAccessTime

File last access time as DateTime.

Type: DateTime

Note: Returns the last access time if successful, or DateTime.MinValue if the file path is empty, if the file does not exist, or if an error occurs.

FormattedLastAccessTime

File last access time as formatted string.

Type: string

Note: Returns a formatted string like "2024-01-15 14:30:45" if successful, "Invalid path" if FilePath is empty, "File not found" if the file doesn't exist, or an error message (starting with "Error: ") if an error occurs.

Usage Example

Scenario: Get last access time of a file

Configuration:
- FilePath: "C:\Data\Document.txt"

Result:
- LastAccessTime: 2024-01-20 10:15:30 (DateTime value)
- FormattedLastAccessTime: "2024-01-20 10:15:30"

Scenario: Get last access time of non-existent file

Configuration:
- FilePath: "C:\Data\NonExistent.txt"

Result:
- LastAccessTime: 0001-01-01 00:00:00 (DateTime.MinValue)
- FormattedLastAccessTime: "File not found"

Error Handling

Important: The activity handles errors gracefully:

  • If FilePath is null or empty, LastAccessTime will be DateTime.MinValue and FormattedLastAccessTime will be "Invalid path"
  • If the file does not exist, LastAccessTime will be DateTime.MinValue and FormattedLastAccessTime will be "File not found"
  • If access is denied (UnauthorizedAccessException), LastAccessTime will be DateTime.MinValue and FormattedLastAccessTime will contain: "Error: Access denied - {exception message}"
  • If any other exception occurs, LastAccessTime will be DateTime.MinValue and FormattedLastAccessTime will contain: "Error: {exception message}"
  • The activity does not throw exceptions - errors are indicated in the outputs

Always check the outputs to verify if the last access time was retrieved successfully. Check FormattedLastAccessTime for error messages.

Important Notes

  • The file must exist and be accessible to get its last access time
  • The LastAccessTime output provides a DateTime value for calculations and comparisons
  • The FormattedLastAccessTime output provides a human-readable string in "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss" format
  • Last access time is updated when the file is read or accessed, not just when it's modified
  • Use GetFileLastWriteTime to get when the file was last modified
  • Use GetFileCreationTime to get when the file was created

Related Activities