GetFileLastWriteTime Activity

Purpose: This activity gets the last write (modification) timestamp of a file. The last write time indicates when the file was last modified or written to. This is useful for tracking file changes, identifying recently modified files, or determining if files need to be processed.

Input Properties

FilePath

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

Type: string

Required: Yes

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

Output Properties

LastWriteTime

File last write time as DateTime.

Type: DateTime

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

FormattedLastWriteTime

File last write 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 write time of a file

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

Result:
- LastWriteTime: 2024-01-20 10:15:30 (DateTime value)
- FormattedLastWriteTime: "2024-01-20 10:15:30"

Scenario: Get last write time of non-existent file

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

Result:
- LastWriteTime: 0001-01-01 00:00:00 (DateTime.MinValue)
- FormattedLastWriteTime: "File not found"

Error Handling

Important: The activity handles errors gracefully:

  • If FilePath is null or empty, LastWriteTime will be DateTime.MinValue and FormattedLastWriteTime will be "Invalid path"
  • If the file does not exist, LastWriteTime will be DateTime.MinValue and FormattedLastWriteTime will be "File not found"
  • If access is denied (UnauthorizedAccessException), LastWriteTime will be DateTime.MinValue and FormattedLastWriteTime will contain: "Error: Access denied - {exception message}"
  • If any other exception occurs, LastWriteTime will be DateTime.MinValue and FormattedLastWriteTime 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 write time was retrieved successfully. Check FormattedLastWriteTime for error messages.

Important Notes

  • The file must exist and be accessible to get its last write time
  • The LastWriteTime output provides a DateTime value for calculations and comparisons
  • The FormattedLastWriteTime output provides a human-readable string in "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss" format
  • Last write time is updated when the file is modified or written to
  • This is the most commonly used timestamp for determining if a file has changed
  • Use GetFileLastAccessTime to get when the file was last accessed
  • Use GetFileCreationTime to get when the file was created

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