Find most recently created or modified image(file)

[mooner]

Hi everyone, I have a question: Suppose there's a folder containing a large number of PNG images — say, around 10,000 files. What's the best way to get the name of the most recently created or modified image in that folder? Is there a faster method?

[Neil Pate]

Have you tried this? The `last mod` output should hopefully give you the timestamp of the last modification, and it would then be pretty simple to find the latest.

I have no idea what the performance of this would be if you loop over 10000 files. That is something you would just have to try.

 

[Neil Pate]

Done some simple testing.

On a directory containing 838 files it took 60 ms.

 

[hooovahh]

3 hours ago, Neil Pate said:

Done some simple testing.

On a directory containing 838 files it took 60 ms.

That's how I'd do it.  Then combine that with the Foreign Key Sort from my Array package, putting the Time Stamps into the Keys, then paths into the Arrays, and it will sort the paths from oldest to newest.  Reverse the array and index at 0, or use Delete From Array to get the last element, which would be the newest file.

[dadreamer]

In addition to the LV native method, there are options with .NET and command prompt: Get Recently Modified Files.

[Neil Pate]

I also realised I messed up my benchmark and the final High Precision Time should be after the sorting. I meant to do this just forgot! 

[hooovahh]

38 minutes ago, dadreamer said:

In addition to the LV native method, there are options with .NET and command prompt: Get Recently Modified Files.

If you are in a Windows environment, and have many files to process, this is probably going to be faster.  There probably are several factors in determining when doing this in .NET is the better solution.

[ShaunR]

39 minutes ago, dadreamer said:

In addition to the LV native method, there are options with .NET and command prompt: Get Recently Modified Files.

Heathen 

My go.

 

Last Mod.vi

[Neil Pate]

23 minutes ago, ShaunR said:

Heathen 
16.37 kB · 0 downloads

😂😂😂

[mooner]

Thanks for everyone’s guidance. I ran my tests, and the performance is within an acceptable range for now.
That said, if there are any smarter or more efficient approaches I could try, I’d definitely love to hear them