File Exists

File Exists

Type: file-exists  ·  Package: Filesystem Activities v1.0.6  ·  Output: bool

Checks whether a file exists at the given path and returns true or false. It is the safe way to get ahead of errors: make sure a file is there before reading it, or wait for it to appear before processing it.

How it works

Returns true if there is a file at path, false otherwise. It does not throw when the file is missing — that is its purpose. The result usually feeds an If.

• It also returns false if path is a folder (for folders use the dirExists(path) function in an expression), if the path is invalid, or if the robot’s account cannot see it.
• It is an instant check: it does not wait for the file to appear. To wait, combine it with While and Delay.
• The same check is available in expressions as fileExists(path).

Required parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
path	string	—	Path of the file to check.

Optional parameters

None.

Output

Returns a bool: true if the file exists; false if it does not, if it is a folder, or if it cannot be accessed.

Common errors

It practically never fails: only when the path expression evaluates to null ('path' is required.).

Example

Read a file only if it is there; otherwise, use a default value:

File Exists   path = "C:/config/settings.txt"   → output: exists
If   condition = exists
 ├─ then:
 │    Read File   path = "C:/config/settings.txt"   → output: config
 └─ else:
      Log   level = warning   message = "No settings file; using default values"

Related activities

• Read File — read the file once you know it exists.
• List Files — check/list several files in a folder.
• If — branch on the result.