Explain dwFileAttributes

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Hi,

I try to read a sub direcory which cointains files. With debugger I see the right file name but "dwFileAttributes" has value 48 which is wrong, it should be 16 what I understand. I have tried with other directory and they are fine.

Could you please help me to understand why dwFileAttributes is assigned 48 and not 16?

C++

WIN32_FIND_DATA FileData
handle  =   FindFirstFile(path,&FileData);
if(FileData.dwFileAttributes  == 16)
{
}

Thanks in advance
M.H

Posted 27-Oct-10 1:55am

merh

Updated 27-Oct-10 1:57am

Sandeep Mewara

v2

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Sauro Viti · Accepted Answer · 2010-10-27T02:25:00

The dwFileAttributes could keep zero, one or more flags and they are combined together using the or operator.

In your case dwFileAttributes = 48 = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY.

If you want to check if an entry is a file or a folder, as in your code snippet, you should do it as shown below:

C++

WIN32_FIND_DATA FileData
handle = FindFirstFile(path, &FileData);
if ((FileData.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) != 0)
{
   // It's a directory...
}

Richard MacCutchan · Accepted Answer · 2010-10-27T03:20:00

Solution 2

You should view them in HEX format as that will make it clearer. dwFileAttributes is a bit mask so the value 48 is 0x30 in hexadecimal, which is the two bit settings 0x20 and 0x10. A quick glance at the definition[^] in MSDN will confirm what each bit signifies.

Posted 27-Oct-10 3:20am

Richard MacCutchan