PRB: _stat Function Fails for Names Ending with "\"

• The C Run-Time (CRT), used with:
  • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, versions 5.0, 6.0

SYMPTOMS

Using the C-Run-time function stat to check a directory fails when the name passed to the function ends with "\".

For example, _stat("\\my_directory\\my_name",&buf) returns OK, but _stat("\\my_directory\\my_name\\",&buf) will return -1 as error.

CAUSE

The _stat function calls the windows API function FindFirstFile passing it the path name. The FindFirstFile returns an invalid handle if the name ends with "\."

RESOLUTION

Remove the trailing "\" from the path name.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

The following sample program demonstrates the problem:

//Sample.cpp
/* Compiler Options : none */ 
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <windows.h>
  HANDLE            hSearch;
  WIN32_FIND_DATA   Buf;
int main( void )
{
   struct _stat buf;
   int result;

   result = _stat( "c:\\temp", &buf );
   if( result != 0 )
      printf( "_stat function on c:\\temp failed " );

   result = _stat( "c:\\temp\\", &buf );
   if( result != 0 )
     printf( "_stat function on c:\\temp\\ failed " );

   hSearch= FindFirstFile((LPSTR)"c:\\temp", &Buf);
   if (hSearch == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE )
      printf("\n\n FindFirstFile on c:\\temp failed too");

   hSearch= FindFirstFile((LPSTR)"c:\\temp\\", &Buf);
   if (hSearch == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE )
      printf("\n\n FindFirstFile on c:\\temp\\ failed too");

return 0;
} 

REFERENCES

Online docs on _stat CRT function mk:@ivt:vccore/F3F/F43/D4D/S4CF6A.HTM

Online docs on FindFirstFile API function mk:@ivt:pdref/native/sdk/win32/func/src/f24_10.htm

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbCRT kbVC500 kbVC600
Version : winnt:5.0,6.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb