delete-directory-and-files

Arguments: directory &key (if-does-not-exist :error) (quiet t) force

The new :osi module (see Operating System Interface Functionality in os-interface.htm), released after the release of Allegro CL 6.2, has new operators relating to directory and file manipulation. This symbol naming this function, delete-directory-and-files has also been exported from the excl.osi package. The new operators are described in OSI file handling functionality in os-interface.htm.

With the addition of the new :osi module, this function was changed: the force keyword argument has been added; the default value of the quiet keyword argument is now t; and the default value of the if-does-not-exist keyword argument is now :error.

Delete all the files in directory and all subdirectories of directory. directory itself is also removed. If if-does-not-exist is :ignore then no error will be signaled if directory does not exist. Its default is :error which causes an error to be signaled on failure. If quiet is nil, then informative text about the operations performed is printed. quiet defaults to t.

On Windows, the force keyword can be used to remove filespec when it is read-only. On UNIX, this is the default behavior so force is effectively ignored.

See also os-interface.htm for general information on the interface between Allegro CL and the operating system. See section Filesystem manipulation functions in that document for information on file and directory information and manipulation functions in Allegro CL.

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Created 2010.1.21.