CleanPath

Synopsis

CleanPath is a Windows console application that recursively deletes zero-byte files and files matching user-defined regular expressions in a specified directory.

Description

CleanPath accepts various command-line parameters to specify directories, matching file patterns, and other behaviors. It can traverse directories recursively and delete files that are zero-byte or match user-defined regex patterns. The application features a "safe mode" for confirmation before deletion, options for backup before deletion, and logging capabilities.

Parameters

• --target-dir: Specifies the directory to clean. Defaults to the current directory if not specified.
• --matches: Specifies regex patterns for file types to be deleted. Patterns should be separated by a comma.
• -R: Enables recursive deletion in subdirectories.
• --safe: Enables safe mode, prompting the user for confirmation before each deletion.
• --safe-limit: Specifies the number of files to show in safe mode before asking for confirmation. Default is 15.
• --logfile: Specifies the path of the log file to record deleted file paths.
• --backup: Specifies the directory to back up files before deletion.
• --verbose: Outputs additional information about the operations being performed.
• --dir-matches: Specifies regex patterns for directory names to be excluded. Patterns should be separated by a comma.

Examples

Example 1: Delete zero-byte and .txt or .log files in C:\Folder1 and its subdirectories:

cleanpath --target-dir "C:\Folder1" --matches ".txt|.log" -R

Example 2: Deleting Specific File Types Without Recursion

cleanpath --target-dir "D:\Documents" --matches ".bak|.tmp"

This command will delete files ending with .bak or .tmp in D:\Documents but will not check subdirectories.

Example 3: Using Verbose Mode and Logging

cleanpath --target-dir "C:\Users\JohnDoe\Downloads" -R --matches ".old" --verbose --logfile "C:\Logs\CleanPath.log"

This command recursively deletes .old files in C:\Users\JohnDoe\Downloads, outputs detailed information about the process, and logs the deleted file paths to C:\Logs\CleanPath.log.

Example 4: Safe Mode with Directory Exclusion

cleanpath --target-dir "C:\Projects" -R --safe --dir-matches "Archive|Temp"

This command prompts for user confirmation before deleting zero-byte files in C:\Projects and its subdirectories, excluding any directories named Archive or Temp.

Notes

• Be cautious with regex patterns to avoid unintended deletions.
• Directories without access permissions, like 'System Volume Information', will be skipped.
• Ensure the backup directory does not conflict with the target directory.
• In safe mode, confirmation is required before deletions proceed.

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