Steps in Selecting the Latest File
1.Directory Tool:
- Drag and drop the Directory Tool onto the canvas.
- Configure the Directory Tool to point to the folder where your files are stored.
- In the Directory field, enter the path to your directory (e.g., C:\path\to\your\directory).
- The Directory Tool will output a list of all files in the directory along with their metadata, such as the creation date, modification date, and file size.
2.Filter Files with Same Data Structure:
- Use a Filter Tool or Formula Tool to filter out files that don't match the expected data structure or file pattern.
- This might involve checking the file extension, name pattern, or other attributes.
- Check and Standardize the Date Format (Optional):
- If necessary, use a Regex Tool or DateTime Tool to standardize or format the creation/modification date.
3.Sort Tool:
- Drag and drop the Sort Tool onto the canvas.
- Connect it to the output of the previous step.
- Configure the Sort Tool to sort the files based on the Last Modified Date or Creation Date in descending order.
- This ensures that the most recent file appears at the top.
4.Sample Tool:
- Drag and drop the Sample Tool onto the canvas.
- Connect it to the output of the Sort Tool.
- Configure the Sample Tool to select the First N rows, setting N to 1. This will select only the most recently modified file.
5.Dynamic Input Tool:
- Drag and drop the Dynamic Input Tool onto the canvas.
- Connect it to the output of the Sample Tool.
- Configure the Dynamic Input Tool to read data from the file identified in the previous step.
- Use the field that contains the file path to dynamically set the input file.
- Output or Further Processing:
- Once the latest file is identified and loaded, you can continue to process it in your workflow as needed.
- For example, you might use additional tools to filter, transform, or output the data to another location.
