How to properly use Coldfusion's FileExist() method?

Question

I don't use coldfusion much at all, I'm needed to patch up some code though. Basically I'm trying to check and see if a file I uploaded exist and if it does exist, increment a variable by 1. Then repeat untill I get a unique file name. For whatever reason I can't figure out the proper way to use FileExist(). Some forums suggest using it with len() but those are from 2006 and when I do that it seems to always come out true. Also, when I look at http://help.adobe.com/en_US/ColdFusion/9.0/CFMLRef/WSc3ff6d0ea77859461172e0811cbec22c24-7c66.html it says it returns either Yes or No. I tried to check against the result various ways, but no luck.

This is the portion of code I have which I am dealing with. The application.filepath is just a variable in my application file which store the expandpath().

<cffile action="upload" destination="#Application.filePath#ListingsGallery/" filefield="iconImage" nameconflict="makeunique">
<cfset iconPlace = #cffile.serverfile#>
<cfset myExt = listLast(iconPlace,".")>
<cfset i = 1 >
<cfset myVar = false>
<cfloop condition="myVar EQ false">

    <cfset newIconName = "iconPhoto" & i &"."& myExt>
    <cfset iconName = Application.filePath & "ListingsGallery/" & #newIconName#>
<cfoutput>#iconName#</cfoutput><br />//just checking to see if it is the correct path, it is.

    <cfif FileExists(iconName) EQ 'Yes'>
         <cfoutput>#myVar#</cfoutput> //checking the value, it never hits here.
    <cfelse>
             <cfoutput>#myVar#</cfoutput><br /> //checking the value, it always hits here.
    <cfset myVar = true>        
             <cfoutput>#myVar#</cfoutput> //Again check the value.
    </cfif>
<cfset i++>
</cfloop>                     
<cffile action="rename" source="#Application.filePath#ListingsGallery/#iconPlace#" destination="#Application.filePath#ListingsGallery/#newIconName#">

The absolute path on a unix server is something like, /var/www/website folder name/ etc.... Correct? That's the absolute server path, the coldfusion docs seem to specify at least a microsoft absolute server path so I'm assuming this is what is needed.

Edit--------------------------- PS: I can' only give one of you credit, so I gave it to Kruger since he came a minute earlier. lol...

Answer 1

FileExists() returns a boolean value. This should work fine now that the typo has been fixed:

<cfif fileExists(TheFile)>
  // do this
<cfelse>
  // do that
</cfif>

Answer 2

Assuming your application.Filepath is the correct file path you are on the right track. It looks like your upload directory might be beneath the web root - considering moving it outside the web root for security. Take a look at #expandPath('.')# as a way of creating guaranteed file paths without typos :) Also makes your code more portable.

To my eye the code above would work. FYI - you don't need "EQ 'YES'. You are fine to just do:

<Cfif FileExists(iconName)>...

You could also do

condition="NOT myVar">

There are several ways to handle logic code in CF.

If your fileExists() never hits take a closer look at your rename. Are you throwing an eror?

Answer 3

I can't add notes to answers yet, but I wanted to let the OP know that CF is typeless when it comes to boolean evaluations in functions. 0 is the same as "no" is the same as "false", whereas any positive number is the same as "yes" is the same as "true".