Gathering a List for the ForEach Loop with the Script Task
Applies to: 
SQL Server
SSIS Integration Runtime in Azure Data Factory
The Foreach from Variable Enumerator enumerates over the items in a list that is passed to it in a variable and performs the same tasks on each item. You can use custom code in a Script task to populate a list for this purpose. For more information about the enumerator, see Foreach Loop Container.
Note
If you want to create a task that you can more easily reuse across multiple packages, consider using the code in this Script task sample as the starting point for a custom task. For more information, see Developing a Custom Task.
Description
The following example uses methods from the System.IO namespace to gather a list of Excel workbooks on the computer that are either newer or older than a number of days specified by the user in a variable. It searches directories on Drive C recursively for files that have the .xls extension and examines the date on which each file was last modified to determine whether the file belongs in the list. It adds qualifying files to an ArrayList and saves the ArrayList to a variable for later use in a Foreach Loop container. The Foreach Loop container is configured to use the Foreach from Variable enumerator.
Note
The variable that you use with the Foreach from Variable Enumerator must be of type Object. The object that you place in the variable must implement one of the following interfaces: System.Collections.IEnumerable, System.Runtime.InteropServices.ComTypes.IEnumVARIANT, System.ComponentModel IListSource, or Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.Wrapper.ForEachEnumeratorHost. An Array or ArrayList is commonly used. The ArrayList requires a reference and an Imports statement for the System.Collections namespace.
You can experiment with this task by using different positive and negative values for the FileAge package variable. For example, you can enter 5 to search for files created in the last five days, or enter -3 to search for files that were created more than three days ago. This task may take a minute or two on a drive with many folders to search.
To configure this Script Task example
Create a package variable named
FileAgeof type integer and enter a positive or negative integer value. When the value is positive, the code searches for files newer than the specified number of days; when negative, for files older than the specified number of days.Create a package variable named
FileListof type Object to receive the list of files gathered by the Script task for later use by the Foreach from Variable Enumerator.Add the
FileAgevariable to the Script task's ReadOnlyVariables property, and add theFileListvariable to the ReadWriteVariables property.In your code, import the System.Collections and the System.IO namespaces.
Code
Imports System
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Math
Imports Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.IO
Public Class ScriptMain
Private Const FILE_AGE As Integer = -50
Private Const FILE_ROOT As String = "C:\"
Private Const FILE_FILTER As String = "*.xls"
Private isCheckForNewer As Boolean = True
Dim fileAgeLimit As Integer
Private listForEnumerator As ArrayList
Public Sub Main()
fileAgeLimit = DirectCast(Dts.Variables("FileAge").Value, Integer)
' If value provided is positive, we want files NEWER THAN n days.
' If negative, we want files OLDER THAN n days.
If fileAgeLimit < 0 Then
isCheckForNewer = False
End If
' Extract number of days as positive integer.
fileAgeLimit = Math.Abs(fileAgeLimit)
listForEnumerator = New ArrayList
GetFilesInFolder(FILE_ROOT)
' Return the list of files to the variable
' for later use by the Foreach from Variable enumerator.
System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show("Matching files: " & listForEnumerator.Count.ToString, "Results", Windows.Forms.MessageBoxButtons.OK, Windows.Forms.MessageBoxIcon.Information)
Dts.Variables("FileList").Value = listForEnumerator
Dts.TaskResult = ScriptResults.Success
End Sub
Private Sub GetFilesInFolder(ByVal folderPath As String)
Dim localFiles() As String
Dim localFile As String
Dim fileChangeDate As Date
Dim fileAge As TimeSpan
Dim fileAgeInDays As Integer
Dim childFolder As String
Try
localFiles = Directory.GetFiles(folderPath, FILE_FILTER)
For Each localFile In localFiles
fileChangeDate = File.GetLastWriteTime(localFile)
fileAge = DateTime.Now.Subtract(fileChangeDate)
fileAgeInDays = fileAge.Days
CheckAgeOfFile(localFile, fileAgeInDays)
Next
If Directory.GetDirectories(folderPath).Length > 0 Then
For Each childFolder In Directory.GetDirectories(folderPath)
GetFilesInFolder(childFolder)
Next
End If
Catch
' Ignore exceptions on special folders such as System Volume Information.
End Try
End Sub
Private Sub CheckAgeOfFile(ByVal localFile As String, ByVal fileAgeInDays As Integer)
If isCheckForNewer Then
If fileAgeInDays <= fileAgeLimit Then
listForEnumerator.Add(localFile)
End If
Else
If fileAgeInDays > fileAgeLimit Then
listForEnumerator.Add(localFile)
End If
End If
End Sub
End Class
using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Math;
using Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime;
using System.Collections;
using System.IO;
public partial class ScriptMain : Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Tasks.ScriptTask.VSTARTScriptObjectModelBase
{
private const int FILE_AGE = -50;
private const string FILE_ROOT = "C:\\";
private const string FILE_FILTER = "*.xls";
private bool isCheckForNewer = true;
int fileAgeLimit;
private ArrayList listForEnumerator;
public void Main()
{
fileAgeLimit = (int)(Dts.Variables["FileAge"].Value);
// If value provided is positive, we want files NEWER THAN n days.
// If negative, we want files OLDER THAN n days.
if (fileAgeLimit<0)
{
isCheckForNewer = false;
}
// Extract number of days as positive integer.
fileAgeLimit = Math.Abs(fileAgeLimit);
listForEnumerator = new ArrayList();
GetFilesInFolder(FILE_ROOT);
// Return the list of files to the variable
// for later use by the Foreach from Variable enumerator.
System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show("Matching files: "+ listForEnumerator.Count, "Results",
MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
Dts.Variables["FileList"].Value = listForEnumerator;
Dts.TaskResult = (int)ScriptResults.Success;
}
private void GetFilesInFolder(string folderPath)
{
string[] localFiles;
DateTime fileChangeDate;
TimeSpan fileAge;
int fileAgeInDays;
try
{
localFiles = Directory.GetFiles(folderPath, FILE_FILTER);
foreach (string localFile in localFiles)
{
fileChangeDate = File.GetLastWriteTime(localFile);
fileAge = DateTime.Now.Subtract(fileChangeDate);
fileAgeInDays = fileAge.Days;
CheckAgeOfFile(localFile, fileAgeInDays);
}
if (Directory.GetDirectories(folderPath).Length > 0)
{
foreach (string childFolder in Directory.GetDirectories(folderPath))
{
GetFilesInFolder(childFolder);
}
}
}
catch
{
// Ignore exceptions on special folders, such as System Volume Information.
}
}
private void CheckAgeOfFile(string localFile, int fileAgeInDays)
{
if (isCheckForNewer)
{
if (fileAgeInDays <= fileAgeLimit)
{
listForEnumerator.Add(localFile);
}
}
else
{
if (fileAgeInDays > fileAgeLimit)
{
listForEnumerator.Add(localFile);
}
}
}
}