16.2. File Variables

Overview

File variables can be used whenever a route starts with a File or FTP consumer endpoint, which implies that the underlying message body is of java.io.File type. The file variables enable you to access various parts of the file pathname, almost as if you were invoking the methods of the java.io.File class (in fact, the file language extracts the information it needs from message headers that have been set by the File or FTP endpoint).

Starting directory

Some of file variables return paths that are defined relative to a starting directory, which is just the directory that is specified in the File or FTP endpoint. For example, the following File consumer endpoint has the starting directory, ./filetransfer (a relative path): 
file:filetransfer
The following FTP consumer endpoint has the starting directory, ./ftptransfer (a relative path): 
ftp://myhost:2100/ftptransfer

Naming convention of file variables

In general, the file variables are named after corresponding methods on the java.io.File class. For example, the file:absolute variable gives the value that would be returned by the java.io.File.getAbsolute() method.
Note
This naming convention is not strictly followed, however. For example, there is no such method as java.io.File.getSize().

Table of variables

Table 16.1, “Variables for the File Language” shows all of the variable supported by the file language.

Table 16.1. Variables for the File Language

VariableTypeDescription
file:nameStringThe pathname relative to the starting directory.
file:name.extStringThe file extension (characters following the last . character in the pathname).
file:name.noextStringThe pathname relative to the starting directory, omitting the file extension.
file:onlynameStringThe final segment of the pathname. That is, the file name without the parent directory path.
file:onlyname.noextStringThe final segment of the pathname, omitting the file extension.
file:extStringThe file extension (same as file:name.ext).
file:parentStringThe pathname of the parent directory, including the starting directory in the path.
file:pathStringThe file pathname, including the starting directory in the path.
file:absoluteBooleantrue, if the starting directory was specified as an absolute path; false, otherwise.
file:absolute.pathStringThe absolute pathname of the file.
file:lengthLongThe size of the referenced file.
file:sizeLongSame as file:length.
file:modifiedjava.util.DateDate last modified.