Vista - Checking dir creation time

I'm writing a script to archive dat files more than a month old but the date
comparison isn't working. Here's the script:
# Archive_Vis_Data.ps1
# Archive Visualizer data in the "Daily Data Analysis" directory

# Step 1: set the starting location
SL "C:\WindowsPowerShell\Test\Daily Data Analysis"

# Step 2: calculate the date 30 days ago
$monthago = ( get-date ).AddDays(-30).ToString('MMddyyyy')

# Step 3: Read the "MonitoredSystems.txt" file to get a list of data
directories.
# Recursively CD to each dir. Then test for directories more than 30 days
old.
# Then test for the "combine_out" dir. If it exists, CD to it and move the
vis
# file to an archive dir with the same date.

#Read a new dir for each group of monitored systems
$systems = Get-Content C:\WindowsPowerShell\PS_Scripts\MonitoredSystems.txt
Foreach ($System in $Systems)
{$SrvDir = "C:\WindowsPowerShell\Test\Daily Data Analysis\" + $System
CD $SrvDir
$DataDir = Get-ChildItem | Where {$_.CreationTime.ToString('MMddyyyy') -gt
$monthago}
{If(Get-ChildItem | Where ($_.Name -eq "combine_out"))
{

# Create the archive dir.
$ArcDir = 'C:\WindowsPowerShell\Test\Archive\' + $system
CD $ArcDir
MkDir $monthago

# Switch to the data dir and move the vis file.
SL $DataDir
CD combine_out
Move-Item *.vis -Destination '$ArcDir\$monthago\'
}
}
}

# Return to the default dir
SL 'C:\WindowsPowerShell\Test\Daily Data Analysis'

It's the line $DataDir = where the date comparison is.

Suggestions?
--
Terry Edwards

On Sep 16, 9:31*am, tERRY <tE...@xxxxxx> wrote:I think you just need to change -gt to -lt (or switch the arguments to
that operator).

On Sep 16, 9:31*am, tERRY <tE...@xxxxxx> wrote:I'm pretty sure you just need -lt rather than -gt in the
aforementioned comparison line.

I think the comparison is not working because you compare strings, not
dates. Try:
$monthago = ( get-date ).AddDays(-30)
....
$DataDir = Get-ChildItem | Where {$_.CreationTime -gt $monthago}

(i cut the ToString method)

On 16 Záø, 16:31, tERRY <tE...@xxxxxx> wrote:

When comparing datetime objects remember this:
<Past> -lt <Present> -and <Future> -gt <Present>

# but this command does not compare [datetime] objects,
# it compares [string] objects, you could get erroneus results
# comparing dates as strings
07032008 -lt 08172008 # OK
07032008 -lt 08172007 # oops!
# comparing datetime objects
[datetime]'07/03/2008' -lt [datetime]'08/17/2008'
[datetime]'07/03/2007' -lt [datetime]'08/17/2007
# it's better practice to compare dates as [datetime] objects:
$DataDir = Get-ChildItem | Where {$_.CreationTime -lt $monthago}

# also define $monthago like this:
$monthago = ( get-date ).AddDays(-30)

# and define the formatted version
$strMonthAgo = $monthago.toString('MMddyyyy')

# and modify these lines:
# single quotes do not expand the variables, no quotes needed
# to:
MkDir $strMonthAgo
Move-Item *.vis -Destination $ArcDir\$strMonthAgo\

--
Kiron

$ typo:
[datetime]'07/03/2007' -lt [datetime]'08/17/2007
# should be:
[datetime]'07/03/2008' -lt [datetime]'08/17/2007'

--
Kiron