I wrote a code for this purpose for one of my projects. This uses FindFirstChangeNotification and FindNextChangeNotification API functions.
Here is the code (I removed some project specific portions):
/// <author> Ali Keshavarz </author>
/// <date> 2010/07/23 </date>
unit uFolderWatcherThread;
interface
uses
SysUtils, Windows, Classes, Generics.Collections;
type
TOnThreadFolderChange = procedure(Sender: TObject; PrevModificationTime, CurrModificationTime: TDateTime) of object;
TOnThreadError = procedure(Sender: TObject; const Msg: string; IsFatal: Boolean) of object;
TFolderWatcherThread = class(TThread)
private
class var TerminationEvent : THandle;
private
FPath : string;
FPrevModificationTime : TDateTime;
FLatestModification : TDateTime;
FOnFolderChange : TOnThreadFolderChange;
FOnError : TOnThreadError;
procedure DoOnFolderChange;
procedure DoOnError(const ErrorMsg: string; IsFatal: Boolean);
procedure HandleException(E: Exception);
protected
procedure Execute; override;
public
constructor Create(const FolderPath: string;
OnFolderChangeHandler: TOnThreadFolderChange;
OnErrorHandler: TOnThreadError);
destructor Destroy; override;
class procedure PulseTerminationEvent;
property Path: string read FPath;
property OnFolderChange: TOnThreadFolderChange read FOnFolderChange write FOnFolderChange;
property OnError: TOnThreadError read FOnError write FOnError;
end;
/// <summary>
/// Provides a list container for TFolderWatcherThread instances.
/// TFolderWatcherThreadList can own the objects, and terminate removed items
/// automatically. It also uses TFolderWatcherThread.TerminationEvent to unblock
/// waiting items if the thread is terminated but blocked by waiting on the
/// folder changes.
/// </summary>
TFolderWatcherThreadList = class(TObjectList<TFolderWatcherThread>)
protected
procedure Notify(const Value: TFolderWatcherThread; Action: TCollectionNotification); override;
end;
implementation
{ TFolderWatcherThread }
constructor TFolderWatcherThread.Create(const FolderPath: string;
OnFolderChangeHandler: TOnThreadFolderChange; OnErrorHandler: TOnThreadError);
begin
inherited Create(True);
FPath := FolderPath;
FOnFolderChange := OnFolderChangeHandler;
Start;
end;
destructor TFolderWatcherThread.Destroy;
begin
inherited;
end;
procedure TFolderWatcherThread.DoOnFolderChange;
begin
Queue(procedure
begin
if Assigned(FOnFolderChange) then
FOnFolderChange(Self, FPrevModificationTime, FLatestModification);
end);
end;
procedure TFolderWatcherThread.DoOnError(const ErrorMsg: string; IsFatal: Boolean);
begin
Synchronize(procedure
begin
if Assigned(Self.FOnError) then
FOnError(Self,ErrorMsg,IsFatal);
end);
end;
procedure TFolderWatcherThread.Execute;
var
NotifierFielter : Cardinal;
WaitResult : Cardinal;
WaitHandles : array[0..1] of THandle;
begin
try
NotifierFielter := FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_DIR_NAME +
FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_WRITE +
FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_FILE_NAME +
FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_ATTRIBUTES +
FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SIZE;
WaitHandles[0] := FindFirstChangeNotification(PChar(FPath),True,NotifierFielter);
if WaitHandles[0] = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE then
RaiseLastOSError;
try
WaitHandles[1] := TerminationEvent;
while not Terminated do
begin
//If owner list has created an event, then wait for both handles;
//otherwise, just wait for change notification handle.
if WaitHandles[1] > 0 then
//Wait for change notification in the folder, and event signaled by
//TWatcherThreads (owner list).
WaitResult := WaitForMultipleObjects(2,@WaitHandles,False,INFINITE)
else
//Wait just for change notification in the folder
WaitResult := WaitForSingleObject(WaitHandles[0],INFINITE);
case WaitResult of
//If a change in the monitored folder occured
WAIT_OBJECT_0 :
begin
// notifiy caller.
FLatestModification := Now;
DoOnFolderChange;
FPrevModificationTime := FLatestModification;
end;
//If event handle is signaled, let the loop to iterate, and check
//Terminated status.
WAIT_OBJECT_0 + 1: Continue;
end;
//Continue folder change notification job
if not FindNextChangeNotification(WaitHandles[0]) then
RaiseLastOSError;
end;
finally
FindCloseChangeNotification(WaitHandles[0]);
end;
except
on E: Exception do
HandleException(E);
end;
end;
procedure TFolderWatcherThread.HandleException(E: Exception);
begin
if E is EExternal then
begin
DoOnError(E.Message,True);
Terminate;
end
else
DoOnError(E.Message,False);
end;
class procedure TFolderWatcherThread.PulseTerminationEvent;
begin
/// All instances of TFolderChangeTracker which are waiting will be unblocked,
/// and blocked again immediately to check their Terminated property.
/// If an instance is terminated, then it will end its execution, and the rest
/// continue their work.
PulseEvent(TerminationEvent);
end;
{ TFolderWatcherThreadList }
procedure TFolderWatcherThreadList.Notify(const Value: TFolderWatcherThread;
Action: TCollectionNotification);
begin
if OwnsObjects and (Action = cnRemoved) then
begin
/// If the thread is running, terminate it, before freeing it.
Value.Terminate;
/// Pulse global termination event to all TFolderWatcherThread instances.
TFolderWatcherThread.PulseTerminationEvent;
Value.WaitFor;
end;
inherited;
end;
end.
This provides two classes; a thread class which monitors a folder for changes, and if a change is detected, it will return the current change time and the previous change time through OnFolderChange event. And a list class for storing a list of monitoring threads. This list terminates each own thread automatically when the thread is removed from list.
I hope it helps you.