win32api.FindFirstChangeNotification

int = FindFirstChangeNotification(pathName, bSubDirs , filter )

Creates a change notification handle and sets up initial change notification filter conditions.

Parameters

pathName : string

Specifies the path of the directory to watch.

bSubDirs : int

Specifies whether the function will monitor the directory or the directory tree. If this parameter is TRUE, the function monitors the directory tree rooted at the specified directory; if it is FALSE, it monitors only the specified directory

filter : int

Specifies the filter conditions that satisfy a change notification wait. This parameter can be one or more of the following values:

Value Meaning

FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_FILE_NAME Any file name change in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return. Changes include renaming, creating, or deleting a file name.

FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_DIR_NAME Any directory-name change in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return. Changes include creating or deleting a directory.

FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_ATTRIBUTES Any attribute change in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return.

FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SIZE Any file-size change in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return. The operating system detects a change in file size only when the file is written to the disk. For operating systems that use extensive caching, detection occurs only when the cache is sufficiently flushed.

FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_WRITE Any change to the last write-time of files in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return. The operating system detects a change to the last write-time only when the file is written to the disk. For operating systems that use extensive caching, detection occurs only when the cache is sufficiently flushed.

FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SECURITY Any security-descriptor change in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return

Return Value

Although the result is a handle, the handle can not be closed via CloseHandle() - therefore a PyHandle object is not used.

Value	Meaning

FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_FILE_NAME	Any file name change in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return. Changes include renaming, creating, or deleting a file name.
FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_DIR_NAME	Any directory-name change in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return. Changes include creating or deleting a directory.
FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_ATTRIBUTES	Any attribute change in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return.
FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SIZE	Any file-size change in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return. The operating system detects a change in file size only when the file is written to the disk. For operating systems that use extensive caching, detection occurs only when the cache is sufficiently flushed.
FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_WRITE	Any change to the last write-time of files in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return. The operating system detects a change to the last write-time only when the file is written to the disk. For operating systems that use extensive caching, detection occurs only when the cache is sufficiently flushed.
FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SECURITY	Any security-descriptor change in the watched directory or subtree causes a change notification wait operation to return