Attributes String from File

file attributes are like switches. If the switch for Hidden is on, the file is a hidden file. If the switch for Hidden is off, the file is not a hidden file.
This analogy can be carried further by noting that light switches are typically under your control: you can choose to turn them on, or you can choose to turn them off.
In this QTip we are going to write a generic function that would retrieve a folder attributes as a string abbreviation.

File Attributes

• A file attribute is metadata that describes or is associated with a computer file.
• For example, an operating system often keeps track of date a file was created and last modified, as well as the file’s size and extension (and what application to open it with).
• File permissions are also kept track of. The user may attach other attributes themselves.

• A bitmap is like a set of switches that can be either on or off.
• If a particular switch is off, that switch has the value 0.
• If the switch is on, at least in the case of a folder object, it has one of the values shown in the attributes the value of the bitmap is equal to the sum of all the switches.
• Directory has the value 16.
• Because the other switches are off, each has the value 0.
• The total value for the bitmap is thus 16. If you queried the Attributes value for this folder, the script would return 16.

The Function

Examples