Is there a way to remove obsolete folders on update from the install script?

Question

The install script can delete obsolete files by creating as a protected property an array called $deleteFiles containing relative paths, and calling the inherited method removeFiles().

However, this ignores any entries that are not files. Is there a way to remove folders, including their contents?

Answer 1

It sounds like you're talking about Joomla\CMS\Installer\InstallerScript class. If so, it does have $deleteFolders class property which you can populate with directories. Directories and their contents will be deleted when removeFiles() method is called.

Answer 2

Is the class and property @Sharky comment before. But, in my case I never get this property work, not matter what I put in those array.

So, using the preflight method of the Joomla\CMS\Installer\InstallerScript class, I copy the exact logic of the removeFiles method and it work. This always confuse me, but is what so far I need do for deal with this.

So, at the end, the method look like this:

/**
     * Function called before extension installation/update/removal procedure commences.
     *
     * @param   string            $type     The type of change (install or discover_install, update, uninstall)
     * @param   InstallerAdapter  $adapter  The adapter calling this method
     *
     * @return  boolean  True on success
     *
     * @since   4.2.0
     */
    public function preflight($type, $adapter): bool
    {
        if (!empty($this->deleteFiles)) {
            foreach ($this->deleteFiles as $file) {
                if (file_exists(JPATH_ROOT . $file) && !File::delete(JPATH_ROOT . $file)) {
                    echo Text::sprintf('JLIB_INSTALLER_ERROR_FILE_FOLDER', $file) . '<br>';
                }
            }
        }

        if (!empty($this->deleteFolders)) {
            foreach ($this->deleteFolders as $folder) {
                if (Folder::exists(JPATH_ROOT . $folder) && !Folder::delete(JPATH_ROOT . $folder)) {
                    echo Text::sprintf('JLIB_INSTALLER_ERROR_FILE_FOLDER', $folder) . '<br>';
                }
            }
        }
        
        return true;
    }