{"id":1208,"date":"2023-03-29T07:36:19","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T00:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/csharptutorial.net\/?page_id=1208"},"modified":"2023-03-29T07:36:41","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T00:36:41","slug":"csharp-copy-file","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.csharptutorial.net\/csharp-file\/csharp-copy-file\/","title":{"rendered":"C# Copy File"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to copy an existing file to a new file using the C# File.Copy<\/code>()<\/code> method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the C# File.Copy() method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The C# File.Copy<\/code>()<\/code> method allows you to copy an existing file to a new file<\/p>\n\n\n

public<\/span> static<\/span> void<\/span> Copy<\/span> (\n   string<\/span> sourceFileName, \n   string<\/span> destFileName\n<\/span>)<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this syntax, the sourceFileName<\/code> is the file to copy and the destFileName<\/code> is the name of the destination file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the sourceFileName<\/code> doesn’t exist, the Copy()<\/code> method raises a FileNotFoundExcpetion<\/code>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If an I\/O error occurs during the copying of the file e.g., the desFilename<\/code> already exists,  the File.Copy()<\/code> method raises an IOException<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
File.Copy() method example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The following example demonstrates how to copy readme.txt<\/code> file from C:\\temp<\/code> directory to the C:\\backup<\/code> directory:<\/p>\n\n\n
using<\/span> static<\/span> System.Console;\n\nstring<\/span> sourceDir = @\"C:\\temp\"<\/span>;\nstring<\/span> backupDir = @\"C:\\backup\"<\/span>;\n\nstring<\/span> filename = @\"readme.txt\"<\/span>;\n\n\nFile.Copy(\n    Path.Combine(sourceDir, filename),\n    Path.Combine(backupDir, filename)\n);<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
How it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, define two variables that hold paths to the temp and backup directories:<\/p>\n\n\n
string<\/span> sourceDir = @\"C:\\temp\"<\/span>;\nstring<\/span> backupDir = @\"C:\\backup\"<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Second, declare a filename variable and initialize it with the “readme.txt<\/code>“:<\/p>\n\n\n
string<\/span> filename = @\"readme.txt\"<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Third, use the Path.Combine()<\/a><\/code> method to create a path to the source and destination file and File.Copy<\/code>()<\/code> method to copy the readme.txt<\/code> file for the C:\\temp<\/code> directory to the C:\\backup<\/code> directory:<\/p>\n\n\n
File.Copy(\n    Path.Combine(sourceDir, filename),\n    Path.Combine(backupDir, filename)\n);<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
using<\/span> static<\/span> System.Console;\n\nstring<\/span> sourceDir = @\"C:\\temp\"<\/span>;\nstring<\/span> backupDir = @\"C:\\backup\"<\/span>;\n\nstring<\/span> filename = @\"readme.txt\"<\/span>;\n\ntry<\/span>\n{\n    File.Copy(\n        Path.Combine(sourceDir, filename),\n        Path.Combine(backupDir, filename)\n    );\n}\ncatch<\/span> (IOException ex)\n{\n    WriteLine(ex.Message);\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
For example, if the C:\\backup\\readme.txt<\/code> already exists, you’ll get the following error message in the console:<\/p>\n\n\n
Could not find file 'C:\\temp\\readme.txt'<\/span>.<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Similarly, if the C:\\temp\\readme.txt<\/code> file does not exist, the program shows the following error message:<\/p>\n\n\n
The file 'C:\\backup\\readme.txt'<\/span> already exists.<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Using File.Copy() to overwrite the destination file<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you want to overwrite the destination file if it exists, you can use an overload of the File.Copy<\/code>()<\/code> method:<\/p>\n\n\n
public<\/span> static<\/span> void<\/span> Copy<\/span> (\n   string<\/span> sourceFileName, \n   string<\/span> destFileName, \n   bool<\/span> overwrite\n<\/span>)<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
When you set the overwrite argument to rue, the Copy()<\/code> method will overwrite the destFileName<\/code> file if it exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
using<\/span> static<\/span> System.Console;\n\nstring<\/span> sourceDir = @\"C:\\temp\"<\/span>;\nstring<\/span> backupDir = @\"C:\\backup\"<\/span>;\n\nstring<\/span> filename = @\"readme.txt\"<\/span>;\n\ntry<\/span>\n{\n    File.Copy(\n        Path.Combine(sourceDir, filename),\n        Path.Combine(backupDir, filename),\n        true<\/span>\n    );\n}\ncatch<\/span> (IOException ex)\n{\n    WriteLine(ex.Message);\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this example, we use File.Copy<\/code>()<\/code> method to copy the readme.txt<\/code><\/code> from C:\\temp<\/code> directory to the C:\\backup<\/code> directory and overwrite if the C:\\backup<\/code> already has the readme.txt<\/code><\/code> file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • Use File.Copy<\/code>()<\/code> method to copy an existing file to a new one and optionally overwrite the new file if it exists.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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When copying the file, an I\/O error may occur. To handle it more gracefully, you can place the File.Copy<\/code>()<\/code> inside a try...catch<\/a><\/code> statement like this:<\/p>\n\n\n