{"id":1255,"date":"2023-03-29T13:57:54","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T06:57:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/csharptutorial.net\/?page_id=1255"},"modified":"2023-03-29T14:09:42","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T07:09:42","slug":"csharp-list-directory","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.csharptutorial.net\/csharp-file\/csharp-list-directory\/","title":{"rendered":"C# List Directory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to list a directory in C# using the Directory.EnumerateDirectories()<\/code><\/code> method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the C# Directory.EnumerateDirectories() method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Directory.EnumerateDirectories()<\/code><\/code> method returns an enumerable collection (IEnumerable<string><\/code>) of directory names that match a specified search pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s the syntax of the Directory.EnumerateDirectories()<\/code><\/code> method:<\/p>\n\n\n

public<\/span> static<\/span> IEnumerable<string<\/span>> EnumerateDirectories<\/span>(\n    string<\/span> path, \n    string<\/span> searchPattern, \n    SearchOption searchOption\n<\/span>)<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this syntax:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • The path<\/code> specifies the path of the directory to search for subdirectories.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The searchPattern<\/code> specifies a search pattern. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The searchOption<\/code> instructs the method to search only the current directory (SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly<\/code>) or include all subdirectories (SearchOptioin.AllDirectories<\/code>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    The search pattern can contain wildcards like *<\/code> and ?<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Asterisk (*<\/code>) – matches zero or more characters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Question mark (?<\/code>) – matches exactly one character.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • backup*<\/code> matches a string that starts with backup and is followed by zero or more characters e..g, backup2023<\/code>, backupABC<\/code>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • backup?<\/code> matches a string that starts with backup and is followed by a character e.g., backup1<\/code>, backup2<\/code>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        Besides invalid characters, the search pattern cannot end with two periods (..<\/code>) or contain two periods (..<\/code>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
        Note that the searchPattern<\/code> doesn’t support regular expressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
        C# listing directory example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        The following program demonstrates how to find the directories whose names start with \"0\"<\/code> in the C:\\backup<\/code> directory:<\/p>\n\n\n
        using<\/span> static<\/span> System.Console;\n\nstring<\/span> path = @\"C:\\backup\\2023\"<\/span>;\n\nvar<\/span> dirnames = Directory.EnumerateDirectories(\n    path,\n    \"0*\"<\/span>,\n    SearchOption.AllDirectories\n);\n\nforeach<\/span> (var<\/span> dirname in<\/span> dirnames)\n{\n    WriteLine(dirname);\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
        Suppose the C:\\backup<\/code> directory is like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
        c:\\backup\n\u2514\u2500\u2500 2023\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 01\n   |  \u2514\u2500\u2500 readme.txt\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 02\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 03\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 04\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 05\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 06\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 07\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 08\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 09\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 10\n   \u251c\u2500\u2500 11\n   \u2514\u2500\u2500 12\n\ndirectory: 13 file: 1<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> plaintext<\/span> (<\/span>plaintext<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
        The program will show the following output:<\/p>\n\n\n
        C:\\backup\\2023\\01\nC:\\backup\\2023\\02\nC:\\backup\\2023\\03\nC:\\backup\\2023\\04\nC:\\backup\\2023\\05\nC:\\backup\\2023\\06\nC:\\backup\\2023\\07\nC:\\backup\\2023\\08\nC:\\backup\\2023\\09<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> plaintext<\/span> (<\/span>plaintext<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
        Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Use C# Directory.EnumerateDirectories()<\/code><\/code> method to return an IEnumerable<string><\/code> of paths to directories that match specified criteria.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n\t
          \n\t\t
          Was this tutorial helpful ?<\/div>\n\t\t
          \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\n\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t Yes <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\n\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t No <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\t
          \n\t\t
          \n\t\t\t
          <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t