How to remove directories using c++ in windows

Question

I'm trying to remove directories using this code, but this wouldn't work. And, I couldn't found the issue. Maybe lack of privileges on the deletion operation on Windows?

Here is the code that I'm using:

#define _CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
#include <string>
#include <iostream>

#include <windows.h>
#include <conio.h>


int DeleteDirectory(const std::string &refcstrRootDirectory,
    bool              bDeleteSubdirectories = true)
{
    bool            bSubdirectory = false;       // Flag, indicating whether
    // subdirectories have been found
    HANDLE          hFile;                       // Handle to directory
    std::string     strFilePath;                 // Filepath
    std::string     strPattern;                  // Pattern
    WIN32_FIND_DATA FileInformation;             // File information


    strPattern = refcstrRootDirectory + "\\*.*";
    hFile = ::FindFirstFile((LPCWSTR)strPattern.c_str(), &FileInformation);
    if (hFile != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
    {
        do
        {
            if (FileInformation.cFileName[0] != '.')
            {
                strFilePath.erase();
                strFilePath = refcstrRootDirectory + "\\" + (char*)FileInformation.cFileName;

                if (FileInformation.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY)
                {
                    if (bDeleteSubdirectories)
                    {
                        // Delete subdirectory
                        int iRC = DeleteDirectory(strFilePath, bDeleteSubdirectories);
                        if (iRC)
                            return iRC;
                    }
                    else
                        bSubdirectory = true;
                }
                else
                {
                    // Set file attributes
                    if (::SetFileAttributes((LPCWSTR)strFilePath.c_str(),
                        FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL) == FALSE)
                        return ::GetLastError();

                    // Delete file
                    if (::DeleteFile((LPCTSTR)strFilePath.c_str()) == FALSE)
                        return ::GetLastError();
                }
            }
        } while (::FindNextFile(hFile, &FileInformation) == TRUE);

        // Close handle
        ::FindClose(hFile);

        DWORD dwError = ::GetLastError();
        if (dwError != ERROR_NO_MORE_FILES)
            return dwError;
        else
        {
            if (!bSubdirectory)
            {
                // Set directory attributes
                if (::SetFileAttributes((LPCWSTR)refcstrRootDirectory.c_str(),
                    FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL) == FALSE)
                    return ::GetLastError();

                // Delete directory
                if (::RemoveDirectory((LPCWSTR)refcstrRootDirectory.c_str()) == FALSE)
                    return ::GetLastError();
            }
        }
    }

    return 0;
}


int main()
{
    int         iRC = 0;
    std::string strDirectoryToDelete = "C:\\Users\\AbysCo\\Desktop\\del";


    // Delete 'c:\mydir' without deleting the subdirectories
    iRC = DeleteDirectory(strDirectoryToDelete, false);
    if (iRC)
    {
        std::cout << "Error " << iRC << std::endl;
        return -1;
    }

    // Delete 'c:\mydir' and its subdirectories
    iRC = DeleteDirectory(strDirectoryToDelete);
    if (iRC)
    {
        std::cout << "Error " << iRC << std::endl;
        return -1;
    }

    // Wait for keystroke
    _getch();

    return 0;
}

OS: Windows 7 SP1.

Any brilliant idea, please?

Answer 1

The Windows API already comes with a function to delete entire directories. That is SHFileOperation . And on Vista or later you use IFileOperation for the same purpose.

Not only does this make the process trivial, not much more than a one liner, but it has other benefits:

1. You can put the deleted directory into the recycle bin if you choose.
2. You can show the standard system progress dialog if you choose.