How Do I get Files From C# Directory

Question

I need to get all files with prefix 009 from a server path. But my code retrieving all files with 0000 prefix not specifically that starts with 009.

For example, I have files "000028447_ ghf.doc","0000316647 abcf.doc","009028447_ test2.doc","abcd.doc".

string [] files =Directory.GetFiles(filePath,"009*.doc)

is giving me all files except "abcd.doc". But I need "009028447_ test2.doc" instead. If im giving Directory.GetFiles(filePath,"ab*.doc) it will retrieve "abcd.doc", and working as fine.But When im trying to give a pattern like "009"or "00002" it wont work as expected.

Answer 1

Your code snippet is missing a closing quote-character in the pattern. The code should be:

string[] files = Directory.GetFiles(filePath, "009*.doc");

Other than that, it seems to be working as intended. I've tested this by creating a folder with the files you mention in the question:

Next I created a console application, which uses your code to find the files, and prints all the results to the console. The output is the expected result:

C:\\testfolder\\009028447_ test2.doc

Here is the entire code for the console application:

using System;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        string filePath = @"C:\testfolder";
        string[] files = Directory.GetFiles(filePath, "009*.doc");

        // Creates a string with all the elements of the array, separated by ", "
        string matchingFiles = string.Join(", ", files);

        Console.WriteLine(matchingFiles);
        // Since there is only one matching file, the above line only prints:
        // C:\testfolder\009028447_ test2.doc
    }
}

In conclusion, the code works. If you are getting other results, there must be other differences in your setup or code that you haven't mentioned.

Answer 2

If (and I did not check,) it is true that you are only receiving the wrong Files you should maybe use a foreach or linq to check if the Files match your criteria:

Foreach:

List<string> arrPaths = new List<string>();
Foreach(string strPath in Directory.GetFiles(filePath,".doc"))
{
if(strPath.EndsWith(".doc") & strPath.StartsWith("009"))
arrPaths.Add(strPath);
}

Linq:

List<string> arrPaths = Directory.GetFiles(filePath,".doc").Where(pths => pths.StartsWith("009") && pths.EndsWith(".doc")).ToList();

Both ways are more a workaround than a real solution, but I hope they're helping:)

EDIT

If you want to only get the Filenames i would subtract the filePath from your strPath like this:

Foreach:

arrPaths.Add(strPath.Replace(filePath + "\\", ""));

Linq:

List<string> arrPaths = Directory.GetFiles(filePath,".doc").Where(pt => pt.StartsWith("009") && pths.EndsWith(".doc")).Select(pths => pths.ToString().Replace(filePath + "\\", "").ToList();