Can I show file copy progress using FileInfo.CopyTo() in .NET?

I've created a copy utility in c# (.NET 2.0 Framework) that copies files, directories and recursive sub directories etc. The program has a GUI that shows the current file being copied, the current file number (sequence), the total number of files to be copied and the percentage completed for the copy operations. There is also a progress bar, that is based on current file / total files.

My problem is related to copying large files. I've been unable to find a way to indicate the total copy progress of a large file (using my current class structure that utilitzes FileInfo.CopyTo method). As a workaround I've separated the file copy operations and GUI display to their own threads and set up a visual cue to show that work is being done. At least the user is aware that the program isn't frozen and is still copying files.

It would be nicer to be able to show the progress based on the total number of bytes or have some type of event that fires from the FileInfo.CopyTo method that indicates the total number of bytes copied from the current file.

I'm aware of the FileInfo.Length property, so I'm sure there is a way MacGuyver my own event that is based on this and have a handler on the GUI side of things reading the updates (maybe based on checking the FileInfo.Length property of the destination object using some type of timer?).

Does anyone know of a way to do this that I'm overlooking. If I can avoid it, I'd rather not rewrite my class to copy bytes through a stream and track it that way (though I'm thinking I might be stuck with going that route).

PS - I'm stuck with the .NET 2.0 framework for now, so any solution that requires features available in >= 3.0 only are not an option for me.

PPS - I'm open to solutions in any .NET language variety, not only c#.

The FileInfo.CopyTo is basically a wrapper around the Win32 API call "CopyFile" in the kernel32.dll. This method does not support progress callback.

However, the CopyFileEx method does, and you can write your own .NET wrapper around it in a few minutes, like it is described here: http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/kernel32.CopyFileEx

I also used the implementation provided in the marked answer. However I then created a wrapper to provide a nicer™ API to use from .NET.

Usage:

XCopy.Copy(networkFile.FullPath, temporaryFilename, true, true, (o, pce) => 
{
    worker.ReportProgress(pce.ProgressPercentage, networkFile);
});

Implementation

/// <summary>
/// PInvoke wrapper for CopyEx
/// http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa363852.aspx
/// </summary>
public class XCopy
{
    public static void Copy(string source, string destination, bool overwrite, bool nobuffering)
    {
         new XCopy().CopyInternal(source, destination, overwrite, nobuffering, null);            
    }

    public static void Copy(string source, string destination, bool overwrite, bool nobuffering, EventHandler<ProgressChangedEventArgs> handler)
    {            
         new XCopy().CopyInternal(source, destination, overwrite, nobuffering, handler);            
    }

    private event EventHandler Completed;
    private event EventHandler<ProgressChangedEventArgs> ProgressChanged;

    private int IsCancelled;
    private int FilePercentCompleted;
    private string Source;
    private string Destination;        

    private XCopy()
    {
        IsCancelled = 0;
    }

    private void CopyInternal(string source, string destination, bool overwrite, bool nobuffering, EventHandler<ProgressChangedEventArgs> handler)
    {
        try
        {
            CopyFileFlags copyFileFlags = CopyFileFlags.COPY_FILE_RESTARTABLE;
            if (!overwrite)
                copyFileFlags |= CopyFileFlags.COPY_FILE_FAIL_IF_EXISTS;

            if (nobuffering)
                copyFileFlags |= CopyFileFlags.COPY_FILE_NO_BUFFERING;

            Source = source;
            Destination = destination;

            if (handler != null)
                ProgressChanged += handler;

            bool result = CopyFileEx(Source, Destination, new CopyProgressRoutine(CopyProgressHandler), IntPtr.Zero, ref IsCancelled, copyFileFlags);
            if (!result)
                throw new Win32Exception(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error());
        }
        catch (Exception)
        {
            if (handler != null)
                ProgressChanged -= handler;

            throw;
        }
    }

    private void OnProgressChanged(double percent)
    {
        // only raise an event when progress has changed
        if ((int)percent > FilePercentCompleted)
        {
            FilePercentCompleted = (int)percent;

            var handler = ProgressChanged;
            if (handler != null)
                handler(this, new ProgressChangedEventArgs((int)FilePercentCompleted, null));
        }
    }

    private void OnCompleted()
    {
        var handler = Completed;
        if (handler != null)
            handler(this, EventArgs.Empty);
    }

    #region PInvoke

    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
    [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
    private static extern bool CopyFileEx(string lpExistingFileName, string lpNewFileName, CopyProgressRoutine lpProgressRoutine, IntPtr lpData, ref Int32 pbCancel, CopyFileFlags dwCopyFlags);

    private delegate CopyProgressResult CopyProgressRoutine(long TotalFileSize, long TotalBytesTransferred, long StreamSize, long StreamBytesTransferred, uint dwStreamNumber, CopyProgressCallbackReason dwCallbackReason,
                                                    IntPtr hSourceFile, IntPtr hDestinationFile, IntPtr lpData);

    private enum CopyProgressResult : uint
    {
        PROGRESS_CONTINUE = 0,
        PROGRESS_CANCEL = 1,
        PROGRESS_STOP = 2,
        PROGRESS_QUIET = 3
    }

    private enum CopyProgressCallbackReason : uint
    {
        CALLBACK_CHUNK_FINISHED = 0x00000000,
        CALLBACK_STREAM_SWITCH = 0x00000001
    }

    [Flags]
    private enum CopyFileFlags : uint
    {
        COPY_FILE_FAIL_IF_EXISTS = 0x00000001,
        COPY_FILE_NO_BUFFERING = 0x00001000,
        COPY_FILE_RESTARTABLE = 0x00000002,
        COPY_FILE_OPEN_SOURCE_FOR_WRITE = 0x00000004,
        COPY_FILE_ALLOW_DECRYPTED_DESTINATION = 0x00000008
    }

    private CopyProgressResult CopyProgressHandler(long total, long transferred, long streamSize, long streamByteTrans, uint dwStreamNumber,
                                                   CopyProgressCallbackReason reason, IntPtr hSourceFile, IntPtr hDestinationFile, IntPtr lpData)
    {
        if (reason == CopyProgressCallbackReason.CALLBACK_CHUNK_FINISHED)
            OnProgressChanged((transferred / (double)total) * 100.0);

        if (transferred >= total)
            OnCompleted();

        return CopyProgressResult.PROGRESS_CONTINUE;
    }

    #endregion

}

I know I'm a bit late to the party, but I made a wrapper for CopyFileEx that returns a Task and accepts a CancellationToken and IProgress<double>. Unfortunately it won't work in the .NET 2.0 framework, but for anyone using 4.5, this allows you to use the await keyword.

public static class FileEx
{
    public static Task CopyAsync(string sourceFileName, string destFileName)
    {
        return CopyAsync(sourceFileName, destFileName, CancellationToken.None);
    }

    public static Task CopyAsync(string sourceFileName, string destFileName, CancellationToken token)
    {
        return CopyAsync(sourceFileName, destFileName, token, null);
    }

    public static Task CopyAsync(string sourceFileName, string destFileName, IProgress<double> progress)
    {
        return CopyAsync(sourceFileName, destFileName, CancellationToken.None, progress);
    }

    public static Task CopyAsync(string sourceFileName, string destFileName, CancellationToken token, IProgress<double> progress)
    {
        int pbCancel = 0;
        CopyProgressRoutine copyProgressHandler;
        if (progress != null)
        {
            copyProgressHandler = (total, transferred, streamSize, streamByteTrans, dwStreamNumber, reason, hSourceFile, hDestinationFile, lpData) =>
            {
                progress.Report((double)transferred / total * 100);
                return CopyProgressResult.PROGRESS_CONTINUE;
            };
        }
        else
        {
            copyProgressHandler = EmptyCopyProgressHandler;
        }
        token.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
        var ctr = token.Register(() => pbCancel = 1);
        var copyTask = Task.Run(() =>
        {
            try
            {
                CopyFileEx(sourceFileName, destFileName, copyProgressHandler, IntPtr.Zero, ref pbCancel, CopyFileFlags.COPY_FILE_RESTARTABLE);
                token.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
            }
            finally
            {
                ctr.Dispose();
            }
        }, token);
        return copyTask;
    }

    private static CopyProgressResult EmptyCopyProgressHandler(long total, long transferred, long streamSize, long streamByteTrans, uint dwStreamNumber, CopyProgressCallbackReason reason, IntPtr hSourceFile, IntPtr hDestinationFile, IntPtr lpData)
    {
        return CopyProgressResult.PROGRESS_CONTINUE;
    }

    #region DLL Import

    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
    [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
    private static extern bool CopyFileEx(string lpExistingFileName, string lpNewFileName,
       CopyProgressRoutine lpProgressRoutine, IntPtr lpData, ref Int32 pbCancel,
       CopyFileFlags dwCopyFlags);

    delegate CopyProgressResult CopyProgressRoutine(
        long totalFileSize,
        long totalBytesTransferred,
        long streamSize,
        long streamBytesTransferred,
        uint dwStreamNumber,
        CopyProgressCallbackReason dwCallbackReason,
        IntPtr hSourceFile,
        IntPtr hDestinationFile,
        IntPtr lpData);

    enum CopyProgressResult : uint
    {
        PROGRESS_CONTINUE = 0,
        PROGRESS_CANCEL = 1,
        PROGRESS_STOP = 2,
        PROGRESS_QUIET = 3
    }

    enum CopyProgressCallbackReason : uint
    {
        CALLBACK_CHUNK_FINISHED = 0x00000000,
        CALLBACK_STREAM_SWITCH = 0x00000001
    }

    [Flags]
    enum CopyFileFlags : uint
    {
        COPY_FILE_FAIL_IF_EXISTS = 0x00000001,
        COPY_FILE_RESTARTABLE = 0x00000002,
        COPY_FILE_OPEN_SOURCE_FOR_WRITE = 0x00000004,
        COPY_FILE_ALLOW_DECRYPTED_DESTINATION = 0x00000008
    }

    #endregion
}

For the love of God do not implement your own file copy using streams! The Win32 CopyFile API call that Gaspar mentioned is able to take advantage of e.g. DMA, whereas I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that the code Will wrote would not be "smart" enough to do that.

CopyFileEx will treat you right, or you could implement a BackgroundWorker that watches the growing size of the target file and updates a progress bar using that information. The latter method saves you a PInvoke, but the former is probably a bit cleaner in the long run.