Searching for file in directories recursively

Solution 1:

You could use this overload of Directory.GetFiles which searches subdirectories for you, for example:

string[] files = Directory.GetFiles(sDir, "*.xml", SearchOption.AllDirectories);

Only one extension can be searched for like that, but you could use something like:

var extensions = new List<string> { ".txt", ".xml" };
string[] files = Directory.GetFiles(sDir, "*.*", SearchOption.AllDirectories)
                    .Where(f => extensions.IndexOf(Path.GetExtension(f)) >= 0).ToArray();

to select files with the required extensions (N.B. that is case-sensitive for the extension).

In some cases it can be desirable to enumerate over the files with the Directory.EnumerateFiles Method:

foreach(string f in Directory.EnumerateFiles(sDir, "*.xml", SearchOption.AllDirectories))
{
    // do something
}

Consult the documentation for exceptions which can be thrown, such as UnauthorizedAccessException if the code is running under an account which does not have appropriate access permissions.

If the UnauthorizedAccessException is a problem, then please see the fine answers at Directory.EnumerateFiles => UnauthorizedAccessException.

Solution 2:

This returns all xml-files recursively :

var allFiles = Directory.GetFiles(path, "*.xml", SearchOption.AllDirectories);

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143316%28v=vs.100%29.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143448.aspx#Y252

Solution 3:

Try the following method:

public static IEnumerable<string> GetXMLFiles(string directory)
{
    List<string> files = new List<string>();

    try
    {
        files.AddRange(Directory.GetFiles(directory, "*.xml", SearchOption.AllDirectories));
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
    }

    return files;
}

Solution 4:

You are creating three lists, instead of using one (you don't use the return value of DirSearch(d)). You can use a list as a parameter to save the state:

static void Main(string[] args)
{
  var list = new List<string>();
  DirSearch(list, ".");

  foreach (var file in list)
  {
    Console.WriteLine(file);
  }
}

public static void DirSearch(List<string> files, string startDirectory)
{
  try
  {
    foreach (string file in Directory.GetFiles(startDirectory, "*.*"))
    {
      string extension = Path.GetExtension(file);

      if (extension != null)
      {
        files.Add(file);
      }
    }

    foreach (string directory in Directory.GetDirectories(startDirectory))
    {
      DirSearch(files, directory);
    }
  }
  catch (System.Exception e)
  {
    Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
  }
}

Solution 5:

You will want to move the loop for the files outside of the loop for the folders. In addition you will need to pass the data structure holding the collection of files to each call of the method. That way all files go into a single list.

public static List<string> DirSearch(string sDir, List<string> files)
{
  foreach (string f in Directory.GetFiles(sDir, "*.xml"))
  {
    string extension = Path.GetExtension(f);
    if (extension != null && (extension.Equals(".xml")))
    {
      files.Add(f);
    }
  }
  foreach (string d in Directory.GetDirectories(sDir))
  {
    DirSearch(d, files);
  }
  return files;
}

Then call it like this.

List<string> files = DirSearch("c:\foo", new List<string>());

Update:

Well unbeknownst to me, until I read the other answer anyway, there is already a builtin mechanism for doing this. I will leave my answer in case you are interested in seeing how your code needs to be modified to make it work.