Copy directory listing to text file

[F. Michael Miller]

I'd like to copy the listing of a directory (& sub directories) to a text
file in vb.net.

I'm looking for teh equivilant of the DOS command dir [SourceDirectory] /s >
TargetFile.txt.
Thanks!

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "F. Michael Miller" <fm***@netzero. net> scripsit:

I'd like to copy the listing of a directory (& sub directories) to a text
file in vb.net.

I'm looking for teh equivilant of the DOS command dir [SourceDirectory] /s >
TargetFile.txt.

Enumerating files in a folder and its subfolders:

<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet/dotnet/samples/filesystem/downloads/RecursiveFileSc an.zip>

For writing the file, you can use 'System.IO.Stre amWriter'.

--
Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Tom Shelton]

In article <40************ ***********@new sreader.visi.co m>, F. Michael Miller wrote:

I'd like to copy the listing of a directory (& sub directories) to a text
file in vb.net.

I'm looking for teh equivilant of the DOS command dir [SourceDirectory] /s >
TargetFile.txt.
Thanks!

How 'bout this:

Option Explicit On
Option Strict On

Imports System.Diagnost ics
Imports System.IO

Public Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows. Forms.Form

#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "

Public Sub New()
MyBase.New()

'This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
InitializeCompo nent()

'Add any initialization after the InitializeCompo nent() call

End Sub

'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As
Boolean)
If disposing Then
If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
components.Disp ose()
End If
End If
MyBase.Dispose( disposing)
End Sub

'Required by the Windows Form Designer
Private components As System.Componen tModel.IContain er

'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form
Designer
'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.
'Do not modify it using the code editor.
Friend WithEvents sourceDirectory As System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Friend WithEvents outputFile As System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Friend WithEvents Label1 As System.Windows. Forms.Label
Friend WithEvents Label2 As System.Windows. Forms.Label
Friend WithEvents go As System.Windows. Forms.Button
<System.Diagnos tics.DebuggerSt epThrough()> Private Sub
InitializeCompo nent()
Me.sourceDirect ory = New System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Me.outputFile = New System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Me.Label1 = New System.Windows. Forms.Label
Me.Label2 = New System.Windows. Forms.Label
Me.go = New System.Windows. Forms.Button
Me.SuspendLayou t()
'
'sourceDirector y
'
Me.sourceDirect ory.Location = New System.Drawing. Point(108, 4)
Me.sourceDirect ory.Name = "sourceDirector y"
Me.sourceDirect ory.Size = New System.Drawing. Size(180, 20)
Me.sourceDirect ory.TabIndex = 0
Me.sourceDirect ory.Text = ""
'
'outputFile
'
Me.outputFile.L ocation = New System.Drawing. Point(108, 32)
Me.outputFile.N ame = "outputFile "
Me.outputFile.S ize = New System.Drawing. Size(180, 20)
Me.outputFile.T abIndex = 1
Me.outputFile.T ext = ""
'
'Label1
'
Me.Label1.Locat ion = New System.Drawing. Point(4, 4)
Me.Label1.Name = "Label1"
Me.Label1.TabIn dex = 2
Me.Label1.Text = "Source Directory"
Me.Label1.TextA lign = System.Drawing. ContentAlignmen t.MiddleLeft
'
'Label2
'
Me.Label2.Locat ion = New System.Drawing. Point(4, 32)
Me.Label2.Name = "Label2"
Me.Label2.TabIn dex = 3
Me.Label2.Text = "Output File Name"
Me.Label2.TextA lign = System.Drawing. ContentAlignmen t.MiddleLeft
'
'go
'
Me.go.Location = New System.Drawing. Point(109, 64)
Me.go.Name = "go"
Me.go.TabIndex = 4
Me.go.Text = "&Go"
'
'Form1
'
Me.AutoScaleBas eSize = New System.Drawing. Size(5, 13)
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing. Size(292, 93)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.go)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.Label2)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.Label1)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.outputFile)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.sourceDirec tory)
Me.Name = "Form1"
Me.Text = "Form1"
Me.ResumeLayout (False)

End Sub

#End Region

Private Sub go_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles go.Click
Dim command As New Process

go.Enabled = False

With command.StartIn fo
.FileName =
System.Environm ent.GetEnvironm entVariable("CO MSPEC")
.Arguments = "/c dir /s " & Me.sourceDirect ory.Text
.CreateNoWindow = True
.UseShellExecut e = False
.RedirectStanda rdOutput = True
End With

command.Start()

Dim output As StreamWriter = File.CreateText (Me.outputFile. Text)
Dim line As String = command.Standar dOutput.ReadLin e()
Do Until line Is Nothing
output.WriteLin e(line)
line = command.Standar dOutput.ReadLin e()
Loop

output.Close()
command.Dispose ()
go.Enabled = True
End Sub

End Class

Obviously, there is no error trapping, etc. in this - so you would want
to add that in a real world scenario.

--
Tom Shelton [MVP]
OS Name: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Build 2600
System Up Time: 0 Days, 19 Hours, 40 Minutes, 6 Seconds

[One Handed Man]

Good example.
regards - OHM
Tom Shelton wrote:

In article <40************ ***********@new sreader.visi.co m>, F.
Michael Miller wrote:

I'd like to copy the listing of a directory (& sub directories) to a
text file in vb.net.

I'm looking for teh equivilant of the DOS command dir
[SourceDirectory] /s > TargetFile.txt.
Thanks!

How 'bout this:

Option Explicit On
Option Strict On

Imports System.Diagnost ics
Imports System.IO

Public Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows. Forms.Form

#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "

Public Sub New()
MyBase.New()

'This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
InitializeCompo nent()

'Add any initialization after the InitializeCompo nent() call

End Sub

'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As
Boolean)
If disposing Then
If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
components.Disp ose()
End If
End If
MyBase.Dispose( disposing)
End Sub

'Required by the Windows Form Designer
Private components As System.Componen tModel.IContain er

'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form
Designer
'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.
'Do not modify it using the code editor.
Friend WithEvents sourceDirectory As System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Friend WithEvents outputFile As System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Friend WithEvents Label1 As System.Windows. Forms.Label
Friend WithEvents Label2 As System.Windows. Forms.Label
Friend WithEvents go As System.Windows. Forms.Button
<System.Diagnos tics.DebuggerSt epThrough()> Private Sub
InitializeCompo nent()
Me.sourceDirect ory = New System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Me.outputFile = New System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Me.Label1 = New System.Windows. Forms.Label
Me.Label2 = New System.Windows. Forms.Label
Me.go = New System.Windows. Forms.Button
Me.SuspendLayou t()
'
'sourceDirector y
'
Me.sourceDirect ory.Location = New System.Drawing. Point(108, 4)
Me.sourceDirect ory.Name = "sourceDirector y"
Me.sourceDirect ory.Size = New System.Drawing. Size(180, 20)
Me.sourceDirect ory.TabIndex = 0
Me.sourceDirect ory.Text = ""
'
'outputFile
'
Me.outputFile.L ocation = New System.Drawing. Point(108, 32)
Me.outputFile.N ame = "outputFile "
Me.outputFile.S ize = New System.Drawing. Size(180, 20)
Me.outputFile.T abIndex = 1
Me.outputFile.T ext = ""
'
'Label1
'
Me.Label1.Locat ion = New System.Drawing. Point(4, 4)
Me.Label1.Name = "Label1"
Me.Label1.TabIn dex = 2
Me.Label1.Text = "Source Directory"
Me.Label1.TextA lign =
System.Drawing. ContentAlignmen t.MiddleLeft '
'Label2
'
Me.Label2.Locat ion = New System.Drawing. Point(4, 32)
Me.Label2.Name = "Label2"
Me.Label2.TabIn dex = 3
Me.Label2.Text = "Output File Name"
Me.Label2.TextA lign =
System.Drawing. ContentAlignmen t.MiddleLeft '
'go
'
Me.go.Location = New System.Drawing. Point(109, 64)
Me.go.Name = "go"
Me.go.TabIndex = 4
Me.go.Text = "&Go"
'
'Form1
'
Me.AutoScaleBas eSize = New System.Drawing. Size(5, 13)
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing. Size(292, 93)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.go)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.Label2)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.Label1)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.outputFile)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.sourceDirec tory)
Me.Name = "Form1"
Me.Text = "Form1"
Me.ResumeLayout (False)

End Sub

#End Region

Private Sub go_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles go.Click
Dim command As New Process

go.Enabled = False

With command.StartIn fo
.FileName =
System.Environm ent.GetEnvironm entVariable("CO MSPEC")
.Arguments = "/c dir /s " & Me.sourceDirect ory.Text
.CreateNoWindow = True
.UseShellExecut e = False
.RedirectStanda rdOutput = True
End With

command.Start()

Dim output As StreamWriter =
File.CreateText (Me.outputFile. Text) Dim line As String =
command.Standar dOutput.ReadLin e() Do Until line Is Nothing
output.WriteLin e(line)
line = command.Standar dOutput.ReadLin e()
Loop

output.Close()
command.Dispose ()
go.Enabled = True
End Sub

End Class

Obviously, there is no error trapping, etc. in this - so you would
want
to add that in a real world scenario.

--
Best Regards - OHM

O_H_M{at}BTInte rnet{dot}com

[Cor]

Hi F. Michael,

Have a look at the control OpenFileDialog with multiselect

Just an alternative

Cor

[F. Michael Miller]

I shall gives these a shot, but none of them are exactly what I'm looking
for.

I have an app that checks for the existance of a large list of files. The
original technique was to use the DIR function to determine if the file
existed. This is too slow. It's much faster to dupm the directory to a
text file and search that instead.

My gut feeling is that the methods presented so far will be slower then
opening a DOS session and using dir [SourcePath] /s > TargetFile.txt. I was
trying to do this with the SHELL function but without success.

"Tom Shelton" <to*@mtogden.co m> wrote in message
news:%2******** ********@tk2msf tngp13.phx.gbl. ..

In article <40************ ***********@new sreader.visi.co m>, F. Michael

Miller wrote:

I'd like to copy the listing of a directory (& sub directories) to a text file in vb.net.

I'm looking for teh equivilant of the DOS command dir [SourceDirectory] /s > TargetFile.txt.
Thanks!

How 'bout this:

Option Explicit On
Option Strict On

Imports System.Diagnost ics
Imports System.IO

Public Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows. Forms.Form

#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "

Public Sub New()
MyBase.New()

'This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
InitializeCompo nent()

'Add any initialization after the InitializeCompo nent() call

End Sub

'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As
Boolean)
If disposing Then
If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
components.Disp ose()
End If
End If
MyBase.Dispose( disposing)
End Sub

'Required by the Windows Form Designer
Private components As System.Componen tModel.IContain er

'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form
Designer
'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.
'Do not modify it using the code editor.
Friend WithEvents sourceDirectory As System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Friend WithEvents outputFile As System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Friend WithEvents Label1 As System.Windows. Forms.Label
Friend WithEvents Label2 As System.Windows. Forms.Label
Friend WithEvents go As System.Windows. Forms.Button
<System.Diagnos tics.DebuggerSt epThrough()> Private Sub
InitializeCompo nent()
Me.sourceDirect ory = New System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Me.outputFile = New System.Windows. Forms.TextBox
Me.Label1 = New System.Windows. Forms.Label
Me.Label2 = New System.Windows. Forms.Label
Me.go = New System.Windows. Forms.Button
Me.SuspendLayou t()
'
'sourceDirector y
'
Me.sourceDirect ory.Location = New System.Drawing. Point(108, 4)
Me.sourceDirect ory.Name = "sourceDirector y"
Me.sourceDirect ory.Size = New System.Drawing. Size(180, 20)
Me.sourceDirect ory.TabIndex = 0
Me.sourceDirect ory.Text = ""
'
'outputFile
'
Me.outputFile.L ocation = New System.Drawing. Point(108, 32)
Me.outputFile.N ame = "outputFile "
Me.outputFile.S ize = New System.Drawing. Size(180, 20)
Me.outputFile.T abIndex = 1
Me.outputFile.T ext = ""
'
'Label1
'
Me.Label1.Locat ion = New System.Drawing. Point(4, 4)
Me.Label1.Name = "Label1"
Me.Label1.TabIn dex = 2
Me.Label1.Text = "Source Directory"
Me.Label1.TextA lign = System.Drawing. ContentAlignmen t.MiddleLeft
'
'Label2
'
Me.Label2.Locat ion = New System.Drawing. Point(4, 32)
Me.Label2.Name = "Label2"
Me.Label2.TabIn dex = 3
Me.Label2.Text = "Output File Name"
Me.Label2.TextA lign = System.Drawing. ContentAlignmen t.MiddleLeft
'
'go
'
Me.go.Location = New System.Drawing. Point(109, 64)
Me.go.Name = "go"
Me.go.TabIndex = 4
Me.go.Text = "&Go"
'
'Form1
'
Me.AutoScaleBas eSize = New System.Drawing. Size(5, 13)
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing. Size(292, 93)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.go)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.Label2)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.Label1)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.outputFile)
Me.Controls.Add (Me.sourceDirec tory)
Me.Name = "Form1"
Me.Text = "Form1"
Me.ResumeLayout (False)

End Sub

#End Region

Private Sub go_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles go.Click
Dim command As New Process

go.Enabled = False

With command.StartIn fo
.FileName =
System.Environm ent.GetEnvironm entVariable("CO MSPEC")
.Arguments = "/c dir /s " & Me.sourceDirect ory.Text
.CreateNoWindow = True
.UseShellExecut e = False
.RedirectStanda rdOutput = True
End With

command.Start()

Dim output As StreamWriter = File.CreateText (Me.outputFile. Text)
Dim line As String = command.Standar dOutput.ReadLin e()
Do Until line Is Nothing
output.WriteLin e(line)
line = command.Standar dOutput.ReadLin e()
Loop

output.Close()
command.Dispose ()
go.Enabled = True
End Sub

End Class

Obviously, there is no error trapping, etc. in this - so you would want
to add that in a real world scenario.

--
Tom Shelton [MVP]
OS Name: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Build 2600
System Up Time: 0 Days, 19 Hours, 40 Minutes, 6 Seconds

[Cor]

Hi F,

Have a look at this just the answer

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...oriestopic.asp

Cor

[Tom Shelton]

In article <40************ ***********@new sreader.visi.co m>, F. Michael Miller wrote:

I shall gives these a shot, but none of them are exactly what I'm looking
for.

I have an app that checks for the existance of a large list of files. The
original technique was to use the DIR function to determine if the file
existed. This is too slow. It's much faster to dupm the directory to a
text file and search that instead.

Wow... Maybe something like:

const dirName as string = "c:\whateve r"

dim searchFile as streamreader = file.opentext(" filelist.txt")
dim searchlist() as string = searchFile.Read ToEnd().Split(E nvironment.NewL ine)

for i as integer = 0 to searchlist.getu pperbound(0)
if file.exists(pat h.combine(dirNa me, searchlist(i)) Then
' file exists
else
file.doesn't exist
end if
next i

should be fairly easy to modify this into a recursive routine that would
scan an entire directory tree if needs be...
My gut feeling is that the methods presented so far will be slower then
opening a DOS session and using dir [SourcePath] /s > TargetFile.txt. I was
trying to do this with the SHELL function but without success.

My method would have been somewhat slower - but I don't think by much,
since you are simply running the same command... Of course, you could
just put the redirect on the command line and then call it like this...
with command.StartIn fo
.FileName = System.Environm ent.GetEnvironm entVariable("CO MSPEC")
.Arguments = "/c dir /s " & Me.sourceDirect ory.Text _
& " > " & outputFile.Text
.CreateNoWindow = True
.UseShellExecut e = False
End With

command.Start()
command.WaitFor Exit()
command.Dispose ()

Read in your output file... But personally, I think your going to want
to take a closer look at the System.IO namespace, especially the
Directory, File, and Path classes.

--
Tom Shelton [MVP]
OS Name: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Build 2600
System Up Time: 0 Days, 21 Hours, 9 Minutes, 45 Seconds

[F. Michael Miller]

I must be missing an Import statement. It doesn't like the
with Command.StartIn fo line, or any of the other command. lines.

"Tom Shelton" <to*@mtogden.co m> wrote in message
news:OA******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

In article <40************ ***********@new sreader.visi.co m>, F. Michael Miller wrote:

I shall gives these a shot, but none of them are exactly what I'm looking for.

I have an app that checks for the existance of a large list of files. The original technique was to use the DIR function to determine if the file
existed. This is too slow. It's much faster to dupm the directory to a
text file and search that instead.

Wow... Maybe something like:

const dirName as string = "c:\whateve r"

dim searchFile as streamreader = file.opentext(" filelist.txt")
dim searchlist() as string =

searchFile.Read ToEnd().Split(E nvironment.NewL ine)
for i as integer = 0 to searchlist.getu pperbound(0)
if file.exists(pat h.combine(dirNa me, searchlist(i)) Then
' file exists
else
file.doesn't exist
end if
next i

should be fairly easy to modify this into a recursive routine that would
scan an entire directory tree if needs be...

My gut feeling is that the methods presented so far will be slower then
opening a DOS session and using dir [SourcePath] /s > TargetFile.txt. I was trying to do this with the SHELL function but without success.

My method would have been somewhat slower - but I don't think by much,
since you are simply running the same command... Of course, you could
just put the redirect on the command line and then call it like this...
with command.StartIn fo
.FileName = System.Environm ent.GetEnvironm entVariable("CO MSPEC")
.Arguments = "/c dir /s " & Me.sourceDirect ory.Text _
& " > " & outputFile.Text
.CreateNoWindow = True
.UseShellExecut e = False
End With

command.Start()
command.WaitFor Exit()
command.Dispose ()

Read in your output file... But personally, I think your going to want
to take a closer look at the System.IO namespace, especially the
Directory, File, and Path classes.

--
Tom Shelton [MVP]
OS Name: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Build 2600
System Up Time: 0 Days, 21 Hours, 9 Minutes, 45 Seconds

[Tom Shelton]

In article <40************ ***********@new sreader.visi.co m>, F. Michael Miller wrote:

I must be missing an Import statement. It doesn't like the
with Command.StartIn fo line, or any of the other command. lines.

Look back at my original example - this was just a slight modification
of that, so I didn't post the entire thing. This was just part where I
was filling in the StartInfo information.

I seriously think you may want to look at Cor's link, and read up on
what's available in the System.IO namespace.

--
Tom Shelton [MVP]
OS Name: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Build 2600
System Up Time: 0 Days, 22 Hours, 39 Minutes, 42 Seconds