Searching a folder for certain files

[spazzo6281]

Hello, is there a way to search a folder for certain files containing a wildcard or certain text entered into a text box. Right now all i can get is the whole list of files from a folder using the following code:

lstbox.additems.addrange(IO.directory.getfiles("c: \"))

How can i just return only files with matching text as whats in the text Box. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Matt

[Dököll]

Hello, is there a way to search a folder for certain files containing a wildcard or certain text entered into a text box. Right now all i can get is the whole list of files from a folder using the following code:

lstbox.additems.addrange(IO.directory.getfiles("c: \"))

How can i just return only files with matching text as whats in the text Box. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Matt

Hello spazzo6281!

Here is what I pulled up at microsoft:

Dim MyFile, MyPath, MyName
' Returns "WIN.INI"  if it exists.
MyFile = Dir("C:\WINDOWS\WIN.INI")   
 
' Returns filename with specified extension. If more than one *.ini
' file exists, the first file found is returned.
MyFile = Dir("C:\WINDOWS\*.INI")
 
' Call Dir again without arguments to return the next *.INI file in the 
' same directory.
MyFile = Dir
 
' Return first *.TXT file with a set hidden attribute.
MyFile = Dir("*.TXT", vbHidden)
 
' Display the names in C:\ that represent directories.
MyPath = "c:\"   ' Set the path.
MyName = Dir(MyPath, vbDirectory)   ' Retrieve the first entry.
Do While MyName <> ""   ' Start the loop.
   ' Ignore the current directory and the encompassing directory.
   If MyName <> "." And MyName <> ".." Then
      ' Use bitwise comparison to make sure MyName is a directory.
      If (GetAttr(MyPath & MyName) And vbDirectory) = vbDirectory Then
         Debug.Print MyName   ' Display entry only if it
      End If   ' it represents a directory.
   End If
   MyName = Dir   ' Get next entry.
Loop
 

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa262726.aspx

Try it, see if that works for ya;-)

In a bit!

[spazzo6281]

That didn't work, I'm just going to have to keep looking. Thanks for the help though.

[Killer42]

See here. The getfiles() method supports searching for files matching a wildcard specification.

[basti42]

you can try this

dirs = Directory.GetFiles("C:\\folders", "*" + txtSeek.Text + "*" + ".csv");
foreach (string dir in dirs)
{
listBox1.Items.Add(dir.Substring(34));
strFound = dir;
Directory.CreateDirectory("C:\\save_to);
File.Copy(strFound, "C:\\save_to\\, true);
}

[spazzo6281]

I was finally able to get most of the code figured out with the following:

Dim find As String = txtSearch.Text

For Each foundfile As String In My.Computer.FileSystem.GetFiles("t:\documents", FileIO.SearchOption.SearchAllSubDirectories, find + "*.pdf", find + "*.doc")
lstBox.Items.Add(foundfile)
Next

it works to find files that start with a given letter or the given first work but i won't find items if the word is second or third in the file name. if anyone can help me figure out how to do that I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for that that helped on my first post.

[Killer42]

Just concatenate another "*" before find.

[spazzo6281]

Just concatenate another "*" before find.

Thanks, that worked.

[Killer42]

Thanks, that worked.

Excellent! :)

Glad we could help.

[spazzo6281]

Thanks to everyone that helped with this problem. Now that it's working all the found files come back like "t:\photos\*.jpg" does anybody out there know of a way to remove "t:\photos\" and still have the "process.start(lstbox.text)" function work. I've tried everything that i could think of, and I guess I don't even know if it's possible. If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it. Thanks.

[Killer42]

This one should be relatively simple. Just have a look at the different properties available from the File object. I believe you'll find that one provides the name without the path. At present you're just using the default property, which apparently must be the full path.

[spazzo6281]

This one should be relatively simple. Just have a look at the different properties available from the File object. I believe you'll find that one provides the name without the path. At present you're just using the default property, which apparently must be the full path.

I've looked and tried everything i could think of and it still doesn't work. I can use the trimstart feature but then the "process.start(lstbox.text)" doesn't work. I'm currently using "lstbox.items.addrange(IO.directory.getfiles("t:\p hotos"))" to get the list of files but i still can't get path to know show up and have process.start still work. Thanks for trying.

[spazzo6281]

I've looked and tried everything i could think of and it still doesn't work. I can use the trimstart feature but then the "process.start(lstbox.text)" doesn't work. I'm currently using "lstbox.items.addrange(IO.directory.getfiles("t:\p hotos"))" to get the list of files but i still can't get path to know show up and have process.start still work. Thanks for trying.

The path to not show up. sorry for the miss type.

[Killer42]

How about using the FileSystem.GetDirectories method to return the collection of directory names. Then for each of those, do a FileSystem.GetFiles and concatenate the directory name at the start of each returned filename.

[spazzo6281]

How about using the FileSystem.GetDirectories method to return the collection of directory names. Then for each of those, do a FileSystem.GetFiles and concatenate the directory name at the start of each returned filename.

The program is finally doing what i wanted it to do. The concat method really helped. Thanks to everyone that helped me with my problems.

[Killer42]

Glad we could help out. :)