CODEWITHSUNDEEP
java
Hovestar
Hovestar

Reputation: 1627

Let OS delete files

Is there a way in java to orphan inodes so that the os can clean them up?

My goal is to recursively delete a folder, but it doesn't matter when it's deleted, just that it is. Since deleting it in time takes a while and slows me down, I've been using File.deleteOnExit(), but that leaves the directory skeleton in place. Are there any solutions that can do this? This is currently what I do:

public static void markAllForDeletion(String folderName){
    String newName = folderName + " " + UUID.randomUUID().toString();
    new File(folderName).renameTo(new File(newName));
    markBelow(new File(newName));
}

public static void markBelow(File folder){
    for(File file: folder.listFiles()){
        if(file.isDirectory()){
            markBelow(file);
        } else {
            file.deleteOnExit();
        }
    }
    folder.deleteOnExit();
}

Upvotes: 1

Views: 56

Answers (1)

Bernhard Barker
Bernhard Barker

Reputation: 55589

Mark the folder for deletion before marking any of the folder contents:

public static void markBelow(File folder){
    folder.deleteOnExit();
    for(File file: folder.listFiles()){
        if(file.isDirectory()){
            markBelow(file);
        } else {
            file.deleteOnExit();
        }
    }
}

This is because the deletes from deleteOnExit take place in reverse order, as per the docs:

Files (or directories) are deleted in the reverse order that they are registered.

Upvotes: 2

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