CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#file-attributesdirectory-walk
NightsEVil
NightsEVil

Reputation: 517

Working with File Attributes in C# .Net 2.0

So how can i recursively search a Folder and un-hide ALL files and sub folders in a directory? Like have it check each file and each folder... if they're hidden.. un-hide them. Iv been messing around with it all morning with no luck... i got all folders to set back to normal but thats about it.

Upvotes: 3

Views: 5229

Answers (3)

ulrichb
ulrichb

Reputation: 20054

foreach (var filePath in Directory.GetFiles(@"C:\Temp2"))
{
    Console.Write("File " + filePath);

    FileAttributes fileAttribute = File.GetAttributes(filePath);

    if ((fileAttribute & FileAttributes.Hidden) > 0)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(" is hidden.");

        // unset the hidden flag, but do not change other flags:
        File.SetAttributes(filePath, fileAttribute & ~FileAttributes.Hidden);
    }
    else
    {
        Console.WriteLine(" is not hidden.");
    }
}

to do it recursively, use

Directory.GetFiles(@"C:\Temp2", "*", SearchOption.AllDirectories)

to include directories too, use GetFileSystemEntries

Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(@"C:\Temp2", "*", SearchOption.AllDirectories)

Upvotes: 4

Isak Savo
Isak Savo

Reputation: 35944

This is easily solved using recursion.

File attributes such as "hidden" is specified as an enum flag and is most easliy set or cleared using bit operations. You can see a file or directory's attributes by getting a FileInfo or DirectoryInfo for that path.

// startDir assumed to be full path
public static void UnhideAll(string startDir)
{
    DirectoryInfo dir = new DirectoryInfo(startDir);
    Console.WriteLine("Working in {0}", startDir);
    // First, clear hidden flag on the current directory (if needed)
    if ((dir.Attributes & FileAttributes.Hidden) != 0)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Clearing hidden flag on dir");
        dir.Attributes &= ~FileAttributes.Hidden;
    }
    else
        Console.WriteLine("No need to clear flag since it's already non-hidden");

    // Second, recursively go into all sub directories
    foreach (var subDir in dir.GetDirectories())
        UnhideAll(subDir.FullName);

    // Third, fix all hidden files in the current folder
    foreach (var file in dir.GetFiles())
    {
        if ((file.Attributes & FileAttributes.Hidden) != 0)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Clearing hidden flag on file {0}", file.FullName);
            file.Attributes &= ~FileAttributes.Hidden;
        }
        else
            Console.WriteLine("Skipping {0} since it's not hidden", file.FullName);
    }
}

You can now recursively unhide all hidden files inside a directory by calling

UnhideAll(@"C:\SomePath\That\Should\Be\Unhidden");

Of course, you'll want to remove all calls to Console.WriteLine when you use this code but I left them there to make it easier for you to see what's going on when the code is running. Here's a more condense version:

// startDir assumed to be full path
public static void UnhideAll(string startDir)
{
    DirectoryInfo dir = new DirectoryInfo(startDir);
    // First, clear the current directory
    dir.Attributes &= ~FileAttributes.Hidden;
    // Second, recursively go into all sub directories
    foreach (var subDir in dir.GetDirectories())
        UnhideAll(subDir.FullName);

    // Third, fix all hidden files in this folder
    foreach (var file in dir.GetFiles())
        file.Attributes &= ~FileAttributes.Hidden;
}

Upvotes: 0

Jaapjan
Jaapjan

Reputation: 3385

How about something like this? 

foreach (var file in directory.GetFiles())
{
    if ((File.GetAttributes(file.FullName) & FileAttributes.Hidden) == FileAttributes.Hidden)
    {
         File.SetAttributes(file.FullName, FileAttributes.Normal);
    }
}

Upvotes: 0

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