CODEWITHSUNDEEP
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Tom
Tom

Reputation: 4387

How to delete a file after checking whether it exists

How can I delete a file in C# e.g. C:\test.txt, although apply the same kind of method like in batch files e.g.

if exist "C:\test.txt"

delete "C:\test.txt"

else 

return nothing (ignore)

Upvotes: 279

Views: 522069

Answers (11)

mirazimi
mirazimi

Reputation: 878

if (File.Exists(Path.Combine(rootFolder, authorsFile)))    
{    
// If file found, delete it    
File.Delete(Path.Combine(rootFolder, authorsFile));    
Console.WriteLine("File deleted.");    
}

Dynamic

 string FilePath = Server.MapPath(@"~/folder/news/" + IdSelect)
 if (System.IO.File.Exists(FilePath + "/" + name+ ".jpg"))
   {
    System.IO.File.Delete(FilePath + "/" + name+ ".jpg");
   }

Delete all files in a directory

string[] files = Directory.GetFiles(rootFolder);    
foreach (string file in files)    
{    
File.Delete(file);    
Console.WriteLine($"{file} is deleted.");    
}

Upvotes: 5

Aniyan Kolathur
Aniyan Kolathur

Reputation: 71

This will be the simplest way,

if (System.IO.File.Exists(filePath)) 
{
  System.IO.File.Delete(filePath);
  System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(20);
}

Thread.sleep will help to work perfectly, otherwise, it will affect the next step if we doing copy or write the file.

Another way I did is,

if (System.IO.File.Exists(filePath))
{
System.GC.Collect();
System.GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
System.IO.File.Delete(filePath);
}

Upvotes: 0

ecMode
ecMode

Reputation: 540

if (File.Exists(path))
{
    File.Delete(path);
}

Upvotes: 15

Ashin
Ashin

Reputation: 386

You could import the System.IO namespace using:

using System.IO;

If the filepath represents the full path to the file, you can check its existence and delete it as follows:

if(File.Exists(filepath))
{
     try
    {
         File.Delete(filepath);
    } 
    catch(Exception ex)
    {
      //Do something
    } 
}

Upvotes: 49

Hameed Syed
Hameed Syed

Reputation: 4285

Sometimes you want to delete a file whatever the case(whatever the exception occurs ,please do delete the file). For such situations.

public static void DeleteFile(string path)
        {
            if (!File.Exists(path))
            {
                return;
            }

            bool isDeleted = false;
            while (!isDeleted)
            {
                try
                {
                    File.Delete(path);
                    isDeleted = true;
                }
                catch (Exception e)
                {
                }
                Thread.Sleep(50);
            }
        }

Note:An exception is not thrown if the specified file does not exist.

Upvotes: 1

Ahmed Ghazey
Ahmed Ghazey

Reputation: 489

  if (System.IO.File.Exists(@"C:\Users\Public\DeleteTest\test.txt"))
    {
        // Use a try block to catch IOExceptions, to 
        // handle the case of the file already being 
        // opened by another process. 
        try
        {
            System.IO.File.Delete(@"C:\Users\Public\DeleteTest\test.txt");
        }
        catch (System.IO.IOException e)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
            return;
        }
    }

Upvotes: 17

ag93
ag93

Reputation: 343

If you are reading from that file using FileStream and then wanting to delete it, make sure you close the FileStream before you call the File.Delete(path). I had this issue.

var filestream = new System.IO.FileStream(@"C:\Test\PutInv.txt", System.IO.FileMode.Open, System.IO.FileAccess.Read, System.IO.FileShare.ReadWrite);
filestream.Close();
File.Delete(@"C:\Test\PutInv.txt");

Upvotes: 4

Chris Eberle
Chris Eberle

Reputation: 48795

Use System.IO.File.Delete like so:

System.IO.File.Delete(@"C:\test.txt")

From the documentation:

If the file to be deleted does not exist, no exception is thrown.

Upvotes: 137

Derek W
Derek W

Reputation: 10046

If you want to avoid a DirectoryNotFoundException you will need to ensure that the directory of the file does indeed exist. File.Exists accomplishes this. Another way would be to utilize the Path and Directory utility classes like so:

string file = @"C:\subfolder\test.txt";
if (Directory.Exists(Path.GetDirectoryName(file)))
{
    File.Delete(file);
}

Upvotes: 27

Vercas
Vercas

Reputation: 9161

if (System.IO.File.Exists(@"C:\test.txt"))
    System.IO.File.Delete(@"C:\test.txt"));

but

System.IO.File.Delete(@"C:\test.txt");

will do the same as long as the folder exists.

Upvotes: 35

Adam Lear
Adam Lear

Reputation: 38778

This is pretty straightforward using the File class.

if(File.Exists(@"C:\test.txt"))
{
    File.Delete(@"C:\test.txt");
}

As Chris pointed out in the comments, you don't actually need to do the File.Exists check since File.Delete doesn't throw an exception if the file doesn't exist, although if you're using absolute paths you will need the check to make sure the entire file path is valid.

Upvotes: 478

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