Directory.Exists(String) Method

Reference

Definition

Namespace:: System.IO

Assemblies:: mscorlib.dll, System.IO.FileSystem.dll

Assemblies:: netstandard.dll, System.IO.FileSystem.dll

Assemblies:: netstandard.dll, System.IO.FileSystem.dll, System.Runtime.dll

Assemblies:: netstandard.dll, System.Runtime.dll

Assembly:: System.IO.FileSystem.dll

Assembly:: mscorlib.dll

Assembly:: netstandard.dll

Source:: Directory.cs

Source:: Directory.cs

Source:: Directory.cs

Important

Some information relates to prerelease product that may be substantially modified before it’s released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

Determines whether the given path refers to an existing directory on disk.

public:
 static bool Exists(System::String ^ path);

public static bool Exists(string path);

public static bool Exists(string? path);

static member Exists : string -> bool

Public Shared Function Exists (path As String) As Boolean

Parameters

path: String

The path to test.

Returns

Boolean

true if path refers to an existing directory; false if the directory does not exist or an error occurs when trying to determine if the specified directory exists.

Examples

The following example takes an array of file or directory names on the command line, determines what kind of name it is, and processes it appropriately.

// For File::Exists, Directory::Exists
using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Collections;

// Insert logic for processing found files here.
void ProcessFile( String^ path )
{
   Console::WriteLine( "Processed file '{0}'.", path );
}


// Process all files in the directory passed in, recurse on any directories 
// that are found, and process the files they contain.
void ProcessDirectory( String^ targetDirectory )
{
   
   // Process the list of files found in the directory.
   array<String^>^fileEntries = Directory::GetFiles( targetDirectory );
   IEnumerator^ files = fileEntries->GetEnumerator();
   while ( files->MoveNext() )
   {
      String^ fileName = safe_cast<String^>(files->Current);
      ProcessFile( fileName );
   }

   
   // Recurse into subdirectories of this directory.
   array<String^>^subdirectoryEntries = Directory::GetDirectories( targetDirectory );
   IEnumerator^ dirs = subdirectoryEntries->GetEnumerator();
   while ( dirs->MoveNext() )
   {
      String^ subdirectory = safe_cast<String^>(dirs->Current);
      ProcessDirectory( subdirectory );
   }
}

int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
{
   for ( int i = 1; i < argc; i++ )
   {
      String^ path = gcnew String(argv[ i ]);
      if ( File::Exists( path ) )
      {
         
         // This path is a file
         ProcessFile( path );
      }
      else
      if ( Directory::Exists( path ) )
      {
         
         // This path is a directory
         ProcessDirectory( path );
      }
      else
      {
         Console::WriteLine( "{0} is not a valid file or directory.", path );
      }

   }
}

// For File.Exists, Directory.Exists
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Collections;

public class RecursiveFileProcessor
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        foreach(string path in args)
        {
            if(File.Exists(path))
            {
                // This path is a file
                ProcessFile(path);
            }
            else if(Directory.Exists(path))
            {
                // This path is a directory
                ProcessDirectory(path);
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("{0} is not a valid file or directory.", path);
            }
        }
    }

    // Process all files in the directory passed in, recurse on any directories
    // that are found, and process the files they contain.
    public static void ProcessDirectory(string targetDirectory)
    {
        // Process the list of files found in the directory.
        string [] fileEntries = Directory.GetFiles(targetDirectory);
        foreach(string fileName in fileEntries)
            ProcessFile(fileName);

        // Recurse into subdirectories of this directory.
        string [] subdirectoryEntries = Directory.GetDirectories(targetDirectory);
        foreach(string subdirectory in subdirectoryEntries)
            ProcessDirectory(subdirectory);
    }

    // Insert logic for processing found files here.
    public static void ProcessFile(string path)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Processed file '{0}'.", path);	
    }
}

module RecursiveFileProcessor

open System.IO

// Insert logic for processing found files here.
let processFile path =
    printfn $"Processed file '%s{path}'."

// Process all files in the directory passed in, recurse on any directories
// that are found, and process the files they contain.
let rec processDirectory targetDirectory =
    // Process the list of files found in the directory.
    let fileEntries = Directory.GetFiles targetDirectory
    for fileName in fileEntries do
        processFile fileName

    // Recurse into subdirectories of this directory.
    let subdirectoryEntries = Directory.GetDirectories targetDirectory
    for subdirectory in subdirectoryEntries do
        processDirectory subdirectory

[<EntryPoint>]
let main args =
    for path in args do
        if File.Exists path then
            // This path is a file
            processFile path
        elif Directory.Exists path then
            // This path is a directory
            processDirectory path
        else
            printfn $"{path} is not a valid file or directory."
    0

' For File.Exists, Directory.Exists 

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Collections

Public Class RecursiveFileProcessor

    Public Overloads Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)
        Dim path As String
        For Each path In args
            If File.Exists(path) Then
                ' This path is a file.
                ProcessFile(path)
            Else
                If Directory.Exists(path) Then
                    ' This path is a directory.
                    ProcessDirectory(path)
                Else
                    Console.WriteLine("{0} is not a valid file or directory.", path)
                End If
            End If
        Next path
    End Sub


    ' Process all files in the directory passed in, recurse on any directories 
    ' that are found, and process the files they contain.
    Public Shared Sub ProcessDirectory(ByVal targetDirectory As String)
        Dim fileEntries As String() = Directory.GetFiles(targetDirectory)
        ' Process the list of files found in the directory.
        Dim fileName As String
        For Each fileName In fileEntries
            ProcessFile(fileName)

        Next fileName
        Dim subdirectoryEntries As String() = Directory.GetDirectories(targetDirectory)
        ' Recurse into subdirectories of this directory.
        Dim subdirectory As String
        For Each subdirectory In subdirectoryEntries
            ProcessDirectory(subdirectory)
        Next subdirectory

    End Sub

    ' Insert logic for processing found files here.
    Public Shared Sub ProcessFile(ByVal path As String)
        Console.WriteLine("Processed file '{0}'.", path)
    End Sub
End Class

Remarks

The path parameter is permitted to specify relative or absolute path information. Relative path information is interpreted as relative to the current working directory.

Trailing spaces are removed from the end of the path parameter before checking whether the directory exists.

The case-sensitivity of the path parameter corresponds to that of the file system on which the code is running. For example, it's case-insensitive on NTFS (the default Windows file system) and case-sensitive on Linux file systems.

If you do not have at a minimum read-only permission to the directory, the Exists method will return false.

The Exists method returns false if any error occurs while trying to determine if the specified file exists. This can occur in situations that raise exceptions such as passing a file name with invalid characters or too many characters, a failing or missing disk, or if the caller does not have permission to read the file.

Applies to

Product	Versions
.NET	Core 1.0, Core 1.1, Core 2.0, Core 2.1, Core 2.2, Core 3.0, Core 3.1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
.NET Framework	1.1, 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.6, 4.6.1, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8, 4.8.1
.NET Standard	1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.0, 2.1
UWP	10.0

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