File.GetAccessControl Method

Reference

Definition

Namespace:: System.IO

Assembly:: mscorlib.dll

Important

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Gets a FileSecurity object that encapsulates the access control list (ACL) entries for a specified file.

Overloads

GetAccessControl(String, AccessControlSections)	Gets a FileSecurity object that encapsulates the specified type of access control list (ACL) entries for a particular file.
GetAccessControl(String)	Gets a FileSecurity object that encapsulates the access control list (ACL) entries for a specified file.

Remarks

Use the GetAccessControl methods to retrieve the access control list (ACL) entries for a specified file.

GetAccessControl(String, AccessControlSections)

Gets a FileSecurity object that encapsulates the specified type of access control list (ACL) entries for a particular file.

public:
 static System::Security::AccessControl::FileSecurity ^ GetAccessControl(System::String ^ path, System::Security::AccessControl::AccessControlSections includeSections);

public static System.Security.AccessControl.FileSecurity GetAccessControl (string path, System.Security.AccessControl.AccessControlSections includeSections);

static member GetAccessControl : string * System.Security.AccessControl.AccessControlSections -> System.Security.AccessControl.FileSecurity

Public Shared Function GetAccessControl (path As String, includeSections As AccessControlSections) As FileSecurity

Parameters

path: String

The path to a file containing a FileSecurity object that describes the file's access control list (ACL) information.

includeSections: AccessControlSections

One of the AccessControlSections values that specifies the type of access control list (ACL) information to receive.

Returns

FileSecurity

A FileSecurity object that encapsulates the access control rules for the file described by the path parameter.

Exceptions

IOException

An I/O error occurred while opening the file.

SEHException

The path parameter is null.

SystemException

The file could not be found.

UnauthorizedAccessException

The path parameter specified a file that is read-only.

-or-

This operation is not supported on the current platform.

-or-

The path parameter specified a directory.

-or-

The caller does not have the required permission.

Remarks

Use the GetAccessControl method to retrieve the access control list (ACL) entries for a file.

An ACL describes individuals and/or groups who have, or do not have, rights to specific actions on the given file. For more information, see How to: Add or Remove Access Control List Entries.

In NTFS environments, ReadAttributes and ReadExtendedAttributes are granted to the user if the user has ListDirectory rights on the parent folder. To deny ReadAttributes and ReadExtendedAttributes, deny ListDirectory on the parent directory.

Applies to

GetAccessControl(String)

Gets a FileSecurity object that encapsulates the access control list (ACL) entries for a specified file.

public:
 static System::Security::AccessControl::FileSecurity ^ GetAccessControl(System::String ^ path);

public static System.Security.AccessControl.FileSecurity GetAccessControl (string path);

static member GetAccessControl : string -> System.Security.AccessControl.FileSecurity

Public Shared Function GetAccessControl (path As String) As FileSecurity

Parameters

path: String

The path to a file containing a FileSecurity object that describes the file's access control list (ACL) information.

Returns

FileSecurity

A FileSecurity object that encapsulates the access control rules for the file described by the path parameter.

Exceptions

IOException

An I/O error occurred while opening the file.

SEHException

The path parameter is null.

SystemException

The file could not be found.

UnauthorizedAccessException

The path parameter specified a file that is read-only.

-or-

This operation is not supported on the current platform.

-or-

The path parameter specified a directory.

-or-

The caller does not have the required permission.

Examples

The following code example uses the GetAccessControl and the SetAccessControl methods to add and then remove an access control list (ACL) entry from a file. You must supply a valid user or group account to run this example.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Security::AccessControl;

// Adds an ACL entry on the specified file for the specified account.

void AddFileSecurity(String^ fileName, String^ account, 
                        FileSystemRights rights, AccessControlType controlType)
{
    // Get a FileSecurity object that represents the 
    // current security settings.
    FileSecurity^ fSecurity = File::GetAccessControl(fileName);

    // Add the FileSystemAccessRule to the security settings. 
    fSecurity->AddAccessRule(gcnew FileSystemAccessRule
                                   (account,rights, controlType));

    // Set the new access settings.
    File::SetAccessControl(fileName, fSecurity);
}

// Removes an ACL entry on the specified file for the specified account.

void RemoveFileSecurity(String^ fileName, String^ account, 
                        FileSystemRights rights, AccessControlType controlType)
{

    // Get a FileSecurity object that represents the 
    // current security settings.
    FileSecurity^ fSecurity = File::GetAccessControl(fileName);

    // Remove the FileSystemAccessRule from the security settings. 
    fSecurity->RemoveAccessRule(gcnew FileSystemAccessRule
                                      (account,rights, controlType));

    // Set the new access settings.
    File::SetAccessControl(fileName, fSecurity);
}

int main()
{
    try
    {
        String^ fileName = "test.xml";

        Console::WriteLine("Adding access control entry for " + fileName);

        // Add the access control entry to the file.
        AddFileSecurity(fileName, "MYDOMAIN\\MyAccount", 
            FileSystemRights::ReadData, AccessControlType::Allow);

        Console::WriteLine("Removing access control entry from " + fileName);

        // Remove the access control entry from the file.
        RemoveFileSecurity(fileName, "MYDOMAIN\\MyAccount", 
            FileSystemRights::ReadData, AccessControlType::Allow);

        Console::WriteLine("Done.");
    }
    catch (Exception^ ex)
    {
        Console::WriteLine(ex->Message);
    }
}

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Security.AccessControl;

namespace FileSystemExample
{
    class FileExample
    {
        public static void Main()
        {
            try
            {
                string fileName = "test.xml";

                Console.WriteLine("Adding access control entry for "
                    + fileName);

                // Add the access control entry to the file.
                AddFileSecurity(fileName, @"DomainName\AccountName",
                    FileSystemRights.ReadData, AccessControlType.Allow);

                Console.WriteLine("Removing access control entry from "
                    + fileName);

                // Remove the access control entry from the file.
                RemoveFileSecurity(fileName, @"DomainName\AccountName",
                    FileSystemRights.ReadData, AccessControlType.Allow);

                Console.WriteLine("Done.");
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(e);
            }
        }

        // Adds an ACL entry on the specified file for the specified account.
        public static void AddFileSecurity(string fileName, string account,
            FileSystemRights rights, AccessControlType controlType)
        {

            // Get a FileSecurity object that represents the
            // current security settings.
            FileSecurity fSecurity = File.GetAccessControl(fileName);

            // Add the FileSystemAccessRule to the security settings.
            fSecurity.AddAccessRule(new FileSystemAccessRule(account,
                rights, controlType));

            // Set the new access settings.
            File.SetAccessControl(fileName, fSecurity);
        }

        // Removes an ACL entry on the specified file for the specified account.
        public static void RemoveFileSecurity(string fileName, string account,
            FileSystemRights rights, AccessControlType controlType)
        {

            // Get a FileSecurity object that represents the
            // current security settings.
            FileSecurity fSecurity = File.GetAccessControl(fileName);

            // Remove the FileSystemAccessRule from the security settings.
            fSecurity.RemoveAccessRule(new FileSystemAccessRule(account,
                rights, controlType));

            // Set the new access settings.
            File.SetAccessControl(fileName, fSecurity);
        }
    }
}

open System.IO
open System.Security.AccessControl

// Adds an ACL entry on the specified file for the specified account.
let addFileSecurity fileName (account: string) rights controlType =
    // Get a FileSecurity object that represents the
    // current security settings.
    let fSecurity = File.GetAccessControl fileName

    // Add the FileSystemAccessRule to the security settings.
    FileSystemAccessRule(account, rights, controlType)
    |> fSecurity.AddAccessRule

    // Set the new access settings.
    File.SetAccessControl(fileName, fSecurity)

// Removes an ACL entry on the specified file for the specified account.
let removeFileSecurity fileName (account: string) rights controlType =
    // Get a FileSecurity object that represents the
    // current security settings.
    let fSecurity = File.GetAccessControl fileName

    // Remove the FileSystemAccessRule from the security settings.
    fSecurity.RemoveAccessRule(FileSystemAccessRule(account, rights, controlType))
    |> ignore

    // Set the new access settings.
    File.SetAccessControl(fileName, fSecurity)

let fileName = "test.xml"

printfn $"Adding access control entry for {fileName}"

// Add the access control entry to the file.
addFileSecurity fileName @"DomainName\AccountName" FileSystemRights.ReadData AccessControlType.Allow

printfn $"Removing access control entry from {fileName}"

// Remove the access control entry from the file.
removeFileSecurity fileName @"DomainName\AccountName" FileSystemRights.ReadData AccessControlType.Allow

printfn "Done."

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Security.AccessControl



Module FileExample

    Sub Main()
        Try
            Dim fileName As String = "test.xml"

            Console.WriteLine("Adding access control entry for " & fileName)

            ' Add the access control entry to the file.
            AddFileSecurity(fileName, "DomainName\AccountName", _
                FileSystemRights.ReadData, AccessControlType.Allow)

            Console.WriteLine("Removing access control entry from " & fileName)

            ' Remove the access control entry from the file.
            RemoveFileSecurity(fileName, "DomainName\AccountName", _
                FileSystemRights.ReadData, AccessControlType.Allow)

            Console.WriteLine("Done.")
        Catch e As Exception
            Console.WriteLine(e)
        End Try

    End Sub


    ' Adds an ACL entry on the specified file for the specified account.
    Sub AddFileSecurity(ByVal fileName As String, ByVal account As String, _
        ByVal rights As FileSystemRights, ByVal controlType As AccessControlType)
  
        ' Get a FileSecurity object that represents the 
        ' current security settings.
        Dim fSecurity As FileSecurity = File.GetAccessControl(fileName)

        ' Add the FileSystemAccessRule to the security settings. 
        Dim accessRule As FileSystemAccessRule = _
            New FileSystemAccessRule(account, rights, controlType)

        fSecurity.AddAccessRule(accessRule)

        ' Set the new access settings.
        File.SetAccessControl(fileName, fSecurity)

    End Sub


    ' Removes an ACL entry on the specified file for the specified account.
    Sub RemoveFileSecurity(ByVal fileName As String, ByVal account As String, _
        ByVal rights As FileSystemRights, ByVal controlType As AccessControlType)

        ' Get a FileSecurity object that represents the 
        ' current security settings.
        Dim fSecurity As FileSecurity = File.GetAccessControl(fileName)

        ' Remove the FileSystemAccessRule from the security settings. 
        fSecurity.RemoveAccessRule(New FileSystemAccessRule(account, _
            rights, controlType))

        ' Set the new access settings.
        File.SetAccessControl(fileName, fSecurity)

    End Sub
End Module

Remarks

Use the GetAccessControl method to retrieve the access control list (ACL) entries for a file.

An ACL describes individuals and/or groups who have, or do not have, rights to specific actions on the given file. For more information, see How to: Add or Remove Access Control List Entries.

Applies to

File.GetAccessControl Method

Definition

Overloads

Remarks

GetAccessControl(String, AccessControlSections)

Parameters

Returns

Exceptions

Remarks

Applies to

GetAccessControl(String)

Parameters

Returns

Exceptions

Examples

Remarks

Applies to

Additional resources