How to: Create a File in Visual Basic

This example creates an empty text file at the specified path using the Create method in the File class.

Example

Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Text

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim path As String = "c:\temp\MyTest.txt"

        ' Create or overwrite the file.
        Dim fs As FileStream = File.Create(path)

        ' Add text to the file.
        Dim info As Byte() = New UTF8Encoding(True).GetBytes("This is some text in the file.")
        fs.Write(info, 0, info.Length)
        fs.Close()
    End Sub

End Module

Compiling the Code

Use the file variable to write to the file.

Robust Programming

If the file already exists, it is replaced.

The following conditions may cause an exception:

• The path name is malformed. For example, it contains illegal characters or is only white space (ArgumentException).

• The path is read-only (IOException).

• The path name is Nothing (ArgumentNullException).

• The path name is too long (PathTooLongException).

• The path is invalid (DirectoryNotFoundException).

• The path is only a colon ":" (NotSupportedException).

Security

A SecurityException may be thrown in partial-trust environments.

The call to the Create method requires FileIOPermission.

An UnauthorizedAccessException is thrown if the user does not have permission to create the file.

See Also

Reference

System.IO

Create

Concepts

Using Libraries from Partially Trusted Code

Code Access Security Basics

Change History

Date	History	Reason
April 2011	Expanded the example.	Customer feedback.