Directory.GetLastWriteTimeUtc(String) Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.IO

Assembly:

System.Runtime.dll

Source:

Directory.cs

Returns the date and time, in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) format, that the specified file or directory was last written to.

public:
 static DateTime GetLastWriteTimeUtc(System::String ^ path);

public static DateTime GetLastWriteTimeUtc (string path);

static member GetLastWriteTimeUtc : string -> DateTime

Public Shared Function GetLastWriteTimeUtc (path As String) As DateTime

Parameters

path

String

The file or directory for which to obtain modification date and time information.

Returns

DateTime

A structure that is set to the date and time the specified file or directory was last written to. This value is expressed in UTC time.

Exceptions

UnauthorizedAccessException

The caller does not have the required permission.

ArgumentException

.NET Framework and .NET Core versions older than 2.1: path is a zero-length string, contains only white space, or contains one or more invalid characters. You can query for invalid characters with the GetInvalidPathChars() method.

ArgumentNullException

path is null.

PathTooLongException

The specified path, file name, or both exceed the system-defined maximum length.

Examples

The following example illustrates the differences in output when using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) output.

// This sample shows the differences between dates from methods that use
//coordinated universal time (UTC) format and those that do not.
using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
int main()
{
   
   // Set the directory.
   String^ n = "C:\\test\\newdir";
   
   //Create two variables to use to set the time.
   DateTime dtime1 = DateTime(2002,1,3);
   DateTime dtime2 = DateTime(1999,1,1);
   
   //Create the directory.
   try
   {
      Directory::CreateDirectory( n );
   }
   catch ( IOException^ e ) 
   {
      Console::WriteLine( e );
   }

   
   //Set the creation and last access times to a variable DateTime value.
   Directory::SetCreationTime( n, dtime1 );
   Directory::SetLastAccessTimeUtc( n, dtime1 );
   
   // Print to console the results.
   Console::WriteLine( "Creation Date: {0}", Directory::GetCreationTime( n ) );
   Console::WriteLine( "UTC creation Date: {0}", Directory::GetCreationTimeUtc( n ) );
   Console::WriteLine( "Last write time: {0}", Directory::GetLastWriteTime( n ) );
   Console::WriteLine( "UTC last write time: {0}", Directory::GetLastWriteTimeUtc( n ) );
   Console::WriteLine( "Last access time: {0}", Directory::GetLastAccessTime( n ) );
   Console::WriteLine( "UTC last access time: {0}", Directory::GetLastAccessTimeUtc( n ) );
   
   //Set the last write time to a different value.
   Directory::SetLastWriteTimeUtc( n, dtime2 );
   Console::WriteLine( "Changed last write time: {0}", Directory::GetLastWriteTimeUtc( n ) );
}

// Obviously, since this sample deals with dates and times, the output will vary
// depending on when you run the executable. Here is one example of the output:
//Creation Date: 1/3/2002 12:00:00 AM
//UTC creation Date: 1/3/2002 8:00:00 AM
//Last write time: 12/31/1998 4:00:00 PM
//UTC last write time: 1/1/1999 12:00:00 AM
//Last access time: 1/2/2002 4:00:00 PM
//UTC last access time: 1/3/2002 12:00:00 AM
//Changed last write time: 1/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

// This sample shows the differences between dates from methods that use
//coordinated universal time (UTC) format and those that do not.
using System;
using System.IO;

namespace IOSamples
{
  public class DirectoryUTCTime
  {
    public static void Main()
    {
    // Set the directory.
      string n = @"C:\test\newdir";
        //Create two variables to use to set the time.
      DateTime dtime1 = new DateTime(2002, 1, 3);
      DateTime dtime2 = new DateTime(1999, 1, 1);

    //Create the directory.
      try
      {
          Directory.CreateDirectory(n);
      }
      catch (IOException e)
      {
          Console.WriteLine(e);
      }

    //Set the creation and last access times to a variable DateTime value.
      Directory.SetCreationTime(n, dtime1);
      Directory.SetLastAccessTimeUtc(n, dtime1);

        // Print to console the results.
      Console.WriteLine("Creation Date: {0}", Directory.GetCreationTime(n));
      Console.WriteLine("UTC creation Date: {0}", Directory.GetCreationTimeUtc(n));
      Console.WriteLine("Last write time: {0}", Directory.GetLastWriteTime(n));
      Console.WriteLine("UTC last write time: {0}", Directory.GetLastWriteTimeUtc(n));
      Console.WriteLine("Last access time: {0}", Directory.GetLastAccessTime(n));
      Console.WriteLine("UTC last access time: {0}", Directory.GetLastAccessTimeUtc(n));

        //Set the last write time to a different value.
      Directory.SetLastWriteTimeUtc(n, dtime2);
      Console.WriteLine("Changed last write time: {0}", Directory.GetLastWriteTimeUtc(n));
    }
  }
}
// Obviously, since this sample deals with dates and times, the output will vary
// depending on when you run the executable. Here is one example of the output:
//Creation Date: 1/3/2002 12:00:00 AM
//UTC creation Date: 1/3/2002 8:00:00 AM
//Last write time: 12/31/1998 4:00:00 PM
//UTC last write time: 1/1/1999 12:00:00 AM
//Last access time: 1/2/2002 4:00:00 PM
//UTC last access time: 1/3/2002 12:00:00 AM
//Changed last write time: 1/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

// This sample shows the differences between dates from methods that use
//coordinated universal time (UTC) format and those that do not.
open System
open System.IO

// Set the directory.
let n = @"C:\test\newdir"
//Create two variables to use to set the time.
let dtime1 = DateTime(2002, 1, 3)
let dtime2 = DateTime(1999, 1, 1)

//Create the directory.
try
    Directory.CreateDirectory n |> ignore
with :? IOException as e ->
    printfn $"{e}"

//Set the creation and last access times to a variable DateTime value.
Directory.SetCreationTime(n, dtime1)
Directory.SetLastAccessTimeUtc(n, dtime1)

// Print to console the results.
printfn $"Creation Date: {Directory.GetCreationTime n}"
printfn $"UTC creation Date: {Directory.GetCreationTimeUtc n}"
printfn $"Last write time: {Directory.GetLastWriteTime n}"
printfn $"UTC last write time: {Directory.GetLastWriteTimeUtc n}"
printfn $"Last access time: {Directory.GetLastAccessTime n}"
printfn $"UTC last access time: {Directory.GetLastAccessTimeUtc n}"

//Set the last write time to a different value.
Directory.SetLastWriteTimeUtc(n, dtime2)
printfn $"Changed last write time: {Directory.GetLastWriteTimeUtc n}"
// Obviously, since this sample deals with dates and times, the output will vary
// depending on when you run the executable. Here is one example of the output:
//Creation Date: 1/3/2002 12:00:00 AM
//UTC creation Date: 1/3/2002 8:00:00 AM
//Last write time: 12/31/1998 4:00:00 PM
//UTC last write time: 1/1/1999 12:00:00 AM
//Last access time: 1/2/2002 4:00:00 PM
//UTC last access time: 1/3/2002 12:00:00 AM
//Changed last write time: 1/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

' This sample shows the differences between dates from methods that use
'coordinated universal time (UTC) format and those that do not.
Imports System.IO



Public Class DirectoryUTCTime
   
   Public Shared Sub Main()
      ' Set the directory.
      Dim n As String = "C:\test\newdir"
      'Create two variables to use to set the time.
      Dim dtime1 As New DateTime(2002, 1, 3)
      Dim dtime2 As New DateTime(1999, 1, 1)
      
      'Create the directory.
      Try
         Directory.CreateDirectory(n)
      Catch e As IOException
         Console.WriteLine(e)
      End Try
      
      'Set the creation and last access times to a variable DateTime value.
      Directory.SetCreationTime(n, dtime1)
      Directory.SetLastAccessTimeUtc(n, dtime1)
      
      ' Print to console the results.
      Console.WriteLine("Creation Date: {0}", Directory.GetCreationTime(n))
      Console.WriteLine("UTC creation Date: {0}", Directory.GetCreationTimeUtc(n))
      Console.WriteLine("Last write time: {0}", Directory.GetLastWriteTime(n))
      Console.WriteLine("UTC last write time: {0}", Directory.GetLastWriteTimeUtc(n))
      Console.WriteLine("Last access time: {0}", Directory.GetLastAccessTime(n))
      Console.WriteLine("UTC last access time: {0}", Directory.GetLastAccessTimeUtc(n))
      
      'Set the last write time to a different value.
      Directory.SetLastWriteTimeUtc(n, dtime2)
      Console.WriteLine("Changed last write time: {0}", Directory.GetLastWriteTimeUtc(n))
   End Sub
End Class

' Since this sample deals with dates and times, the output will vary
' depending on when you run the executable. Here is one example of the output:

' Creation Date: 1/3/2002 12:00:00 AM
' UTC creation Date: 1/3/2002 8:00:00 AM
' Last write time: 12/31/1998 4:00:00 PM
' UTC last write time: 1/1/1999 12:00:00 AM
' Last access time: 1/2/2002 4:00:00 PM
' UTC last access time: 1/3/2002 12:00:00 AM
' Changed last write time: 1/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

Remarks

Note

This method may return an inaccurate value, because it uses native functions whose values may not be continuously updated by the operating system.

If the directory described in the path parameter does not exist, this method returns 12:00 midnight, January 1, 1601 A.D. (C.E.) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

For a list of common I/O tasks, see Common I/O Tasks.

See also

• FileSystemWatcher
• File and Stream I/O
• How to: Read Text from a File
• How to: Write Text to a File