FileInfo(String) Constructor

Definition

Namespace:

System.IO

Assembly:

System.Runtime.dll

Source:

FileInfo.cs

Initializes a new instance of the FileInfo class, which acts as a wrapper for a file path.

public:
 FileInfo(System::String ^ fileName);

public FileInfo (string fileName);

new System.IO.FileInfo : string -> System.IO.FileInfo

Public Sub New (fileName As String)

Parameters

fileName

String

The fully qualified name of the new file, or the relative file name. Do not end the path with the directory separator character.

Exceptions

ArgumentNullException

fileName is null.

SecurityException

The caller does not have the required permission.

ArgumentException

.NET Framework and .NET Core versions older than 2.1: The file name is empty, contains only white spaces, or contains invalid characters.

UnauthorizedAccessException

Access to fileName is denied.

PathTooLongException

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

NotSupportedException

fileName contains a colon (:) in the middle of the string.

Examples

The following example uses this constructor to create two files, which are then written to, read from, copied, and deleted.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;

int main()
{
   String^ path = "c:\\MyTest.txt";
   FileInfo^ fi1 = gcnew FileInfo( path );
   if (  !fi1->Exists )
   {
      //Create a file to write to.
      StreamWriter^ sw = fi1->CreateText();
      try
      {
         sw->WriteLine( "Hello" );
         sw->WriteLine( "And" );
         sw->WriteLine( "Welcome" );
      }
      finally
      {
         if ( sw )
            delete (IDisposable^)sw;
      }
   }

   //Open the file to read from.
   StreamReader^ sr = fi1->OpenText();
   try
   {
      String^ s = "";
      while ( s = sr->ReadLine() )
      {
         Console::WriteLine( s );
      }
   }
   finally
   {
      if ( sr )
         delete (IDisposable^)sr;
   }

   try
   {
      String^ path2 = String::Concat( path, "temp" );
      FileInfo^ fi2 = gcnew FileInfo( path2 );
      
      //Ensure that the target does not exist.
      fi2->Delete();
      
      //Copy the file.
      fi1->CopyTo( path2 );
      Console::WriteLine( "{0} was copied to {1}.", path, path2 );
      
      //Delete the newly created file.
      fi2->Delete();
      Console::WriteLine( "{0} was successfully deleted.", path2 );
   }
   catch ( Exception^ e ) 
   {
      Console::WriteLine( "The process failed: {0}", e );
   }
}

//This code produces output similar to the following; 
//results may vary based on the computer/file structure/etc.:
//
//Hello
//And
//Welcome
//c:\MyTest.txt was copied to c:\MyTest.txttemp.
//c:\MyTest.txttemp was successfully deleted.

using System;
using System.IO;

class Test
{
    
    public static void Main()
    {
        string path = @"c:\temp\MyTest.txt";
        FileInfo fi1 = new FileInfo(path);

        if (!fi1.Exists)
        {
            //Create a file to write to.
            using (StreamWriter sw = fi1.CreateText())
            {
                sw.WriteLine("Hello");
                sw.WriteLine("And");
                sw.WriteLine("Welcome");
            }	
        }

        //Open the file to read from.
        using (StreamReader sr = fi1.OpenText())
        {
            string s = "";
            while ((s = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(s);
            }
        }

        try
        {
            string path2 = path + "temp";
            FileInfo fi2 = new FileInfo(path2);

            //Ensure that the target does not exist.
            fi2.Delete();

            //Copy the file.
            fi1.CopyTo(path2);
            Console.WriteLine("{0} was copied to {1}.", path, path2);

            //Delete the newly created file.
            fi2.Delete();
            Console.WriteLine("{0} was successfully deleted.", path2);
        }
        catch (Exception e)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("The process failed: {0}", e.ToString());
        }
    }
}
//This code produces output similar to the following;
//results may vary based on the computer/file structure/etc.:
//
//Hello
//And
//Welcome
//c:\MyTest.txt was copied to c:\MyTest.txttemp.
//c:\MyTest.txttemp was successfully deleted.

Imports System.IO

Class Test

    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Dim path As String = "c:\temp\MyTest.txt"
        Dim fi1 As FileInfo = New FileInfo(path)

        If fi1.Exists = False Then
            'Create a file to write to.
            Dim sw As StreamWriter = fi1.CreateText()
            sw.WriteLine("Hello")
            sw.WriteLine("And")
            sw.WriteLine("Welcome")
            sw.Flush()
            sw.Close()
        End If

        'Open the file to read from.
        Dim sr As StreamReader = fi1.OpenText()

        Do While sr.Peek() >= 0
            Console.WriteLine(sr.ReadLine())
        Loop

        Try
            Dim path2 As String = path + "temp"
            Dim fi2 As FileInfo = New FileInfo(path2)

            'Ensure that the target does not exist.
            fi2.Delete()

            'Copy the file.
            fi1.CopyTo(path2)
            Console.WriteLine("{0} was copied to {1}.", path, path2)

            'Delete the newly created file.
            fi2.Delete()
            Console.WriteLine("{0} was successfully deleted.", path2)

        Catch e As Exception
            Console.WriteLine("The process failed: {0}", e.ToString())
        End Try
    End Sub
End Class
'This code produces output similar to the following; 
'results may vary based on the computer/file structure/etc.:
'
'Hello
'And
'Welcome
'c:\MyTest.txt was copied to c:\MyTest.txttemp.
'c:\MyTest.txttemp was successfully deleted.

The following example opens an existing file or creates a file, appends text to the file, and displays the results.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
int main()
{
   
   // Open an existing file, or create a new one.
   FileInfo^ fi = gcnew FileInfo( "temp.txt" );
   
   // Create a writer, ready to add entries to the file.
   StreamWriter^ sw = fi->AppendText();
   sw->WriteLine( "This is a new entry to add to the file" );
   sw->WriteLine( "This is yet another line to add..." );
   sw->Flush();
   sw->Close();
   
   // Get the information out of the file and display it.
   StreamReader^ sr = gcnew StreamReader( fi->OpenRead() );
   while ( sr->Peek() != -1 )
      Console::WriteLine( sr->ReadLine() );
}
//This code produces output similar to the following; 
//results may vary based on the computer/file structure/etc.:
//
//This is a new entry to add to the file
//This is yet another line to add...

using System;
using System.IO;

public class FileInfoMainTest
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        // Open an existing file, or create a new one.
        FileInfo fi = new FileInfo("temp.txt");
        // Create a writer, ready to add entries to the file.
        StreamWriter sw = fi.AppendText();
        sw.WriteLine("This is a new entry to add to the file");
        sw.WriteLine("This is yet another line to add...");
        sw.Flush();
        sw.Close();
        // Get the information out of the file and display it.
        StreamReader sr = new StreamReader( fi.OpenRead() );
        while (sr.Peek() != -1)
            Console.WriteLine( sr.ReadLine() );
    }
}
//This code produces output similar to the following;
//results may vary based on the computer/file structure/etc.:
//
//Add as many lines as you like...
//Add another line to the output...
//This is a new entry to add to the file
//This is yet another line to add...

Imports System.IO

Public Class FileInfoMainTest

    Public Shared Sub Main()
        ' Open an existing file, or create a new one.
        Dim fi As New FileInfo("temp.txt")
        ' Create a writer, ready to add entries to the file.
        Dim sw As StreamWriter = fi.AppendText()
        sw.WriteLine("This is a new entry to add to the file")
        sw.WriteLine("This is yet another line to add...")
        sw.Flush()
        sw.Close()
        Dim sr As New StreamReader(fi.OpenRead())
        ' Get the information out of the file and display it.
        While sr.Peek() <> -1
            Console.WriteLine(sr.ReadLine())
        End While
    End Sub
End Class
'This code produces output similar to the following; 
'results may vary based on the computer/file structure/etc.:
'
'This is a new entry to add to the file
'This is yet another line to add...

Remarks

You can specify either the fully qualified or the relative file name, but the security check gets the fully qualified name.

See also

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