How to recursively list all the files in a directory in C#?

Question

How to recursively list all the files in a directory and child directories in C#?

Answer 1

In .NET 4.5, at least, there's this version that is much shorter and has the added bonus of evaluating any file criteria for inclusion in the list:

public static IEnumerable<string> GetAllFiles(string path, 
                                              Func<FileInfo, bool> checkFile = null)
{
    string mask = Path.GetFileName(path);
    if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(mask)) mask = "*.*";
    path = Path.GetDirectoryName(path);
    string[] files = Directory.GetFiles(path, mask, SearchOption.AllDirectories);

    foreach (string file in files)
    {
        if (checkFile == null || checkFile(new FileInfo(file)))
            yield return file;
    }
}

Use like this:

var list = GetAllFiles(mask, (info) => Path.GetExtension(info.Name) == ".html").ToList();

Answer 2

Some improved version with max lvl to go down in directory and option to exclude folders:

using System;
using System.IO;

class MainClass {
  public static void Main (string[] args) {

    var dir = @"C:\directory\to\print";
    PrintDirectoryTree(dir, 2, new string[] {"folder3"});
  }


  public static void PrintDirectoryTree(string directory, int lvl, string[] excludedFolders = null, string lvlSeperator = "")
  {
    excludedFolders = excludedFolders ?? new string[0];

    foreach (string f in Directory.GetFiles(directory))
    {
        Console.WriteLine(lvlSeperator+Path.GetFileName(f));
    } 

    foreach (string d in Directory.GetDirectories(directory))
    {
        Console.WriteLine(lvlSeperator + "-" + Path.GetFileName(d));

        if(lvl > 0 && Array.IndexOf(excludedFolders, Path.GetFileName(d)) < 0)
        {
          PrintDirectoryTree(d, lvl-1, excludedFolders, lvlSeperator+"  ");
        }
    }
  }
}

input directory:

-folder1
  file1.txt
  -folder2
    file2.txt
    -folder5
      file6.txt
  -folder3
    file3.txt
  -folder4
    file4.txt
    file5.txt

output of the function (content of folder5 is excluded due to lvl limit and content of folder3 is excluded because it is in excludedFolders array):

-folder1
  file1.txt
  -folder2
    file2.txt
    -folder5
  -folder3
  -folder4
    file4.txt
    file5.txt

Answer 3

static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string[] array1 = Directory.GetFiles(@"D:\");
            string[] array2 = System.IO.Directory.GetDirectories(@"D:\");
            Console.WriteLine("--- Files: ---");
            foreach (string name in array1)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(name);
            }
            foreach (string name in array2)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(name);
            }
                  Console.ReadLine();
        }

Answer 4

Directory.GetFiles("C:\\", "*.*", SearchOption.AllDirectories)

Answer 5

Shortest record

string files = Directory.GetFiles(@"your_path", "*.jpg", SearchOption.AllDirectories);

Answer 6

Some excellent answers but these answers did not solve my issue.

As soon as a folder permission issue arises: "Permission Denied" the code fails. This is what I used to get around the "Permission Denied" issue:

private int counter = 0;

    private string[] MyDirectories = Directory.GetDirectories("C:\\");

    private void ScanButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Thread MonitorSpeech = new Thread(() => ScanFiles());
        MonitorSpeech.Start();
    }

    private void ScanFiles()
    {
        string CurrentDirectory = string.Empty;

        while (counter < MyDirectories.Length)
        {
            try
            {
                GetDirectories();
                CurrentDirectory = MyDirectories[counter++];
            }
            catch
            {
                if (!this.IsDisposed)
                {
                    listBox1.Invoke((MethodInvoker)delegate { listBox1.Items.Add("Access Denied to : " + CurrentDirectory); });
                }
            }
        }
    }

    private void GetDirectories()
    {
        foreach (string directory in MyDirectories)
        {
            GetFiles(directory);
        }
    }

    private void GetFiles(string directory)
    {
        try
        {
            foreach (string file in Directory.GetFiles(directory, "*"))
            {
                listBox1.Invoke((MethodInvoker)delegate { listBox1.Items.Add(file); });
            }
        }
        catch
        {
            listBox1.Invoke((MethodInvoker)delegate { listBox1.Items.Add("Access Denied to : " + directory); });
        }
    }

Hope this helps others.