Copy file from one directory to another

Question

I am pretty new to C# and I am trying to get my program to copy a file from one location to another. The method I have is as below;

    private void CopyInstallF         


        

Answer 1

Try this :

string path = @"C:\Program Files (x86)\your\path\main.txt";

Answer 2

File.Copy requires the full filename for the destination.

destFileName
Type: System.String
The name of the destination file. This cannot be a directory.

If your input is just the folder name then you need to add the filename of the source file.

private void CopyInstallFiles(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    // The correct syntax for a path name requires the verbatim @ char
    string sourceFile = @"F:\inetpub\ftproot\test.txt";
    string file = Path.GetFileName(sourceFile);
    string copyPathone = directoryImput.Text;
    System.IO.File.Copy(sourceFile, Path.Combine(copyPathone, file), true);
}

Note the final parameter = true to overwrite a file in the destination folder.

As a side note, I suggest you to remove the textbox as input for a folder name but instead use the FolderBrowserDialog

Answer 3

This is because in C# (and C++ and C and some other languages) string can contain special characters. Those characters are followed by '\'. So for example string:

"\n"

Will not show you \n This is special character called - new line. So, when you create path like that:

"C:\Dir\file.txt"

C# expects that there are two special characters: \D and \f. But there is no special characters like that. Thus the error.

To put character '\' into string you have to double it, so:

"\\n"

would output \n

The same is with paths: "C:\Dir\file.txt"

C# has an alternative. You can have single '\' in path, but such a string must be followed by at sign (@):

string properPath = @"C:\dir\file.txt";
string properPath2 = "C:\\dir\\file.txt";
string error = "C:\dir\file.txt"

Answer 4

Look at your sourceFile string and be aware of using the \, which could be interpreted as escape character.

To prevent this start your string with @

string sourceFile = @"F:\inetpub\ftproot\test.txt";

or

string sourceFile = "F:\\inetpub\\ftproot\\test.txt";

Answer 5

Either FIle.Copy Move it to new location like below

new_file_path = file_path.Replace(".xls", " created on " + File.GetLastWriteTime(file_path).ToString("dd-MM-yyyy hh-mm-ss tt") + ".xls");
                        File.Move(file_path, new_file_path);
                        File.Delete(file_path);