File.Delete(String) Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.IO

Assembly:

System.Runtime.dll

Source:

File.cs

Deletes the specified file.

public:
 static void Delete(System::String ^ path);

public static void Delete (string path);

static member Delete : string -> unit

Public Shared Sub Delete (path As String)

Parameters

path

String

The name of the file to be deleted. Wildcard characters are not supported.

Exceptions

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 by using the GetInvalidPathChars() method.

ArgumentNullException

path is null.

DirectoryNotFoundException

The specified path is invalid (for example, it is on an unmapped drive).

IOException

The specified file is in use.

-or-

There is an open handle on the file, and the operating system is Windows XP or earlier. This open handle can result from enumerating directories and files. For more information, see How to: Enumerate Directories and Files.

NotSupportedException

path is in an invalid format.

PathTooLongException

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

UnauthorizedAccessException

The caller does not have the required permission.

-or-

The file is an executable file that is in use.

-or-

path is a directory.

-or-

path specified a read-only file.

Examples

The following example copies groups of files to the C:\archives\2008 backup folder and then deletes them from the source folder.

string sourceDir = @"c:\current";
string backupDir = @"c:\archives\2008";

try
{
    string[] picList = Directory.GetFiles(sourceDir, "*.jpg");
    string[] txtList = Directory.GetFiles(sourceDir, "*.txt");

    // Copy picture files.
    foreach (string f in picList)
    {
        // Remove path from the file name.
        string fName = f.Substring(sourceDir.Length + 1);

        // Use the Path.Combine method to safely append the file name to the path.
        // Will overwrite if the destination file already exists.
        File.Copy(Path.Combine(sourceDir, fName), Path.Combine(backupDir, fName), true);
    }

    // Copy text files.
    foreach (string f in txtList)
    {

        // Remove path from the file name.
        string fName = f.Substring(sourceDir.Length + 1);

        try
        {
            // Will not overwrite if the destination file already exists.
            File.Copy(Path.Combine(sourceDir, fName), Path.Combine(backupDir, fName));
        }

        // Catch exception if the file was already copied.
        catch (IOException copyError)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(copyError.Message);
        }
    }

    // Delete source files that were copied.
    foreach (string f in txtList)
    {
        File.Delete(f);
    }
    foreach (string f in picList)
    {
        File.Delete(f);
    }
}

catch (DirectoryNotFoundException dirNotFound)
{
    Console.WriteLine(dirNotFound.Message);
}

let sourceDir = @"c:\current"
let backupDir = @"c:\archives\2008"

try
    let picList = Directory.GetFiles(sourceDir, "*.jpg")
    let txtList = Directory.GetFiles(sourceDir, "*.txt")

    // Copy picture files.
    for f in picList do
        // Remove path from the file name.
        let fName = f.Substring(sourceDir.Length + 1)

        // Use the Path.Combine method to safely append the file name to the path.
        // Will overwrite if the destination file already exists.
        File.Copy(Path.Combine(sourceDir, fName), Path.Combine(backupDir, fName), true)

    // Copy text files.
    for f in txtList do
        // Remove path from the file name.
        let fName = f.Substring(sourceDir.Length + 1)

        try
            // Will not overwrite if the destination file already exists.
            File.Copy(Path.Combine(sourceDir, fName), Path.Combine(backupDir, fName))

        // Catch exception if the file was already copied.
        with
        | :? IOException as copyError -> printfn $"{copyError.Message}"

    // Delete source files that were copied.
    for f in txtList do
        File.Delete f

    for f in picList do
        File.Delete f

// Catch exception if the file was already copied.
with
| :? DirectoryNotFoundException as dirNotFound -> printfn $"{dirNotFound.Message}"

Dim sourceDir As String = "c:\current"
Dim backupDir As String = "c:\archives\2008"

Try
    Dim picList As String() = Directory.GetFiles(sourceDir, "*.jpg")
    Dim txtList As String() = Directory.GetFiles(sourceDir, "*.txt")

    ' Copy picture files.
    For Each f As String In picList
        'Remove path from the file name.
        Dim fName As String = f.Substring(sourceDir.Length + 1)

        ' Use the Path.Combine method to safely append the file name to the path.
        ' Will overwrite if the destination file already exists.
        File.Copy(Path.Combine(sourceDir, fName), Path.Combine(backupDir, fName), True)
    Next

    ' Copy text files.
    For Each f As String In txtList

        'Remove path from the file name.
        Dim fName As String = f.Substring(sourceDir.Length + 1)

        Try
            ' Will not overwrite if the destination file already exists.
            File.Copy(Path.Combine(sourceDir, fName), Path.Combine(backupDir, fName))

            ' Catch exception if the file was already copied.
        Catch copyError As IOException
            Console.WriteLine(copyError.Message)
        End Try
    Next

    For Each f As String In txtList
        File.Delete(f)
    Next

    For Each f As String In picList
        File.Delete(f)
    Next

Catch dirNotFound As DirectoryNotFoundException
    Console.WriteLine(dirNotFound.Message)
End Try

Remarks

Specify a file name with any relative or absolute path information for the path parameter. Wildcard characters cannot be included. Relative path information is interpreted as relative to the current working directory. To obtain the current working directory, see GetCurrentDirectory.

If the file to be deleted does not exist, no exception is thrown.

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

See also

• File and Stream I/O
• Reading Text From A File
• How to: Write Text to a File