Searching and opening files in a listBox

Hi all,

Im want to create a program for myself which will search my directories for ebooks and let me select the one i want to read. So for instance my first form has a button for C# Books, I want that then to produce a list of books found on my computer and let me pick one to read.

I know a way i can do this using oledb and msaccess and having a link field in the table. However the purpose is I do not wish to do this every time I attain a new book.

So far my snippets is as follow:

// Button to display all java books
private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) 
        {
            listBox1.Items.Clear();
            string[] book = Directory.GetFiles(@"C:\Books\JAVA", "*.*", SearchOption.AllDirectories);
            foreach (string b in book)
            {
                string filePath = Path.GetFullPath(b);
                string entry = Path.GetFileName(b);
                listBox1.Items.Add(entry);  
            }
        }
// Button to open file
private void button9_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            string file = listBox1.SelectedItem.ToString();
            System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(file);
        }

So currently I can get the books in that particular folder to show, however I can not open the file unless I am displaying the path name which I want to avoid if possible.
If anyone has any suggestion, would appreciate it very much.

Cheers Guys

One way of doing it would be to create a 'helper' class:

class BookHelper
{
public string FullPath { get; set; }
public string FileName { get; set; }
}

and now change the code in your button_Click handlers as follows:

private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string[] book = Directory.GetFiles(@"C:\Books\JAVA", "*.*", SearchOption.AllDirectories);

List list = new List();

foreach (string b in book)
{
BookHelper bh = new BookHelper();
bh.FullPath = Path.GetFullPath(b);
bh.FileName = Path.GetFileName(b);
list.Add(bh);
}

listBox1.DataSource = list;
listBox1.DisplayMember = "FileName";
listBox1.ValueMember = "FullPath";
}

private void button9_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string file = listBox1.SelectedValue.ToString();
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(file);
}

1 Reply

Know the answer? Post it — somebody with the same question will find it here.

Vulpes13y ago
One way of doing it would be to create a 'helper' class:

class BookHelper
{
public string FullPath { get; set; }
public string FileName { get; set; }
}

and now change the code in your button_Click handlers as follows:

private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string[] book = Directory.GetFiles(@"C:\Books\JAVA", "*.*", SearchOption.AllDirectories);

List list = new List();

foreach (string b in book)
{
BookHelper bh = new BookHelper();
bh.FullPath = Path.GetFullPath(b);
bh.FileName = Path.GetFileName(b);
list.Add(bh);
}

listBox1.DataSource = list;
listBox1.DisplayMember = "FileName";
listBox1.ValueMember = "FullPath";
}

private void button9_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string file = listBox1.SelectedValue.ToString();
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(file);
}
0