using one variable to store two different paths of a folder

Eline Sami

Hi

I have one specific folder which might be found on two different locations (depends on the operating system that is being used)

I need to set a code which checks those two locations and see if the folder exists in one of them and after that my code will use the path to get the files inside that folder.

Example:

string SourcePath; // It can be @"C:\Program files or @"C:\Documents or settings

so I need to use one single variable and store the paths in in order to use as following:

if (System.IO.Directory.Exists(SourcePath))
{
string[] files = System.IO.Directory.GetFiles(sourcePath);
}

7 Replies

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

Vulpes12y ago
Accepted answer
Try this:

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;

class Test
{
static void Main()
{
string[] possiblePaths =
{
@"C:\Program files",
@"C:\Documents or settings"
};

string sourcePath = GetSourcePath(possiblePaths);
string[] files = null;

if (sourcePath != null)
{
Console.WriteLine(sourcePath);
files = Directory.GetFiles(sourcePath);
}

// or, alternatively, use LINQ rather than a separate method
sourcePath = possiblePaths.Where(pp => Directory.Exists(pp)).FirstOrDefault();;
Console.WriteLine(sourcePath);

Console.ReadKey();
}

static string GetSourcePath(string[] possiblePaths)
{
foreach(string possiblePath in possiblePaths)
{
if (Directory.Exists(possiblePath)) return possiblePath;
}

return null;
}
}
+1
Eline Sami12y ago
Thanks a lot Vulpes. This works fine just as needed :-)
0
Akhil Khare12y ago
Hi,

You are not sure where exactly your folder exist, and its happen in most if the case where you not confirm where exactly Operating System create that particular folder. For all these special folders there is an enum

System.Environment.SpecialFolder

you can use this like
```
 Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System));

in this condition I don't think you require to keep both of values

Thanks 
Akhil
```
0
Ankur Jain12y ago
the most simplest way is to use two variables and store path in both of them and then check using if condition and the another way to do so is you can create list or use Tuple but if you will use list then you have to iterate list item through loop best possible way is already explain in #Dipankar Biswas example...
0
Eline Sami12y ago
Actually I did not understand very well. Sorry

Can you make it more simpler? or if there is another way to store as a string variable?
0
Ankur Jain12y ago
Hi!

To the basic question of how to store multiple values in a single variable, use something like a List, Dictionary, or Tuple:

List items = new List() {
"one", "two", "three"
};

Dictionary items = new Dictionary() {
{"name 1", "value 1"},
{"name 2", "value 2"}
{"name 3", "value 3"}
};

var items = new Tuple("Bad Guy", 100, 50);
0
Dipankar Biswas12y ago

The following code example demonstrates some of the main members of the Path class.

using System;

using System.IO;

class Test

{



    public static void Main()

    {

        string path1 = @"c:\temp\MyTest.txt";

        string path2 = @"c:\temp\MyTest";

        string path3 = @"temp";

        if (Path.HasExtension(path1))

        {

            Console.WriteLine("{0} has an extension.", path1);

        }

        if (!Path.HasExtension(path2))

        {

            Console.WriteLine("{0} has no extension.", path2);

        }

        if (!Path.IsPathRooted(path3))

        {

            Console.WriteLine("The string {0} contains no root information.", path3);

        }

        Console.WriteLine("The full path of {0} is {1}.", path3, Path.GetFullPath(path3));

        Console.WriteLine("{0} is the location for temporary files.", Path.GetTempPath());

        Console.WriteLine("{0} is a file available for use.", Path.GetTempFileName());

        /* This code produces output similar to the following:

         * c:\temp\MyTest.txt has an extension.

         * c:\temp\MyTest has no extension.

         * The string temp contains no root information.

         * The full path of temp is D:\Documents and Settings\cliffc\My Documents\Visual Studio 2005\Projects\ConsoleApplication2\ConsoleApplication2\bin\Debug\temp.

         * D:\Documents and Settings\cliffc\Local Settings\Temp\8\ is the location for temporary files.

         * D:\Documents and Settings\cliffc\Local Settings\Temp\8\tmp3D.tmp is a file available for use.

         */

    }

}

0