Visual C# Thread

[rarisgod]

Hello, I'm doing a program in Visual C# for a summer job I have, and I was wondering if anyone around here would be able to help me out with some C# questions I have.

First, I need to display the contents of a folder in some sort of box on the screen. I say some sort of box because I don't know what tool I should use. Those familiar with Visual Studio/Visual C# might be able to help me out with this. So what tool could I use, and what code would properly display it?

I have this code so far to obtain a selected folder path name:

if (folderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK) //if user pressed "OK"
{
      label1.Text = folderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath; //change label to path name
}

That simply changes an on-screen label tool to display the directory name that has been selected. I need to somehow display the contents of this directory on-screen.

[lamarjones]

please tell me you have also posted this in coding forums as well.

[jeremyr]

what type of object is folderBrowserDialog1 ?

[rarisgod]

Originally Posted by lamarjones

please tell me you have also posted this in coding forums as well.

Yes, but the forum I registered on isn't as popular as TB (nor is any other forum I've registered on) and I know that some CS people are on here as well. I was somewhat hoping for a response asap, hence my posting on two different forums.

See already, I have 2 replies to their 0, and I posted on that forum first.

Originally Posted by jeremyr

what type of object is folderBrowserDialog1 ?

I'm not quite sure what you mean, I've only just started using Visual C# and while I've been teaching myself, I only just started using folder dialog boxes. It doesn't show up on the screen, but when I use it, it pops up a folder list and you select a folder from it.

[jeremyr]

Originally Posted by rarisgod

Yes, but the forum I registered on isn't as popular as TB (nor is any other forum I've registered on) and I know that some CS people are on here as well. I was somewhat hoping for a response asap, hence my posting on two different forums.

See already, I have 2 replies to their 0, and I posted on that forum first.



I'm not quite sure what you mean, I've only just started using Visual C# and while I've been teaching myself, I only just started using folder dialog boxes. It doesn't show up on the screen, but when I use it, it pops up a folder list and you select a folder from it.

all objects have a type. whether it's a Custom obj that you've built or a built in object that's predefined.

In all cases if the object isn't static (used typically as a util methods) then it will need to be instantiated. like so

var objFolderItem = new Object;


the type of the variable objFolderItem in this case is a plain Object.

i was simply asking what kind of object it is that you are using already.

Once I know that I can help you find out how to get what the selected items were that the user selected.

[rarisgod]

Originally Posted by jeremyr

all objects have a type. whether it's a Custom obj that you've built or a built in object that's predefined.

In all cases if the object isn't static (used typically as a util methods) then it will need to be instantiated. like so

var objFolderItem = new Object;


the type of the variable objFolderItem in this case is a plain Object.

i was simply asking what kind of object it is that you are using already.

Once I know that I can help you find out how to get what the selected items were that the user selected.

Oh. The object is built into Visual C#, and I basically just dragged it onto the form. So if that's what you mean by predefined, then yes. I haven't built any objects as I haven't gone that far into object oriented programming yet.

[rarisgod]

Bump.

Nobody knows Visual C#?

[jokn388]

Take this with a grain of salt since I do not know C#. But looking at the api and at some quick examples this may do the trick

Note you need to know the path, which should should be a string

DirectoryInfo di = new DirectoryInfo(path);

FileInfo[] files = di.GetFiles("*.");
foreach(FileInfo fi in files)
{
fi.Name;
}

Hope this helps, or at least puts you on the right path until someone with real c# knowledge can help you out

Edit: fi.Name will give you the name of the file. You will have to handle it however you would like, whether it is printing it right to the screen or adding it to another label

[RedsFan75]

Originally Posted by rarisgod

Bump.

Nobody knows Visual C#?

It's what I do for a living.

jokn388 should get what you're looking for.

[rarisgod]

string[] dirEntries = Directory.GetDirectories(source);
            foreach (string dirName in dirEntries)
            {
                textBox1.Lines[count] = Path.GetFileName(dirName);
                if (count != dirEntries.Length - 1)
                {
                    count++;
                }
            }

Why am I running out of the array??? I don't know of any other way to print on different Lines in the textbox...

[john turner]

might want to initialize count.

[rarisgod]

Originally Posted by john turner

might want to initialize count.

I should have included that part, but I did earlier in the code. I thought I included all relevant info but yeah that should have been in there also.

Nonetheless, I found out my error was not initializing textbox1.Lines. But also that I didn't even need to do it with a foreach loop. I got it working successfully:

            folderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog();
            label1.Text = folderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath;
            string[] dirEntries = Directory.GetDirectories(folderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath);
            textBox1.Lines = dirEntries;
            string[] fileEntries = Directory.GetFiles(folderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath);
            textBox1.Lines = fileEntries;

But I don't really want it in a textbox lol I'd rather have it in a listbox, but there is no "Lines" property for listbox, so it looks as though it won't work the same way with other objects..oh how I've confused myself.
Thanks for now, more to come no doubt!

[Bocete]

Originally Posted by rarisgod

string[] dirEntries = Directory.GetDirectories(source);
            foreach (string dirName in dirEntries)
            {
                textBox1.Lines[count] = Path.GetFileName(dirName);
                if (count != dirEntries.Length - 1)
                {
                    count++;
                }
            }

Why am I running out of the array??? I don't know of any other way to print on different Lines in the textbox...

I don't know C#. Java ftw.

Don't forget to make the textbox multiline. I'm not sure how the Lines member works if otherwise, the API isn't clear.

The Path.getFileName method returns an empty string if the argument denotes a directory, if I read right. I'm not sure how does the TextBox handle appending empty strings: it could possibly be that the Lines property does not have its size increased or something. Maybe you should check if the string is empty or null, and only append otherwise. Or maybe you should add a newline character at the end?

Also, there's no need to check the count variable inside. It's an index to where you want new text to be appended, right? If so, it should be incremented only when and every time you add text to the textbox. Makes sense. Inside the foreach block you might want to see only

textBox1.Lines[count++] = Path.GetFileName(dirName);

[RedsFan75]

Originally Posted by rarisgod

But I don't really want it in a textbox lol I'd rather have it in a listbox, but there is no "Lines" property for listbox, so it looks as though it won't work the same way with other objects..oh how I've confused myself.
Thanks for now, more to come no doubt!

listbox.items.add(Path.GetFileName(dirName))

[rarisgod]

Originally Posted by RedsFan75

listbox.items.add(Path.GetFileName(dirName))

Great! This is just what I needed!
Now...is there any way to filter certain file types so only those file types are displayed?

[Jim Nazium]

Originally Posted by rarisgod

Bump.

Nobody knows Visual C#?

No, but I know some visual Db.

[rarisgod]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

No, but I know some visual Db.

Zing!

[jokn388]

Originally Posted by rarisgod

Great! This is just what I needed!
Now...is there any way to filter certain file types so only those file types are displayed?

Going back to my original post I have a line:
FileInfo[] files = di.GetFiles("*.");

You can alter this line to get a particular filetype. For example to get a list of pdfs:
FileInfo[] pdfs = di.GetFiles("*.pdf");
list of word documents:
FileInfo[] docs = di.GetFiles("*.doc");

etc. There should be a million different ways to do this.

Do you have a c# book/reference? If not, I highly recommend getting one and immersing yourself in the language

[Kosko]

Edit: Oh you're reading a folder and not a file... sorry

[rarisgod]

Originally Posted by jokn388

Going back to my original post I have a line:
FileInfo[] files = di.GetFiles("*.");

You can alter this line to get a particular filetype. For example to get a list of pdfs:
FileInfo[] pdfs = di.GetFiles("*.pdf");
list of word documents:
FileInfo[] docs = di.GetFiles("*.doc");

etc. There should be a million different ways to do this.

Do you have a c# book/reference? If not, I highly recommend getting one and immersing yourself in the language

I ended up finding this on another site. I did have to limit to 2 specific file types, but I sound a solution in just running the same filter method twice with 2 different file types.

Thanks everyone, no doubt there will be more questions to come!