Read a text file

The following sample code uses a StreamReader class to read the System.ini file. The
contents of the file are added to a ListBox control. The try...catch block is used to alert the
program if the file is empty. There are many ways to determine when the end of the file is
reached; this sample uses the Peek method to examine the next line before reading it.

Dim reader As StreamReader = _

New StreamReader(winDir & "\system.ini")
Try
Me.ListBox1.Items.Clear()
Do
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add(reader.ReadLine)
Loop Until reader.Peek = -1

Catch
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add("File is empty")

Finally
reader.Close()
End Try

Write a text file

This sample code uses a StreamWriter class to create and write to a file. If you have an
existing file, you can open it in the same way.

Dim writer As StreamWriter = _

New StreamWriter("c:\KBTest.txt")
writer.WriteLine("File created using StreamWriter class.")
writer.Close()
View file information

This sample code uses a FileInfo object to access a file's properties. Notepad.exe is used in
this example. The properties appear in a ListBox control.

Dim FileProps As FileInfo = New FileInfo(winDir & "\notepad.exe")

With Me.ListBox1.Items
.Clear()
.Add("File Name = " & FileProps.FullName)
.Add("Creation Time = " & FileProps.CreationTime)
.Add("Last Access Time = " & FileProps.LastAccessTime)
.Add("Last Write Time = " & FileProps.LastWriteTime)
.Add("Size = " & FileProps.Length)
End With
FileProps = Nothing

List disk drives

This sample code uses the Directory and Drive classes to list the logical drives on a system.
For this sample, the results appear in a ListBox control.

Dim dirInfo As Directory

Dim drive As String
Me.ListBox1.Items.Clear()
Dim drives() As String = dirInfo.GetLogicalDrives()
For Each drive In drives
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add(drive)
Next

List subfolders

This sample code uses the GetDirectories method of the Directory class to get a list of
folders.
 Dim dir As String
Me.ListBox1.Items.Clear()
Dim dirs() As String = Directory.GetDirectories(winDir)
For Each dir In dirs
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add(dir)
Next

List files

This sample code uses the GetFiles method of the Directory class to get a list of files.

Dim file As String

Me.ListBox1.Items.Clear()
Dim files() As String = Directory.GetFiles(winDir)
For Each file In files
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add(file)
Next

Many things can go wrong when a user gains access to files. The files may not exist, the files
may be in use, or users may not have rights on the files of folders that they are trying to
access. It is important to consider these possibilities when you write code and to handle the
exceptions that may be generated.

Step-by-step example

1. In Visual Basic 2005 or in Visual Basic .NET, create a new Windows Application. By
default, Form1 is created.

2. Open the code window for Form1.

3. Delete all of the code in the Code-Behind Editor.

4. Paste the following sample code into the Code-Behind Editor window.
Option Strict On
Imports System.IO

Public Class Form1

Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
Private winDir As String
#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "

Public Sub New()

MyBase.New()

'Windows Form Designer requires this call.

InitializeComponent()

'Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call.

End Sub

'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.

Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)

If disposing Then
If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
components.Dispose()
End If
End If
MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
End Sub
Friend WithEvents ListBox1 As System.Windows.Forms.ListBox
Friend WithEvents Button3 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
Friend WithEvents Button5 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
Friend WithEvents Button4 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
Friend WithEvents Button2 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
Friend WithEvents Button1 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
Friend WithEvents Button6 As System.Windows.Forms.Button

'Windows Form Designer requires this call.

Private components As System.ComponentModel.Container

'NOTE: Windows Form Designer requires the following procedure.

'You can use the Windows Form Designer to modify it; however, do not
'use the Code Editor to modify it.
<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> Private Sub InitializeComponent()
Me.Button2 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
Me.Button3 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
Me.ListBox1 = New System.Windows.Forms.ListBox()
Me.Button4 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
Me.Button5 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
Me.Button1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
Me.Button6 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
Me.SuspendLayout()
'
'Button2
'
Me.Button2.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(272, 64)
Me.Button2.Name = "Button2"
Me.Button2.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(136, 23)
Me.Button2.TabIndex = 1
Me.Button2.Text = "Button2"
'
'Button3
'
Me.Button3.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(272, 96)
Me.Button3.Name = "Button3"
Me.Button3.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(136, 23)
Me.Button3.TabIndex = 2
Me.Button3.Text = "Button3"
'
'ListBox1
'
Me.ListBox1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(16, 16)
Me.ListBox1.Name = "ListBox1"
Me.ListBox1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(240, 238)
Me.ListBox1.TabIndex = 5
'
'Button4
'
Me.Button4.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(272, 128)
Me.Button4.Name = "Button4"
Me.Button4.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(136, 23)
Me.Button4.TabIndex = 3
Me.Button4.Text = "Button4"
'
'Button5
'
Me.Button5.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(272, 160)
Me.Button5.Name = "Button5"
Me.Button5.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(136, 23)
Me.Button5.TabIndex = 4
Me.Button5.Text = "Button5"
'
'Button1
'
Me.Button1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(272, 32)
Me.Button1.Name = "Button1"
Me.Button1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(136, 23)
Me.Button1.TabIndex = 0
Me.Button1.Text = "Button1"
'
'Button6
'
Me.Button6.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(272, 192)
Me.Button6.Name = "Button6"
Me.Button6.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(136, 23)
Me.Button6.TabIndex = 6
Me.Button6.Text = "Button6"
 '
'Form1
'
Me.AutoScaleBaseSize = New System.Drawing.Size(5, 13)
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(416, 341)
Me.Controls.AddRange(New System.Windows.Forms.Control() _
{Me.Button6, Me.ListBox1, Me.Button5, Me.Button4, _
Me.Button3, Me.Button2, Me.Button1})
Me.Name = "Form1"
Me.Text = "Form1"
Me.ResumeLayout(False)

End Sub

#End Region

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _

Handles MyBase.Load
Me.Button1.Text = "Read Text File"
Me.Button2.Text = "Write Text File"
Me.Button3.Text = "View File Information"
Me.Button4.Text = "List Drives"
Me.Button5.Text = "List Subfolders"
Me.Button6.Text = "List Files"
winDir = System.Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("windir")
End Sub

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As

System.EventArgs) _
Handles Button1.Click
'Demonstrates how to read a file by using StreamReader
'Uses System.ini as an example
'try...catch is used to detect a 0 byte file.
Dim reader As StreamReader = _
New StreamReader(winDir & "\system.ini")
Try
Me.ListBox1.Items.Clear()
Do 'Until reader.Peek = -1
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add(reader.ReadLine)
Loop Until reader.Peek = -1

Catch
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add("File is empty")

Finally
reader.Close()
End Try
End Sub

Private Sub Button4_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As

System.EventArgs) _
Handles Button4.Click
'Demonstrates how to obtain a list of disk drives
 Dim dirInfo As Directory
Dim drive As String
Me.ListBox1.Items.Clear()
Dim drives() As String = dirInfo.GetLogicalDrives()
For Each drive In drives
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add(drive)
Next
End Sub

Private Sub Button3_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As

System.EventArgs) _
Handles Button3.Click
'Demonstrates how to access file properties. You can access folder properties
'in the same way. More properties are available through the FileInfo class
'than are demonstrated here.
'You can also use the Directory class to obtain this information.
Dim FileProps As FileInfo = New FileInfo(winDir & "\notepad.exe")
With Me.ListBox1.Items
.Clear()
.Add("File Name = " & FileProps.FullName)
.Add("Creation Time = " & FileProps.CreationTime)
.Add("Last Access Time = " & FileProps.LastAccessTime)
.Add("Last Write TIme = " & FileProps.LastWriteTime)
.Add("Size = " & FileProps.Length)
End With
FileProps = Nothing
End Sub

Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As

System.EventArgs) _
Handles Button2.Click
'Demonstrates how to create and write to a text file
Dim writer As StreamWriter = _
New StreamWriter("c:\KBTest.txt")
writer.WriteLine("File created using StreamWriter class.")
writer.Close()
Me.ListBox1.Items.Clear()
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add("File Written to C:\KBTest.txt")
End Sub

Private Sub Button5_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As

System.EventArgs) _
Handles Button5.Click
'Demonstrates how to get a list of folders (example uses Windows folder)
Dim dir As String
Me.ListBox1.Items.Clear()
Dim dirs() As String = Directory.GetDirectories(winDir)
For Each dir In dirs
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add(dir)
Next
End Sub
 Private Sub Button6_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles Button6.Click
'Demonstrates how to get a list of files (example uses Windows folder)
Dim file As String
Me.ListBox1.Items.Clear()
Dim files() As String = Directory.GetFiles(winDir)
For Each file In files
Me.ListBox1.Items.Add(file)
Next
End Sub
End Class

NoteYou must change the code in Visual Basic 2005. By default, Visual Basic creates two
files for the project when you create a Windows Forms project. If the form is named Form1,
the two files that represent the form are named Form1.vb and Form1.Designer.vb. You
wri/te the code in the Form1.vb file. The Windows Forms Designer writes the code in the
Form1.Designer.vb file. The Windows Forms Designer uses the partial keyword to divide the
implementation of Form1 into two separate files. This behavior prevents the designer-
generated code from being interspersed with your code.

For more information about the new Visual Basic 2005 language enhancements, visit the
following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms379584(vs.80).aspx

For more information about partial classes and the Windows Forms Designer, visit the
following MSDN Web site:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms171843.aspx

5. Press F5 to build and then run the program. Click the buttons to view the different
actions. When you view the sample code, you may want to collapse the area named
Windows Form Designer Generated Code to hide this code.