DirTree C# Reference Documentation

DirTree

Current Version: 11.5.0

Chilkat.DirTree

Iterate through files and subdirectories under a base directory.

Chilkat.DirTree is a lightweight directory-tree iterator for traversing files and subdirectories under a selected base directory. It supports recursive and non-recursive traversal and exposes useful information about the current item, including absolute path, UNC path, relative path, file size, and whether the current item is a directory.

Directory traversal

Iterate through the contents of a base directory, either recursively or one level at a time.

Current-item details

Get the current item's full path, relative path, UNC path, size, and directory/file status.

Recursive scanning

Traverse entire directory trees when an application needs to process all nested files and folders.

Non-recursive listing

Limit iteration to the immediate contents of the base directory when deeper traversal is not needed.

Path-friendly output

Use absolute or relative paths depending on whether the application needs filesystem access or archive-style relative names.

Error-aware iteration

Use DoneIterating to distinguish normal completion from an error when an iteration method returns false.

Common pattern: Set the base directory and recursion behavior, begin iterating, process each current item using the path and metadata properties, then check DoneIterating when iteration stops to determine whether traversal completed normally or ended because of an error.

For an extended overview, see DirTree Class Overview.

Object Creation

Chilkat.DirTree obj = new Chilkat.DirTree();

Properties

BaseDir
public string BaseDir {get; set; }

Specifies the root directory whose contents are traversed. Set this property before calling BeginIterate.

The value may be an absolute filesystem path or a relative path. A relative path is resolved from the calling process's current working directory.

Iteration scope: The iterator visits the files and subdirectories contained under this directory. The Recurse property determines whether nested levels are included.

More Information and Examples
(C#) Iterate over Files and Directories in Filesystem Directory Tree(PowerShell) Iterate over Files and Directories in Filesystem Directory Tree
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DebugLogFilePath
public string DebugLogFilePath {get; set; }

If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. This logging helps identify the context and history of Chilkat calls leading up to any crash or hang, aiding in debugging.

Enabling the VerboseLogging property provides more detailed information. This property is mainly used for debugging rare instances where a Chilkat method call causes a hang or crash, which should generally not happen.

Possible causes of hangs include:

  • A timeout property set to 0, indicating an infinite timeout.
  • A hang occurring within an event callback in the application code.
  • An internal bug in the Chilkat code causing the hang.

More Information and Examples
(C#) Example showing how to use DebugLogFilePath.(PowerShell) Example showing how to use DebugLogFilePath.
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DoneIterating
public bool DoneIterating {get; }

Indicates whether the traversal has reached its normal end and no current item remains.

This property is especially important because both BeginIterate and AdvancePosition can return false for either normal completion or an error:

Method result DoneIterating Meaning
false true The directory was empty, or the last item has been passed. This is normal completion.
false false An error occurred. Examine LastErrorText.

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FileSize32
public int FileSize32 {get; }

Returns the size of the current file in bytes as a 32-bit integer. The value is 0 when the current item is a directory.

Large files: A 32-bit integer cannot represent all modern file sizes. Use FileSize64 when the language binding provides it, or FileSizeStr when a decimal string is more portable.

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FileSize64
public long FileSize64 {get; }

Returns the size of the current file in bytes as a 64-bit integer. The value is 0 when the current item is a directory.

This is the preferred numeric size property for files that may exceed the range of FileSize32. In bindings that do not expose a 64-bit integer property, use FileSizeStr.

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FileSizeStr
public string FileSizeStr {get; }
Introduced in version 9.5.0.88

Returns the size of the current file in bytes as an unsigned decimal string. The value is 0 when the current item is a directory.

This representation is useful for very large files and for language bindings where a 64-bit integer is unavailable or inconvenient. Convert the string to an appropriate arbitrary-precision or 64-bit numeric type only when arithmetic is required.

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FullPath
public string FullPath {get; }

Returns the absolute filesystem path of the current file or subdirectory, including the item's name.

The path uses the native path syntax for the operating system. For a path relative to BaseDir, use RelativePath.

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FullUncPath
public string FullUncPath {get; }

Returns the current item's Windows extended-length absolute path. For example, a local path may be returned as \\?\C:\data\reports\file.txt; a network path may use the \\?\UNC\server\share\... form.

Windows path form: The \\?\ prefix asks Windows to use extended-length path parsing and is useful when working with paths that may exceed legacy path-length limits. Use FullPath when an ordinary native absolute path is preferred.

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IsDirectory
public bool IsDirectory {get; }

Returns true when the current item is a subdirectory and false when it is a file.

Check this property before using a file-size property. Directory items report a size of 0.

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LastErrorHtml
public string LastErrorHtml {get; }

Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorText
public string LastErrorText {get; }

Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

More Information and Examples
Concept of LastErrorTextLastErrorText Standard Information
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LastErrorXml
public string LastErrorXml {get; }

Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastMethodSuccess
public bool LastMethodSuccess {get; set; }

Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: true means success, false means failure. This property remains unchanged by property setters or getters. This method is present to address challenges in checking for null or Nothing returns in certain programming languages. Note: This property does not apply to methods that return integer values or to boolean-returning methods where the boolean does not indicate success or failure.

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Recurse
public bool Recurse {get; set; }

Controls whether traversal descends into nested subdirectories.

true Visit files and directories throughout the complete tree rooted at BaseDir.
false Visit only the immediate contents of BaseDir.

The default value is true. Set this property before calling BeginIterate.

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RelativePath
public string RelativePath {get; }

Returns the path of the current file or subdirectory relative to BaseDir, including the item's name.

For example, if BaseDir is C:\data and the current item is C:\data\images\logo.png, this property returns images\logo.png on Windows. Path separators follow the operating system's native convention.

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UncommonOptions
public string UncommonOptions {get; set; }
Introduced in version 11.1.0

Provides a comma-separated list of specialized compatibility options. The default is the empty string, and applications should normally leave it unchanged.

Keyword Effect
Q_EncodePaths Returns path-valued output properties in Chilkat's Q-encoded representation. Introduced in Chilkat v11.1.0. This changes only the returned string representation; it does not change which filesystem items are traversed.

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VerboseLogging
public bool VerboseLogging {get; set; }

If set to true, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is false. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.

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Version
public string Version {get; }

Version of the component/library, such as "10.1.0"

More Information and Examples
(C#) How to get the Chilkat version at runtime.(PowerShell) How to get the Chilkat version at runtime.
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Methods

AdvancePosition
public bool AdvancePosition();

Advances the traversal from the current item to the next file or subdirectory.

If the method returns true, the current-item properties—such as FullPath, RelativePath, IsDirectory, and the file-size properties—describe the newly selected item.

Return value DoneIterating Meaning
true false The iterator advanced successfully and a current item is available.
false true The last item has been passed; traversal completed normally.
false false An error occurred. Examine LastErrorText.

Returns true for success, false for failure.

More Information and Examples
(C#) Iterate over Files and Directories in Filesystem Directory Tree(PowerShell) Iterate over Files and Directories in Filesystem Directory Tree
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BeginIterate
public bool BeginIterate();

Initializes a new traversal using the current BaseDir and Recurse settings.

If the method returns true, the iterator is positioned at the first file or subdirectory, and the current-item properties can be read immediately. Continue by processing that item and then calling AdvancePosition.

Return value DoneIterating Meaning
true false The first item is available.
false true The directory contains no items in the selected traversal scope. This is not an error.
false false Initialization failed. Examine LastErrorText.
Property lifetime: Treat the current-item properties as valid only while the iterator is positioned on an item—that is, after a successful BeginIterate or AdvancePosition.

Returns true for success, false for failure.

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