Ok i was wonderin. Can I, and if so, how do you search or if you like 'Scan' a hard drive with vb for a filename such as lala.exe or what eva.

I'd love to know!

Directory.GetDirectories and Directory.GetFiles can be used to recurse over a directory structure and apply a search string.

Directory.GetDirectories and Directory.GetFiles can be used to recurse over a directory structure and apply a search string.

What Cgraus is describing would look like this

Imports System.IO

Public Class Form1

    Protected filename As String

    Protected LastDirectory As String

    Protected LastFoundDirectory As String

    Protected MatchString As New ArrayList

    Protected bStop As Boolean

    Protected fileObjectList As New ArrayList

    Protected StringSegmentList As New ArrayList

    Protected Threads As Integer

    Protected FoundFiles As Long

    Protected Numfiles As Long

    Protected DriveInfo As System.IO.DriveInfo()

 

    Protected sFilestring As String

    Protected ExtDict As New Dictionary(Of Integer, String)

    Protected NameDict As New Dictionary(Of Integer, String)

    Protected bListAllFiles As Boolean

    Protected bFullnameCompare As Boolean

    Protected bExtCompare As Boolean

    Protected bNameCompare As Boolean

    Protected bNamescan As Boolean

    Protected bExtscan As Boolean

    Protected bRequiredActions As Byte

 

 

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load

        SetupListview()

    End Sub

 

    Private Sub cbSearch_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cbSearch.Click

        'fileObjectList.Clear()

 

        If cbSearch.Text.Contains("Search") Then

            StringSegmentList.Clear()

            LastDirectory = ""

            MatchString.Clear()

            SetupListview()

            cbSearch.Text = "Stop"

            Application.DoEvents()

            Parse()

            ProcessAllDirectories("g:\")

        Else

            bStop = True

            cbSearch.Text = "Search"

        End If

    End Sub

    Private Sub SetupListview()

        lv1.Clear()

        With lv1

            .View = View.Details

            'Add a column with width 20 and left alignment

            .Columns.Add("Files", 200, HorizontalAlignment.Center)

            .Columns(0).Tag = "String"

            .Columns.Add("Pid", 45, HorizontalAlignment.Right)

            .Columns(1).Tag = "Numeric"

        End With

    End Sub

   

    Private Sub ProcessAllDirectories(ByVal strPath As String)

        Dim objException As Exception

        Try

            Dim objDirectoryInfo As New DirectoryInfo(strPath)

            ProcessDirectory(objDirectoryInfo)

        Catch objException

        End Try

        cbSearch.Text = "Search"

    End Sub

    Private Sub ProcessDirectory(ByVal objDirectoryInfo As DirectoryInfo)

        'Static ListviewIndex

        Static Drive As Char

        Threads += 1

        If bStop Then GoTo Common_Exit

 

        Try

 

            If objDirectoryInfo.GetFiles().Length > 0 Then

                Dim objFiles As FileInfo()

                Dim objFileInfo As FileInfo

 

                objFiles = objDirectoryInfo.GetFiles()

                If objDirectoryInfo.FullName <> LastDirectory Then

                    LastDirectory = objDirectoryInfo.FullName

                End If

 

                If bListAllFiles Then ListAllFiles(objFileInfo, objFiles)

                If bFullnameCompare Then FullnameCompare(objFileInfo, objFiles)

 

            End If

 

            If objDirectoryInfo.GetDirectories().Length > 0 Then

                Dim arrobjDirectoryInfo As DirectoryInfo()

                arrobjDirectoryInfo = objDirectoryInfo.GetDirectories()

                Dim objChildDirectory As DirectoryInfo

                For Each objChildDirectory In arrobjDirectoryInfo

                    If bStop Then GoTo common_exit

                    slFiles.Text = "Files: " & Numfiles

                    slFound.Text = "Files Found: " & FoundFiles

                    slDirectory.Text = "Directory: " & LastDirectory

                    ProcessDirectory(objChildDirectory)

                Next

            End If

        Catch objException As Exception

            Throw (objException)

        End Try

Common_Exit:

        Application.DoEvents()

    End Sub

    Private Sub ListAllFiles(ByVal fileinfo As FileInfo, ByVal files As FileInfo())

 

        For Each fileinfo In files

            If bStop Then GoTo common_exit

            Numfiles += 1

            lv1.Items.Add("    " & fileinfo.Name)

            FoundFiles += 1

            slFiles.Text = "Files Found: " & FoundFiles

        Next

Common_exit:

    End Sub

 

 

    Private Sub FullnameCompare(ByVal fileinfo As FileInfo, ByVal files As FileInfo())

        For Each fileinfo In files

            If bStop Then GoTo common_exit

            Numfiles += 1

            If fileinfo.Name.ToLower.Contains(sFilestring.ToLower) Then

                If LastFoundDirectory <> LastDirectory Then

                    LastFoundDirectory = fileinfo.DirectoryName

                    lv1.Items.Add(LastFoundDirectory.Substring(0, 1).ToUpper & LastDirectory.Substring(1)) '.ForeColor = Color.AliceBlue

                End If

                lv1.Items.Add("    " & fileinfo.Name)

                FoundFiles += 1

                slFiles.Text = "Files Found: " & FoundFiles

            End If

        Next

        'End If

 

Common_exit:

    End Sub

 

 

    Private Sub tb1_KeyPress(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyPressEventArgs) Handles tb1.KeyPress

 

        If e.KeyChar = Chr(Keys.Enter) Then

            cbSearch_Click(sender, New System.EventArgs)

            e.Handled = True

        End If

 

    End Sub

 

    Private Sub Parse()

 

        Dim i As Integer

        Dim illegalchars = "\/<>:;""'|^ "

        bListAllFiles = False

        bFullnameCompare = False

        bExtCompare = False

        bNameCompare = False

        bNamescan = False

        bExtscan = False

        bRequiredActions = 0

 

        sFilestring = tb1.Text.Trim

        Dim ISlm1 As Short = sFilestring.Length - 1

 

        'Scan for illegal characters

 

        If sFilestring <> "" Then

            For ii As Short = 0 To ISlm1

                For i = 0 To illegalchars.length - 1

                    If sFilestring(ii) = illegalchars(i) Then

                        Dim status As Integer = MsgBox("'" & sFilestring(ii) & "' is an illegal filename character." & vbCrLf & "Do you want to continue?", MsgBoxStyle.YesNo, _

                        "Illegal Character")

                        If status = Microsoft.VisualBasic.MsgBoxResult.Yes Then

                            Exit For

                        Else

                            GoTo Common_Exit

                        End If

 

                    End If

                Next

            Next

        Else

            bListAllFiles = True

            bRequiredActions += 1

            GoTo Common_Exit

        End If

 

 

        ' One contiguous asterisk please

 

        While sFilestring.Contains("**")

            sFilestring = sFilestring.Replace("**", "*")

        End While

 

 

        If ((sFilestring = "") Or (sFilestring = "*") Or sFilestring = ("*.*") Or sFilestring = ("*.") _

        Or sFilestring = (".*")) Then

            bListAllFiles = True

            bRequiredActions += 1

            GoTo Common_Exit

        End If

 

        Dim StarCount As Short

        Dim DotCount As Short

 

        ISlm1 = sFilestring.Length - 1 ' Recalculate

 

        For i = 0 To ISlm1

            If sFilestring(i) = "*" Then StarCount += 1

            If sFilestring(i) = "." Then DotCount += 1

        Next

 

 

        If (((StarCount = 0) And (DotCount = 0)) And ISlm1 > 0) Then

            bFullnameCompare = True

            bRequiredActions += 1

            GoTo Common_Exit

        End If

 

 

        Dim name As String = sFilestring.Substring(0, sFilestring.LastIndexOf("."))

        Dim ext As String = sFilestring.Substring(sFilestring.LastIndexOf(".") + 1, ISlm1 - sFilestring.LastIndexOf("."))

 

        If (Not name.Contains("*")) And (Not ext.Contains("*")) Then

            bFullnameCompare = True

            bRequiredActions += 1

            GoTo Common_Exit

        End If

 

 

        If Not name.Contains("*") And ext = "*" Then

            bNameCompare = True

            bRequiredActions += 1

            GoTo Common_Exit

        End If

 

        If Not ext.Contains("*") And name = "*" Then

            bExtCompare = True

            bRequiredActions += 1

            GoTo Common_Exit

        End If

 

        If Not name.Contains("*") And name.Length > 0 Then

            bNameCompare = True

            bRequiredActions += 1

        End If

 

        If Not ext.Contains("*") And ext.Length > 0 Then

            bExtCompare = True

            bRequiredActions += 1

        End If

 

        'do a name scan

 

 

        SplitI(name, "*", NameDict)

        Select Case NameDict.Count

            Case Is = 1

                bNameCompare = True

            Case Is > 1

                bNamescan = True

                bRequiredActions += 1

        End Select

 

 

        SplitI(ext, "*", ExtDict)

        Select Case ExtDict.Count

            Case Is = 1

                bExtCompare = True

            Case Is > 1

                bExtscan = True

                bRequiredActions += 1

        End Select

 

 

Common_Exit:

    End Sub

 

    Private Sub SplitI(ByVal Instring As String, ByVal Splitchar As String, ByVal dictionary As Dictionary(Of Integer, String))

        dictionary.Clear()

        Dim TestArray() As String = Split(Instring, Splitchar)

        ' TestArray holds {"apple", "", "", "", "pear", "banana", "", ""}

        Dim LastNonEmpty As Integer = -1

        For i As Integer = 0 To TestArray.Length - 1

            If TestArray(i) <> "" Then

                dictionary.Add(i, TestArray(i))

            End If

        Next

    End Sub

 

    Private Sub Form1_Resize(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Resize

        pnl.Height = Me.Height - (mnu.Height + ss.Height)

        pnl.Width = Me.Width - 8

        pnl.Top = mnu.Height

    End Sub

 

 

    Private Sub pnl_Resize(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles pnl.Resize

        lv1.Height = pnl.Height - 100

        lv1.Width = pnl.Width

        lv1.Top = Me.Top + mnu.Height

    End Sub

 

  

    Private Sub cbExit_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cbExit.Click

        End

    End Sub

End Class

 

 

Good Lord. That is totally not what I had in mind.

Directory.GetFiles takes a search string, I wouldn't expect to ask for all files and then filter it myself.

I just looked up C# example of directory.getfiles here:

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?p=2156918#post2156918

The search engines have about the same amount of code. Additional code in mine id wildacard processing (no to mention the panel resizing code which I threw in for free.)

Dim files as String() = System.IO.Directory.GetFiles(tbRootDir.Text, tbFilter.Text, IO.SearchOption.AllDirectories))

Dim dir As String

For Each dir In files

MessageBox.Show(dir)

Next

This code works fine, and the filter requires wildcard characters or complete names to work. The only problem is, if you start in your root dir, you'll get an error when you try to read into protected system folders. I'm not sure how to get around that.

Note - this code comes from a demo project that defines tbRootDir and tbFilter as text boxes. You'd replace this with code that contains teh strings in your project. I used the root dir of my development folders and *.csproj to test it, it worked fine.

I tryed do a directory/file recursive search (from the root level) a while back using Directory.GetDirectories and Directory.GetFiles and kept running into specialized or system protected directories. So I moved on to other stuff.

Just tryed:

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click

Dim dirar As String() = Directory.GetFiles("c:\", "*.jpg", SearchOption.AllDirectories)

End Sub

and get: Access to the path 'c:\System Volume Information' is denied.

Sorry to butt in on the thread here but it is kind of on topic.

Is code as long-winded as Renee's example required to get around all the exceptions?

That just does directories, not directories and files.

No, if you make your code recursive and call GetDirectories itself on all the sub directories, then all you'd need to do is catch that exception on each iteration. The problem with my code is, if you catch the exception, the whole search fails, not just for the subfolder.

I just noticed something....

I cut and pasted twice...... I just eliminated half of the code.

My code is recursive.....

What makes my code long winded is the abilitiy to search for things like

*k*.*x*

My code also does that. It just needs to be made recursive so it iterates over subfolders on it's own, so that it can skip folders it's not allowed to read.

thanks for all your help!