Is there anything built into System.IO.Path that gives me just the filepath?
For example, if I have a string
@"c:\webserver\public\myCompany\configs\promo.xml",
is there any BCL method that will give me
"c:\webserver\public\myCompany\configs\"?
6 Answers
Path.GetDirectoryName()... but you need to know that the path you are passing to it does contain a file name; it simply removes the final bit from the path, whether it is a file name or directory name (it actually has no idea which).
You could validate first by testing File.Exists() and/or Directory.Exists() on your path first to see if you need to call Path.GetDirectoryName
5 Comments
Jon Hanna
There's no need to call
File.Exists(). Indeed, it's rather counter-productive in the case where your reason for finding the directory name is to create it if it doesn't already exist.
Andrew Barber
His example explicitly notes a path with a file name. If that is the pattern of the paths he is testing, and if those paths represent existing files, checking File.Exists() surely would be useful, would you not agree? Because the situation could be otherwise, of course, I was just suggesting he 'could' use the Exists methods on File and/or Directory; obviously, as appropriate for his situation.
Jon Hanna
Yes, a path with a file name. There's nothing in that to indicate a file exists, as file names come first.
Andrew Barber
As I said; it's an option and it may help depending on what is known about the path. Or it may not be necessary at all. But testing File.Exists() and Directory.Exists() on the same path is a quick and easy way to know if a path, which exists, is a file or directory.
cregox
as a quick reference, in redundancy with the question, and "obvious" treat, you need to include
System.IO for this to work.Console.WriteLine(Path.GetDirectoryName(@"C:\hello\my\dear\world.hm")); 
answered Sep 30, 2010 at 0:10
Dr. Mumtaz Ali Shah
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Comments
Path.GetDirectoryName() returns the directory name, so for what you want (with the trailing reverse solidus character) you could call Path.GetDirectoryName(filePath) + Path.DirectorySeparatorChar.
Comments
string fileAndPath = @"c:\webserver\public\myCompany\configs\promo.xml"; string currentDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(fileAndPath); string fullPathOnly = Path.GetFullPath(currentDirectory); currentDirectory: c:\webserver\public\myCompany\configs
fullPathOnly: c:\webserver\public\myCompany\configs
1 Comment
Seabizkit
just to be clear they the same so its OR right?
Use GetParent() as shown, works nicely. Add error checking as you need.
string fn = openFileDialogSapTable.FileName; string currentPath = Path.GetFullPath( fn ); currentPath = Directory.GetParent(currentPath).FullName; 
Comments
I used this and it works well:
string[] filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(Path.GetDirectoryName(dialog.FileName)); foreach (string file in filePaths) { if (comboBox1.SelectedItem.ToString() == "") { if (file.Contains("c")) { comboBox2.Items.Add(Path.GetFileName(file)); } } } 
1 Comment
julaine
Only the
Path.GetDirectoryName(dialog.FileName) part has to do with the question (and other answers have that solution already). The rest does not seem relevant. Combobox? Filtering for filenames with a "c"?
promo.xmldesignates a file or a directory by that same name. Which is probably whyPath.GetDirectoryName()is implemented so simple and just truncates the last segment, or removes the trailing slash if there is one.