Get the List of All Files From Server Directory in ASP.Net

This article describes how to get the list of all files from a server folder or directory with a download link option in DataList control.

Suppose you have a folder or directory in your ASP.NET server application and you want to show all the files in that directory on the web page with a download link and allow the user to delete files from the server.

Here I will get all the fields from the server directory and display them in the DataList control with an image icon, download link and a delete option. This will work with any type of extension file.

HTML Markup for the UI

Here, I use an ASP.NET DataList control to display the files from the server directory.

<body>
<form id="form1" runat="server">
<asp:FileUpload ID="FileUpload1" runat="server" />
<asp:Button ID="btnUpload" runat="server" Text="Upload" OnClick="UploadFile" />
<div style="border: solid 1px #D9DCEA; border-top: none; width: 40%; margin-top: -1px;
float: right">
<div style="border-top: none; width: 97%; padding: 5px;">
<asp:DataList ID="DataListContent" runat="server" OnItemCommand="ButtonDownloadContent"
RepeatDirection="Vertical" BorderStyle="None" Style="padding: 0px!important">
<ItemTemplate>
<div>
<img src='<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem,"Icon") %>' id="ImgIcon" />
<asp:LinkButton ID="ButtonDownload" runat="server" Style="padding-left: 5px; text-decoration: none"
ToolTip="Click here to download" CommandName="Download" CommandArgument='<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem,"DownLoadLink") %>'
Text=' <%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem,"FileName") %>'></asp:LinkButton>
<asp:LinkButton ID="lnkDelete" Text="Delete" CommandArgument='<%# Eval("DownLoadLink") %>'
Style="text-decoration: none; font-size: large; color: red;" runat="server" OnClick="DeleteFile" />
</div>
</ItemTemplate>
</asp:DataList>
</div>
</div>
</form>
</body>

Getting files from directory.

Here I get all the files from the directory to show in the DataList control.

private void GenerateDownloadLinks()
{
string path = Server.MapPath("~/UploadFile");
if (Directory.Exists(path))
{
DataTable ShowContent = new DataTable();
ShowContent.Columns.Add("Icon", typeof(string));
ShowContent.Columns.Add("DownloadLink", typeof(string));
ShowContent.Columns.Add("FileName", typeof(string));
DirectoryInfo di = new DirectoryInfo(path);
foreach (FileInfo fi in di.GetFiles())
{
DataRow dr = ShowContent.NewRow();
dr["FileName"] = fi.Name; ;
dr["DownloadLink"] = Server.MapPath("~/UploadFile/") + fi.Name;
string ext = Path.GetExtension(fi.FullName);
switch (ext)
{
case "png":
dr["Icon"] = ResolveUrl("~/images/PdfIcon.png");
break;
case "doc":
dr["Icon"] = ResolveUrl("~/images/DocIcon.png");
break;
case "xls":
dr["Icon"] = ResolveUrl("~/images/ExcelIcon.png");
break;
case "txt":
dr["Icon"] = ResolveUrl("~/images/TxtIcon.png");
break;
case "zip":
dr["Icon"] = ResolveUrl("~/images/ZipIcon.png");
break;
}
DataListContent.DataSource = ShowContent;
DataListContent.DataBind();
}
}
}

Code for downloading the file:

protected void ButtonDownloadContent(object sender, DataListCommandEventArgs e)
{
if (e.CommandName == "Download")
{
string path = e.CommandArgument.ToString();
string name = Path.GetFileName(path);
string ext = Path.GetExtension(path);
Response.AppendHeader("content-disposition", "attachment; filename=" + name);
Response.ContentType = "application/octet-stream";
Response.WriteFile(path);
Response.End();
}
}

Code for deleting a file from the directory:

protected void DeleteFile(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string filePath = (sender as LinkButton).CommandArgument;
File.Delete(filePath);
GenerateDownloadLinks();
}

Code for uploading a file from the directory:

protected void UploadFile(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string fileName = Path.GetFileName(FileUpload1.PostedFile.FileName);
FileUpload1.PostedFile.SaveAs(Server.MapPath("~/UploadFile/") + fileName);
Response.Redirect(Request.Url.AbsoluteUri);
}

download-file-in-asp.net.png

7 Comments

Join the conversation! Your thoughts help the community grow.

Thorwald Odin11y ago
You save the day! Thank you very much! :)
Baqir Ali11y ago
Nice one..
heemanshu bhalla11y ago
good article . i was fumbled somehwhere is my project . it really solved that .............Thanks buddy
Siva Prasad12y ago
DataListContent.DataBind(); adding no rows...
Martin Rupp12y ago
case "png": => case "pdf": and also need wither to remove the dot in ext or to add it in the swicth ( case(".doc") .. case(".xls") etc...
- Gaurav Gupta12y ago
  Thanks for Pointout.. I think problem in My eDiting...
Martin Rupp12y ago
you need to add the rows you create by using ShowContent.Rows.Add(dr);