C# directory

13y2kVisual Basic .NET

In a C# 2010 desktop application, I have the following code:

string Format_Date = DateTime.Now.AddMonths(-1).ToString("MM-yyyy");

string filesaveLocation = ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["Location"] + "\\" + Format_Date + "\\";

if (Directory.Exists(filesaveLocation))

When the value is displayed from filesaveLocation the value: "C:\\\\Trans\\12-2012\\".

The problem is once I get to the following line of code:
if (Directory.Exists(filesaveLocation)) the same is always true.

It does not make any difference if I say (!Directory.Exists(filesaveLocation)).

This answer is true also.

Thus can you show me in code how to correct this problem?

6 Replies

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Vulpes13y ago
Accepted answer
I'd imagine that you must have a key/value pair similar to this in your appSettings:

If so, then change it to this and it should then work properly in all cases without doing any replacements:
dc13y ago
If the statement "Directory.Exists(filesaveLocation)" should not be working on windows, then can you tell me what to change the test and/or code to be so that it works on all windows operating systems?
Vulpes13y ago
Well, that line would change:

"C:\\\\Trans\\12-2012\\"

to:

"C:\\Trans\\12-2012\\"

which is a valid file path on all Windows operating systems.

However, Jignesh has a point that Directory.Exists(filesaveLocation) - as you originally had it - does seems to work on some versions of windows (notably Window 7) even though it's technically invalid.

I assume therefore that you're not using Windows 7.
dc13y ago
Your reply for filesaveLocation = filesaveLocation.Replace("\\\\", "\\"); solved my problem.
Can you tell me why this would make a dufference?
Jignesh Trivedi13y ago
hi,

I think there is no problem in you code, it might directory exists in the passed location.

i hvae try following code it work fine for me in VS2010 / windows 7 platform.

string filesaveLocation = "E:\\\\Trans\\12-2012\\";
bool bo = Directory.Exists(filesaveLocation);

it return true when directory is exist else return false.

hope this will help you.
Vulpes13y ago
Well, the path is invalid because there are 4, rather than 2, backslashes following C:

In this situation, Directory.Exists should always return false and !Directory.Exists should therefore return true.

It appears that there is a mistake in Configuration.AppSettings which is causing this problem.

I'd either correct it in there or you could do instead:

filesaveLocation = filesaveLocation.Replace("\\\\", "\\");

just before using Directory.Exists.