The File class in the .NET Framework class library provides static methods for creating, reading, copying, moving, and deleting files. In this Post, we will see how to create a text file using different options available in .NET
We can create a file in 4 different following methods as follows
- File.Create
- File.CreateText
- FileInfo.Create
- FileInfo.CreateText
- File.Create Method
The File.Create method takes a file name with the full path as its first and required parameter and creates a file at the specified location. If same file already exists at the same location, this method overwrites the file.
The following code snippet creates a file PostSlush.txt in C:\Temp folder. If file already exists, the code will delete the existing file. The code writes two arrays of bytes to the file.
The Create method creates and returns a FileStream object that is responsible for reading and writing the specified file.
string fileName = @"C:\Temp\PostSlush.txt";
try
{
// Check if file already exists. If yes, delete it.
if (File.Exists(fileName))
{
File.Delete(fileName);
}
// Create a new file
using (FileStream fs = File.Create(fileName))
{
// Add some text to file
Byte[] title = new UTF8Encoding(true).GetBytes("New Text File");
fs.Write(title, 0, title.Length);
byte[] author = new UTF8Encoding(true).GetBytes("Aamir Shaikh");
fs.Write(author, 0, author.Length);
}
// Open the stream and read it back.
using (StreamReader sr = File.OpenText(fileName))
{
string s = "";
while ((s = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
{
Console.WriteLine(s);
}
}
}
catch (Exception Ex)
{
Console.WriteLine(Ex.ToString());
}
The Create method has four overloaded forms provide options with a file buffer size, file options, and file security. Create File with Buffer Size File.Create(name of the file, number of bytes buffered for read and write to the file) FileStream fs = File.Create(fileName, 1024); Create File with File Options The File.Create method takes third parameters as a FileOptions enumeration that can be used to specify advanced options for creating a FileStream object. FileStream fs = File.Create(fileName, 1024, FileOptions.WriteThrough); Create File with File Security The Create method also has an option to specify the file security options. The fourth parameter passed within the Create method of type FileSecurity object.
try
{
string fileName = @"C:\Temp\PostSlush1.txt";
// Create File Security
FileSecurity fSecurity = new FileSecurity();
fSecurity.AddAccessRule(new FileSystemAccessRule(@"DomainName\AccountName", FileSystemRights.ReadData, AccessControlType.Allow));
using (FileStream fs = File.Create(fileName, 1024, FileOptions.WriteThrough, fSecurity))
{
// Add some text to file
Byte[] title = new UTF8Encoding(true).GetBytes("New Text File");
fs.Write(title, 0, title.Length);
byte[] author = new UTF8Encoding(true).GetBytes("Aamir Shaikh");
fs.Write(author, 0, author.Length);
}
Console.WriteLine("Adding access control entry for " + fileName);
Console.WriteLine("Done.");
}
catch (Exception e)
{
Console.WriteLine(e);
}
- File.CreateText Method
string fileName = @"C:\Temp\PostSLush2.txt";
try
{
// Check if file already exists. If yes, delete it.
if (File.Exists(fileName))
{
File.Delete(fileName);
}
// Create a new file
using (StreamWriter sw = File.CreateText(fileName))
{
sw.WriteLine("New file created: {0}", DateTime.Now.ToString());
sw.WriteLine("Author: Aamir Shaikh");
sw.WriteLine("Add one more line ");
sw.WriteLine("Add one more line ");
sw.WriteLine("Done! ");
}
// Write file contents on console.
using (StreamReader sr = File.OpenText(fileName))
{
string s = "";
while ((s = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
{
Console.WriteLine(s);
}
}
}
catch (Exception Ex)
{
Console.WriteLine(Ex.ToString());
}
- FileInfo.Create Method
string fileName = @"C:\Temp\PostSlush3.txt";
FileInfo fi = new FileInfo(fileName);
try
{
// Check if file already exists. If yes, delete it.
if (fi.Exists)
{
fi.Delete();
}
// Create a new file
using (FileStream fs = fi.Create())
{
Byte[] txt = new UTF8Encoding(true).GetBytes("New file.");
fs.Write(txt, 0, txt.Length);
Byte[] author = new UTF8Encoding(true).GetBytes("Author Aamir Shaikh");
fs.Write(author, 0, author.Length);
}
// Write file contents on console.
using (StreamReader sr = File.OpenText(fileName))
{
string s = "";
while ((s = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
{
Console.WriteLine(s);
}
}
}
catch (Exception Ex)
{
Console.WriteLine(Ex.ToString());
}
- FileInfo.CreateText Method
The following code snippet creates a file using the CreateText method that returns a StreamWriter object. The WriteLine method of SteamLine can be used to add line text to the object and writes to the file.
string fileName = @"C:\Temp\PostSlush4.txt";
FileInfo fi = new FileInfo(fileName);
try
{
// Check if file already exists. If yes, delete it.
if (fi.Exists)
{
fi.Delete();
}
// Create a new file
using (StreamWriter sw = fi.CreateText())
{
sw.WriteLine("New file created: {0}", DateTime.Now.ToString());
sw.WriteLine("Author: Aamir Shaikh");
sw.WriteLine("Add one more line ");
sw.WriteLine("Add one more line ");
sw.WriteLine("Done! ");
}
// Write file contents on console.
using (StreamReader sr = File.OpenText(fileName))
{
string s = "";
while ((s = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
{
Console.WriteLine(s);
}
}
}
catch (Exception Ex)
{
Console.WriteLine(Ex.ToString());
}
Tags:
csharp.net