File.Delete. Deleting files can sometimes fail—a document may be locked or unavailable. File.Delete throws an exception if this occurs.
C# method info. We see exceptions related to File.Delete, and describe a way to handle those exceptions. The exact exception type is System.IO.IOException.
Example program. To begin, this program shows the usage of the File.Delete static method. We can catch the IOExceptions thrown by File.Delete and execute special logic.
using System.IO;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
// Call Delete wrapper method.
TryToDelete("Word.doc");
}
/// <summary>/// Wrap the Delete method with an exception handler./// </summary>
static bool TryToDelete(string f)
{
try
{
// Try to delete the file.
File.Delete(f);
return true;
}
catch (IOException)
{
// We could not delete the file.
return false;
}
}
}The file is deleted, or nothing happens.
Discussion. We must be careful with exceptions—File.Delete does not throw an exception when a file does not exist. When exceptions are thrown, the file is locked.
Detail Deletes the specified file. An exception is not thrown if the specified file does not exist.
Summary. We dealt with exceptions raised when trying to use the File.Delete method. Never make any assumptions about the file system—always check for errors and unexpected conditions.
Dot Net Perls is a collection of tested code examples. Pages are continually updated to stay current, with code correctness a top priority.
Sam Allen is passionate about computer languages. In the past, his work has been recommended by Apple and Microsoft and he has studied computers at a selective university in the United States.
This page was last updated on Dec 11, 2021 (edit).