C# directory

Question

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?

Vulpes · 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:

dc · Answer

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?

Vulpes · Answer

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.

dc · Answer

Your reply for filesaveLocation = filesaveLocation.Replace(\\ \); solved my problem. Can you tell me why this would make a dufference?

Jignesh Trivedi · Answer

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.

Vulpes · Answer

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.