GetFiles with multiple extentions

Question

How do you filter on more than one extension?

I've tried:

FileInfo[] Files = dinfo.GetFiles("*.jpg;*.tiff;*.bmp");
FileInfo[] Files = dinfo.GetFiles("*.jpg,*.tiff,*.bmp");

Answer 1

I'm not sure if that is possible. The MSDN GetFiles reference says a search pattern, not a list of search patterns.

I might be inclined to fetch each list separately and "foreach" them into a final list.

Answer 2

You can't do that, because GetFiles only accepts a single search pattern. Instead, you can call GetFiles with no pattern, and filter the results in code:

string[] extensions = new[] { ".jpg", ".tiff", ".bmp" };

FileInfo[] files =
    dinfo.GetFiles()
         .Where(f => extensions.Contains(f.Extension.ToLower()))
         .ToArray();

If you're working with .NET 4, you can use the EnumerateFiles method to avoid loading all FileInfo objects in memory at once:

string[] extensions = new[] { ".jpg", ".tiff", ".bmp" };

FileInfo[] files =
    dinfo.EnumerateFiles()
         .Where(f => extensions.Contains(f.Extension.ToLower()))
         .ToArray();

Answer 3

The following retrieves the jpg, tiff and bmp files and gives you an IEnumerable<FileInfo> over which you can iterate:

var files = dinfo.GetFiles("*.jpg")
    .Concat(dinfo.GetFiles("*.tiff"))
    .Concat(dinfo.GetFiles("*.bmp"));

If you really need an array, simply stick .ToArray() at the end of this.

Answer 4

I know there is a more elegant way to do this and I'm open to suggestions... this is what I did:

          try
            {


             // Set directory for list to be made of
                DirectoryInfo jpegInfo = new DirectoryInfo(destinationFolder);
                DirectoryInfo jpgInfo = new DirectoryInfo(destinationFolder);
                DirectoryInfo gifInfo = new DirectoryInfo(destinationFolder);
                DirectoryInfo tiffInfo = new DirectoryInfo(destinationFolder);
                DirectoryInfo bmpInfo = new DirectoryInfo(destinationFolder);

                // Set file type
                FileInfo[] Jpegs = jpegInfo.GetFiles("*.jpeg");
                FileInfo[] Jpgs = jpegInfo.GetFiles("*.jpg");
                FileInfo[] Gifs = gifInfo.GetFiles("*.gif");
                FileInfo[] Tiffs = gifInfo.GetFiles("*.tiff");
                FileInfo[] Bmps = gifInfo.GetFiles("*.bmp");

        //  listBox1.Items.Add(@"");  // Hack for the first list item no preview problem
        // Iterate through each file, displaying only the name inside the listbox...
        foreach (FileInfo file in Jpegs)
        {
                listBox1.Items.Add(file.Name);
                Photo curPhoto = new Photo();
                curPhoto.PhotoLocation = file.FullName;
                metaData.AddPhoto(curPhoto);
            }

          foreach (FileInfo file in Jpgs)
          {
              listBox1.Items.Add(file.Name);
                Photo curPhoto = new Photo();
                curPhoto.PhotoLocation = file.FullName;
                metaData.AddPhoto(curPhoto);
            }
          foreach (FileInfo file in Gifs)
          {
              listBox1.Items.Add(file.Name);
              Photo curPhoto = new Photo();
              curPhoto.PhotoLocation = file.FullName;
              metaData.AddPhoto(curPhoto);
          }
          foreach (FileInfo file in Tiffs)
          {
              listBox1.Items.Add(file.Name);
              Photo curPhoto = new Photo();
              curPhoto.PhotoLocation = file.FullName;
              metaData.AddPhoto(curPhoto);
          }
          foreach (FileInfo file in Bmps)
          {
              listBox1.Items.Add(file.Name);
              Photo curPhoto = new Photo();
              curPhoto.PhotoLocation = file.FullName;
              metaData.AddPhoto(curPhoto);
          }

Answer 5

Why not create an extension method? That's more readable.

public static IEnumerable<FileInfo> GetFilesByExtensions(this DirectoryInfo dir, params string[] extensions)
{
    if (extensions == null) 
         throw new ArgumentNullException("extensions");
    IEnumerable<FileInfo> files = Enumerable.Empty<FileInfo>();
    foreach(string ext in extensions)
    {
       files = files.Concat(dir.GetFiles(ext));
    }
    return files;
}

Usage:

dInfo.GetFilesByExtensions(".jpg",".exe",".gif");