How to: Monitor File System Changes (C++/CLI)

The latest version of this topic can be found at How to: Monitor File System Changes (C++/CLI).

The following code example uses FileSystemWatcher to register for events corresponding to files being created, changed, deleted, or renamed. Instead of periodically polling a directory for changes to files, you can use the FileSystemWatcher class to fire events when a change is detected.

Example

// monitor_fs.cpp  
// compile with: /clr  
#using <system.dll>  
  
using namespace System;  
using namespace System::IO;  
  
ref class FSEventHandler  
{  
public:  
    void OnChanged (Object^ source, FileSystemEventArgs^ e)  
    {  
        Console::WriteLine("File: {0} {1}",   
               e->FullPath, e->ChangeType);  
    }  
    void OnRenamed(Object^ source, RenamedEventArgs^ e)  
    {  
        Console::WriteLine("File: {0} renamed to {1}",   
                e->OldFullPath, e->FullPath);  
    }  
};  
  
int main()  
{  
   array<String^>^ args = Environment::GetCommandLineArgs();  
  
   if(args->Length < 2)  
   {  
      Console::WriteLine("Usage: Watcher.exe <directory>");  
      return -1;  
   }  
  
   FileSystemWatcher^ fsWatcher = gcnew FileSystemWatcher( );  
   fsWatcher->Path = args[1];  
   fsWatcher->NotifyFilter = static_cast<NotifyFilters>   
              (NotifyFilters::FileName |   
               NotifyFilters::Attributes |   
               NotifyFilters::LastAccess |   
               NotifyFilters::LastWrite |   
               NotifyFilters::Security |   
               NotifyFilters::Size );  
  
    FSEventHandler^ handler = gcnew FSEventHandler();   
    fsWatcher->Changed += gcnew FileSystemEventHandler(   
            handler, &FSEventHandler::OnChanged);  
    fsWatcher->Created += gcnew FileSystemEventHandler(   
            handler, &FSEventHandler::OnChanged);  
    fsWatcher->Deleted += gcnew FileSystemEventHandler(   
            handler, &FSEventHandler::OnChanged);  
    fsWatcher->Renamed += gcnew RenamedEventHandler(   
            handler, &FSEventHandler::OnRenamed);  
  
    fsWatcher->EnableRaisingEvents = true;  
  
    Console::WriteLine("Press Enter to quit the sample.");  
    Console::ReadLine( );  
}  

See Also

System.IO namespace
File and Stream I-O
.NET Programming with C++/CLI (Visual C++)