SearchOption Enumeration

.NET Framework (current version)
 

Specifies whether to search the current directory, or the current directory and all subdirectories.

Namespace:   System.IO
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

C#
C++
F#
VB
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<SerializableAttribute>
<ComVisibleAttribute(True)>
Public Enumeration SearchOption

Member nameDescription
AllDirectories

Includes the current directory and all its subdirectories in a search operation. This option includes reparse points such as mounted drives and symbolic links in the search.

TopDirectoryOnly

Includes only the current directory in a search operation.

If you choose AllDirectories in your search and the directory structure contains a link that creates a loop, the search operation enters an infinite loop.

The following example lists all the directories and files that begin with the letter "c", as in "c:\". In this example, the SearchOption is used to specify that only the top-level directory should be searched.

C#
C++
VB
Copy 
Imports System
Imports System.IO

Class App
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        ' Specify the directory you want to manipulate.
        Dim path As String = "c:\\"
        Dim searchPattern As String = "c*"

        Dim di As DirectoryInfo = New DirectoryInfo(path)
        Dim directories() As DirectoryInfo = _
            di.GetDirectories(searchPattern, SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly)

        Dim files() As FileInfo = _
            di.GetFiles(searchPattern, SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly)

        Console.WriteLine( _
            "Directories that begin with the letter 'c' in {0}", path)
        Dim dir As DirectoryInfo
        For Each dir In directories
            Console.WriteLine( _
                "{0,-25} {1,25}", dir.FullName, dir.LastWriteTime)
        Next dir

        Console.WriteLine()
        Console.WriteLine( _
            "Files that begin with the letter 'c' in {0}", path)
        Dim file As FileInfo
        For Each file In files
            Console.WriteLine( _
                "{0,-25} {1,25}", file.Name, file.LastWriteTime)
        Next file
    End Sub
End Class

Universal Windows Platform
Available since 10
.NET Framework
Available since 2.0
Silverlight
Available since 4.0
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