NotifyFilters Enumeration
Specifies changes to watch for in a file or folder.
This enumeration has a FlagsAttribute attribute that allows a bitwise combination of its member values.
[Visual Basic] <Flags> <Serializable> Public Enum NotifyFilters [C#] [Flags] [Serializable] public enum NotifyFilters [C++] [Flags] [Serializable] __value public enum NotifyFilters [JScript] public Flags Serializable enum NotifyFilters
Remarks
You can combine the members of this enumeration to watch for more than one kind of change. For example, you can watch for changes in the size of a file or folder, and for changes in security settings. This raises an event anytime there is a change in size or security settings of a file or folder.
Members
| Member name | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Attributes | The attributes of the file or folder. | 4 |
| CreationTime | The time the file or folder was created. | 64 |
| DirectoryName | The name of the directory. | 2 |
| FileName | The name of the file. | 1 |
| LastAccess | The date the file or folder was last opened. | 32 |
| LastWrite | The date the file or folder last had anything written to it. | 16 |
| Security | The security settings of the file or folder. | 256 |
| Size | The size of the file or folder. | 8 |
Example
[Visual Basic, C#, C++] The following example creates a FileSystemWatcher to watch the directory that is specified at runtime. The component is set to watch for any changes in LastWrite and LastAccess time, the creation, deletion, or renaming of text files in the directory. If a file is changed, created, or deleted, the path to the file prints to the console. When a file is renamed, the old and new paths print to the console.
[Visual Basic, C#, C++] Use the System.Diagnostics and System.IO namespaces for this example.
[Visual Basic] Public Class Watcher Public Shared Sub Main() Dim args() As String = System.Environment.GetCommandLineArgs() ' If a directory is not specified, exit the program. If args.Length <> 2 Then ' Display the proper way to call the program. Console.WriteLine("Usage: Watcher.exe (directory)") Return End If ' Create a new FileSystemWatcher and set its properties. Dim watcher As New FileSystemWatcher() watcher.Path = args(1) ' Watch for changes in LastAccess and LastWrite times, and ' the renaming of files or directories. watcher.NotifyFilter = (NotifyFilters.LastAccess Or NotifyFilters.LastWrite Or NotifyFilters.FileName Or NotifyFilters.DirectoryName) ' Only watch text files. watcher.Filter = "*.txt" ' Add event handlers. AddHandler watcher.Changed, AddressOf OnChanged AddHandler watcher.Created, AddressOf OnChanged AddHandler watcher.Deleted, AddressOf OnChanged AddHandler watcher.Renamed, AddressOf OnRenamed ' Begin watching. watcher.EnableRaisingEvents = True ' Wait for the user to quit the program. Console.WriteLine("Press 'q' to quit the sample.") While Chr(Console.Read()) <> "q"c End While End Sub ' Define the event handlers. Private Shared Sub OnChanged(source As Object, e As FileSystemEventArgs) ' Specify what is done when a file is changed, created, or deleted. Console.WriteLine("File: " & e.FullPath & " " & e.ChangeType) End Sub Private Shared Sub OnRenamed(source As Object, e As RenamedEventArgs) ' Specify what is done when a file is renamed. Console.WriteLine("File: {0} renamed to {1}", e.OldFullPath, e.FullPath) End Sub End Class [C#] public class Watcher { public static void Main() { string[] args = System.Environment.GetCommandLineArgs(); // If a directory is not specified, exit program. if(args.Length != 2) { // Display the proper way to call the program. Console.WriteLine("Usage: Watcher.exe (directory)"); return; } // Create a new FileSystemWatcher and set its properties. FileSystemWatcher watcher = new FileSystemWatcher(); watcher.Path = args[1]; /* Watch for changes in LastAccess and LastWrite times, and the renaming of files or directories. */ watcher.NotifyFilter = NotifyFilters.LastAccess | NotifyFilters.LastWrite | NotifyFilters.FileName | NotifyFilters.DirectoryName; // Only watch text files. watcher.Filter = "*.txt"; // Add event handlers. watcher.Changed += new FileSystemEventHandler(OnChanged); watcher.Created += new FileSystemEventHandler(OnChanged); watcher.Deleted += new FileSystemEventHandler(OnChanged); watcher.Renamed += new RenamedEventHandler(OnRenamed); // Begin watching. watcher.EnableRaisingEvents = true; // Wait for the user to quit the program. Console.WriteLine("Press \'q\' to quit the sample."); while(Console.Read()!='q'); } // Define the event handlers. private static void OnChanged(object source, FileSystemEventArgs e) { // Specify what is done when a file is changed, created, or deleted. Console.WriteLine("File: " + e.FullPath + " " + e.ChangeType); } private static void OnRenamed(object source, RenamedEventArgs e) { // Specify what is done when a file is renamed. Console.WriteLine("File: {0} renamed to {1}", e.OldFullPath, e.FullPath); } } [C++] public __gc class Watcher { public: // Define the event handlers. static void OnChanged(Object* /*source*/, FileSystemEventArgs* e) { // Specify what is done when a file is changed, created, or deleted. Console::WriteLine(S"File: {0} {1}", e->FullPath, __box(e->ChangeType)); } static void OnRenamed(Object* /*source*/, RenamedEventArgs* e) { // Specify what is done when a file is renamed. Console::WriteLine(S"File: {0} renamed to {1}", e->OldFullPath, e->FullPath); } }; int main() { String* args[] = System::Environment::GetCommandLineArgs(); // If a directory is not specified, exit program. if(args->Length != 2) { // Display the proper way to call the program. Console::WriteLine(S"Usage: Watcher.exe (directory)"); return 0; } // Create a new FileSystemWatcher and set its properties. FileSystemWatcher* watcher = new FileSystemWatcher(); watcher->Path = args[1]; /* Watch for changes in LastAccess and LastWrite times, and the renaming of files or directories. */ watcher->NotifyFilter = static_cast<NotifyFilters>( NotifyFilters::LastAccess | NotifyFilters::LastWrite | NotifyFilters::FileName | NotifyFilters::DirectoryName ); // Only watch text files. watcher->Filter = S"*.txt"; // Add event handlers. watcher->Changed += new FileSystemEventHandler(0, Watcher::OnChanged); watcher->Created += new FileSystemEventHandler(0, Watcher::OnChanged); watcher->Deleted += new FileSystemEventHandler(0, Watcher::OnChanged); watcher->Renamed += new RenamedEventHandler(0, Watcher::OnRenamed); // Begin watching. watcher->EnableRaisingEvents = true; // Wait for the user to quit the program. Console::WriteLine(S"Press \'q\' to quit the sample."); while(Console::Read()!='q'); }
[JScript] No example is available for JScript. To view a Visual Basic, C#, or C++ example, click the Language Filter button
in the upper-left corner of the page.
Requirements
Namespace: System.IO
Platforms: Windows NT Server 4.0, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003 family
Assembly: System (in System.dll)
See Also
System.IO Namespace | FileSystemEventArgs | FileSystemEventHandler | FileSystemWatcher | InternalBufferOverflowException | RenamedEventArgs | RenamedEventHandler | WaitForChangedResult | WatcherChangeTypes