Chapter 30. Working with files and directories

If you’re at your desktop, stop reading for a moment and look at the applications you have open. Of them, how many require file operations? As I write this, I have a number of applications open on my desktop that require file operations: Microsoft Visual Studio, Word, Excel, and Windows Explorer; Adobe Illustrator; Zune, which loads the music from the drive; Rhino 3D, for files, templates, temporary storage, and more; Internet Explorer and Google Chrome, which need temporary storage as well as the ability to save downloaded files; my webcam viewer,^[1] because it can save snapshots; and Lync, which stores an archive of conversations if you leave that option on. I can’t find a single open application on my machine that doesn’t require file input-output (I/O) of some sort. File I/O is so important that it feels almost silly to say so.

¹ I have a webcam on top of my PC pointed out and away and always on, because I can’t see over my two 30” LCDs without it. Yeah, I know, first-world problem.

30.1. Using the file open and save dialogs

30.2. Working with directories

30.3. Working with individual files

30.4. Storing data in isolated storage

30.5. Summary