Part #1

Subject: A Simple File Listing Utility using WPF & CSharp (C#)

Okay guys

Here I am once again! This time trying to learn WPF with C# to build my own small utilities to make my “Admin work” a lot easier. Further, I use my own blog as a reference guide most of them time! So, you are most welcome to use my “notes”

A WPF project always has two parts, XAML and the code behind. While XAML maintains the GUI part of it, Code part is where you write supporting code.

[code language=”xml” gutter=”false”]
<Window x:Class="WpflisttoGrid.MainWindow" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation&quot; xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml&quot; Title="MainWindow" Height="513" Width="877" Loaded="Window_Loaded">
<DockPanel>
<Menu DockPanel.Dock="Top" Height="24"></Menu>

<StatusBar DockPanel.Dock="Bottom" Height="24">
<StatusBarItem x:Name="StatusItem" Content="Ready" Width="Auto" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="top"></StatusBarItem>
</StatusBar>

<Grid>
<GroupBox x:Name="MyParameters">
<Grid x:Name="MyParameters_Grid">
<Label x:Name="lblPath" Content="Folder" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="6,19,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top"/>
<Label x:Name="lblFileType" Content="File Type" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="6,47,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top"/>
<TextBox x:Name="txtPath" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="23" Margin="83,22,0,0" TextWrapping="NoWrap" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="258"/>
<TextBox x:Name="txtType" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="23" Margin="83,49,0,0" TextWrapping="Wrap" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="120"/>
<Button x:Name="buttonFldrOpen" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="346,22,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Height="23" Click="buttonFldrOpen_Click" >
<StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
<Image Source="/Resources/folder_Open_32xMD.png" Stretch="Uniform" Height="18" Width="22"/>
</StackPanel>
</Button>
<Button Content="Process" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="83,84,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="75" Click="Button_Click"/>
</Grid>
</GroupBox>

<DataGrid x:Name="Grid1" Margin="68,159,89,40" IsReadOnly="True" SelectionChanged="Grid1_SelectionChanged" MouseDoubleClick="Grid1_MouseDoubleClick" SelectionUnit="Cell"/>

</Grid>

</DockPanel>

</Window>
[/code]

and the CSharp code portion as below

[code language=”csharp” gutter=”false”]
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.Windows.Documents;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Imaging;
using System.Windows.Navigation;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
using System.IO;
using System.Data;
//Required for folder browswer & so
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace WpflisttoGrid
{
///
<summary>
/// Interaction logic for MainWindow.xaml
/// </summary>

public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
//Setup the gridview to generate columns automatically against the file lists
this.Grid1.AutoGenerateColumns = true;
//We will store the text box values into local variables for easy understanding
//You may refer them straight away as defined columns
string filepath = this.txtPath.Text;
string filetype = this.txtType.Text;
//We will build a LIST of class myFiles
//Which will have chosen columns from the directory info file info results
List<myFiles> newList = new List<myFiles>();
try
{
foreach (FileInfo myfile in (new DirectoryInfo(@filepath).GetFiles(filetype, SearchOption.AllDirectories)))
//SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly lists files from the top folder, ie, if a folder has sub-folders within
//SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly will isolate the top folder & list all files from it
//SearchOption.AllDirectories will recursively pick all files from all folders those match type of files PDF
//As a developer who is learning
//I will leave enhancements to your logic
//This application could have
//Files those matching certain "contents"
//You can change the SearchOption.AllDirectories to SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly programmatically…etc
{
//Calculate the time difference between the file creation and as on this moment
double _fileAge = Math.Round((DateTime.Now – myfile.CreationTime).TotalDays, 0);
//Add rows to the new list using new instance of the "Constructor" myFiles by passing the file details
newList.Add(new myFiles(myfile.FullName.ToString(), myfile.CreationTime, _fileAge));
}
//The following you could use for showing additional details
//this.StatusItem.Content = myfileList.Count().ToString();
//this.Grid1.ItemsSource = myfileList;
//System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(myfileList.Count());
this.Grid1.ItemsSource = newList;
this.Grid1.Columns[0].Header = "File Name";
this.Grid1.Columns[1].Header = "Creation Time";
this.Grid1.Columns[2].Header = "File Age(Days)";
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
System.Windows.MessageBox.Show(ex.Message + ex.Source);
}
}

private void Grid1_SelectionChanged(object sender, SelectionChangedEventArgs e)
{

}
private void Grid1_MouseDoubleClick(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
{
// System.Windows.MessageBox.Show()
//https://stackoverflow.com/questions/47309073/c-sharp-wpf-gridview-will-not-show-data-unless-clicked
try
{
var cellInfo = Grid1.SelectedCells[0];
var content = (cellInfo.Column.GetCellContent(cellInfo.Item) as TextBlock).Text;
//System.Windows.MessageBox.Show(content);
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(@content);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
System.Windows.MessageBox.Show(ex.Message + ex.Source);
}
}

private void buttonFldrOpen_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
FolderBrowserDialog folderDlg = new FolderBrowserDialog();
folderDlg.ShowNewFolderButton = false; //Don’t allow users to create new folders from this dialogue
folderDlg.RootFolder = Environment.SpecialFolder.MyComputer;
// Show the FolderBrowserDialog.
DialogResult result = folderDlg.ShowDialog();
if (result == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
{
this.txtPath.Text = folderDlg.SelectedPath;
Environment.SpecialFolder root = folderDlg.RootFolder;
}
}

private void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
this.txtType.Text = "*.*";
}
}

public class myFiles
{
public string fName { get; set; }
public DateTime fCreationDate { get; set; }
public double fAge { get; set; }

public myFiles(string fname, DateTime fcdate, double fage)
{
fName = fname;
fCreationDate = fcdate;
fAge = fage;

}

}
}
[/code]

This project should be used as a pilot to learn both WPF & CSharp (C#) rather than a commercial product as I am not using threading or channeling the background works. So once the Process button clicked, the GUI become irresponsive until the file lists populated, and could make a user feel the system is stuck.

Once the file list is populated in the GridView, one can double click the file name to start a fresh instance of associated program. So be careful, you may be running an executable that could cause unexpected problems.

Optionally you may download the Visual Studio Solution from here

regards,

rajesh