[2005] Deleting contents of a file

How do I delete the contents of a file?

I have been using streamWriter to make files and print text, however i've changed it instead of erasing the file, it adds text to it, however, I have about 60x of the same text... so how can I erase the content of a file?

If youre looking to erase certain parts of a textfile, the streamreader/streamwriter is the way to go.

Heres an example of removing all lines that doesnt begin with the word 'hey'

VB.NET Code:

Dim sr As New IO.StreamReader("c:\hey.txt")
        Dim line As String
        Dim LinesToKeep As New List(Of String)
        Do Until sr.EndOfStream
            line = sr.ReadLine
            If line.StartsWith("hey") Then
                LinesToKeep.Add(line)
            End If
        Loop
        sr.Close()
        Dim sw As New IO.StreamWriter("c:\hey.txt")
        For Each str As String In LinesToKeep
            sw.WriteLine(str)
        Next
        sw.Close()

Thanks, however I am slightly confused

1: Is that VB 2005 code? (by ur signature I assume so)

2: I want to erase the entire thing (I cant actually erase the file)

something like this would do

Code:

---

Dim sw As New StreamReader("path")
Do Until sw.EndOfStream
//Delete this line
Loop
sw.Close()

---

something simple like that?

Could you delete the file and then create it again?

2
Code:

My.Computer.FileSystem.DeleteFile("Path & file Name")
IO.File.Create("Path & file here")

I could, but i'd have to do it alot, so it'd be best to just erase the text documents contents, can't I select each line of it? and delete it?

Let me get this right, you don't want to keep any of the contents, you just want an empty file? Nothing else?

vb Code:

Using SR As New IO.StreamWriter("myfile.txt", False)
     SR.Write(String.Empty)
     SR.Close()
End Using

1: I am using vb express 2005, I was just asking Athiest if his code was in vb2005,

2:

Code:

---

Using SR As New IO.StreamWriter("myfile.txt", False)

---

that code will delete myfile.txt, then put an empty string into it (I belive)

everytime I try and 'erase' over a file it says

Code:

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'The process cannot access the file 'C:\Documents and Settings\Craig\Desktop\Mythic Fr0st\Visual Basic (WIN32)\Round Robin Pro (NEW)\Round Robin Pro\Round Robin Pro\bin\Debug\Variables\PlayerNames\player0.txt' because it is being used by another process.'

---

Sounds like the file has been opened or used previously and you haven't put a close statement somewhere. The code I posted wouldn't really cause that error by itself so it's showing a problem that has its roots earlier in the process.

Only you can really figure that out. Look where the file is used or created previously. Have you closed it as you should? That's where the answer will most likely be.

I've fixed that now, which im getting the error I was originally getting from the get go (when I started trying to fix it)

Code:

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Access to the path 'C:\Documents and Settings\Craig\Desktop\Mythic Fr0st\Visual Basic (WIN32)\New\Round Robin Pro (NEW)\Round Robin Pro\Round Robin Pro\bin\Debug\Variables\PlayerNames\player0.txt' is denied.

---

My code for saving is
the specific error it points at is in red, soon as I press Ctrl + S (Shortcut for save)

Code:

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Private Sub SaveToolStripMenuItem_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles SaveToolStripMenuItem.Click
        If user.locked = False Then
            If user.tmplock = False Then
                label_41741.Text = "Saving... Please wait..."
                System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(1000)
                pleaseWaitMessage(True)
                Application.DoEvents()
                If Not (System.IO.Directory.Exists("Variables")) Then
                    System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory("Variables")
                    SetAttr("Variables", FileAttribute.Hidden)
                End If
                If Not (System.IO.Directory.Exists("Variables\PlayerNames")) Then
                    System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory("Variables\PlayerNames")
                    SetAttr("Variables\PlayerNames", FileAttribute.Hidden)
                End If
                If Not (System.IO.Directory.Exists("Variables\PlayerNotes")) Then
                    System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory("Variables\PlayerNotes")
                    SetAttr("Variables\PlayerNotes", FileAttribute.Hidden)
                End If
                If Not (System.IO.Directory.Exists("Variables\PlayerHP")) Then
                    System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory("Variables\PlayerHP")
                    SetAttr("Variables\PlayerHP", FileAttribute.Hidden)
                End If
                If Not (System.IO.Directory.Exists("Variables\PlayerMP")) Then
                    System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory("Variables\PlayerMP")
                    SetAttr("Variables\PlayerMP", FileAttribute.Hidden)
                End If
                If Not (System.IO.Directory.Exists("Variables\PlayerMO")) Then
                    System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory("Variables\PlayerMO")
                    SetAttr("Variables\PlayerMO", FileAttribute.Hidden)
                End If
                If Not (System.IO.Directory.Exists("Variables\PlayerMO_FOR")) Then
                    System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory("Variables\PlayerMO_FOR")
                    SetAttr("Variables\PlayerMO_FOR", FileAttribute.Hidden)
                End If
                If Not (System.IO.Directory.Exists("Variables\PlayerLastHere")) Then
                    System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory("Variables\PlayerLastHere")
                    SetAttr("Variables\PlayerLastHere", FileAttribute.Hidden)
                End If
                'System.IO.File.OpenWrite
                For i As Int32 = 0 To playerGroup.n
                    Dim tmp_dir As String = "Variables\PlayerNames\player" & i & ".txt"
                    Dim sw As New System.IO.StreamWriter(tmp_dir, False)
                    sw.Close()
                    sw = New System.IO.StreamWriter(tmp_dir, True)
                    SetAttr(tmp_dir, FileAttribute.Hidden)
                    sw.Write(playerGroup.name(i))
                    sw.Close()
                    tmp_dir = "Variables\PlayerNotes\notes" & i & ".txt"
                    sw = New System.IO.StreamWriter(tmp_dir, True)
                    SetAttr(tmp_dir, FileAttribute.Hidden)
                    sw.Write(playerGroup.notes(i))
                    sw.Close()
                    tmp_dir = "Variables\PlayerHP\HP" & i & ".txt"
                    sw = New System.IO.StreamWriter(tmp_dir, True)
                    SetAttr(tmp_dir, FileAttribute.Hidden)
                    sw.Write(playerGroup.hp(i))
                    sw.Close()
                    tmp_dir = "Variables\PlayerMP\MP" & i & ".txt"
                    sw = New System.IO.StreamWriter(tmp_dir, True)
                    SetAttr(tmp_dir, FileAttribute.Hidden)
                    sw.Write(playerGroup.mp(i))
                    sw.Close()
                    tmp_dir = "Variables\PlayerMO\MO" & i & ".txt"
                    sw = New System.IO.StreamWriter(tmp_dir, True)
                    SetAttr(tmp_dir, FileAttribute.Hidden)
                    sw.Write(playerGroup.mo(i))
                    sw.Close()
                    tmp_dir = "Variables\PlayerMO_FOR\MO_FOR" & i & ".txt"
                    sw = New System.IO.StreamWriter(tmp_dir, True)
                    SetAttr(tmp_dir, FileAttribute.Hidden)
                    sw.Write(playerGroup.mo_for(i))
                    sw.Close()
                    tmp_dir = "Variables\PlayerLastHere\LastHere" & i & ".txt"
                    sw = New System.IO.StreamWriter(tmp_dir, True)
                    SetAttr(tmp_dir, FileAttribute.Hidden)
                    sw.Write(playerGroup.lastHere(i))
                    sw.Close()
                Next i
                If Not (System.IO.File.Exists("Variables\hasSaved.txt")) Then
                    System.IO.File.Create("Variables\hasSaved.txt")
                    SetAttr("Variables\hasSaved.txt", FileAttribute.Hidden)
                End If
                pleaseWaitMessage(False)
                label_41741.Text = "Loading... Please wait..."
            End If
        Else
            MessageBox.Show("Program is locked, go to View - Options - Unlock Program")
        End If
End Sub

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Bump, anyone know?

Since it's an access denied message, do you have create/write rights to that folder? (i.e. is it ReadOnly). Also, does the folder path of tmp_dir actually exist?

Just checked, yes it does exist, I see them all the files and folders i've made

And... its not read only, just hidden