[ReSolved]About Compare Two Directories [ReSolved]

[scotish_bagpipe]

Hi All,
I am currently stuck in how to compare two directories
Assume i have two directories need to compare.(Named Dir1 and Dir2)
Dir1 have 4 folders in it lets say Folder1, Folder2, Folder3, Folder4.
Dir2 have 3 folders in it lets say Folder1, Folder2, Folder3

obviously Dir1 have Folder4 which the Dir2 don't have. i want a code that can compare these two directories and be able to find out the differences. if yes, then create the same name folder in Dir2
many thanks

[ProphetBeal]

Below is a quick function that will compare 2 dirs and create any missing directories. FYI i didnt include any error catching in my code...so you may want to add that. Hopefully this helps.

Private Sub CompareDir()
        Dim strFirstDir As String = "c:\TestDir\"
        Dim strSecondDir As String = "c:\TestDir2\"
        Dim colDirList As New Hashtable
        For Each strDirSec As String In IO.Directory.GetDirectories(strSecondDir)
            colDirList.Add(strDirSec.Replace(strSecondDir, "").ToUpper, strDirSec.Replace(strSecondDir, "").ToUpper)
        Next
        For Each strDir As String In IO.Directory.GetDirectories(strFirstDir)
            If colDirList.ContainsKey(strDir.Replace(strFirstDir, "").ToUpper) = False Then
                IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(strSecondDir & strDir.Replace(strFirstDir, ""))
            End If
        Next
        colDirList.Clear()
    End Sub

[scotish_bagpipe]

thanks for your code, its helps me a lot
but what if i want to do the whole tree of directory?
e.g i got two directories Dir1 Dir2
Dir1 and Dir2 structure is

Dir1                                    Dir2
  Folder1                                 Folder1
      Folder11                               Folder11
                                                          XMlFile1.xml
      Folder12                               Folder12
      Folder13                               Folder13
                                                         XMLFile3.xml
                                                Folder14
  Folder2                                 Folder2
                                             XMLFile2.xml
  Folder3                                 Folder3
  Folder4                                 Folder4
                                            Folder5

each folder maybe contains many xml files
what i gonna do is go throgh all the directory and its sub directories. if any of files or folders from Dir2 that Dir1 don't have, create the folder from Dir1 and add files if it haven't appear in Dir1.
in above example we can see from Dir2 there are two folders (Folder14 and Folder5)which Dir1 don't have.
prophetbeal, from above your example i only can add folder5 in dir1 but missing folder14, how can I go through all the directory and its sub or even sub-sub -sub directories?

[ProphetBeal]

I updated by previous function to include comparing sub folders and files. Just a reminder, you may want to add in some error catching.

Private Sub CompareDir(ByVal strFirstDir As String, ByVal strSecondDir As String)
        Dim colDirList As New Hashtable, colFileList As New Hashtable
        If strSecondDir.Chars(strSecondDir.Length - 1) <> "\" Then
            strSecondDir = strSecondDir & "\"
        End If
        If strFirstDir.Chars(strFirstDir.Length - 1) <> "\" Then
            strFirstDir = strFirstDir & "\"
        End If
 
        For Each strDir As String In IO.Directory.GetDirectories(strSecondDir)
            colDirList.Add(strDir.Replace(strSecondDir, "").ToUpper, strDir.Replace(strSecondDir, "").ToUpper)
            For Each strFile As String In IO.Directory.GetFiles(strDir)
                colFileList.Add(strFile.Replace(strDir, "").ToUpper, strDir)
            Next
        Next
 
        For Each strDir As String In IO.Directory.GetDirectories(strFirstDir)
            If colDirList.ContainsKey(strDir.Replace(strFirstDir, "").ToUpper) = False Then
                IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(strSecondDir & strDir.Replace(strFirstDir, ""))
            End If
            For Each strFile As String In IO.Directory.GetFiles(strDir)
                If colFileList.ContainsKey(strfile.Replace(strDir, "").ToUpper) = False Then
                    IO.File.Copy(strfile, strSecondDir & strDir.Replace(strFirstDir, "") & strfile.Replace(strDir, ""))
                End If
            Next
            If IO.Directory.GetDirectories(strDir).Length > 0 Then
                CompareDir(strDir, strSecondDir & strDir.Replace(strFirstDir, "")) 'Recursive call
            End If
        Next
        colDirList.Clear()
        colFileList.Clear()
    End Sub

[scotish_bagpipe]

i think this is what i want ...thanks dude!

[Ggalla1779]

so how would you change that routine to update based on the creation date being later?? ie I have pen drive plug it in _work folder checks -Work folder on c drive and updates any new creatons or nwer created files??

cheers

George

[ProphetBeal]

Instead of comparing just based on the file name. You would also check the Creation date of the file.

System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(strFileName)

[Ggalla1779]

yup but how would I detect a pen drive is available with folder _work

I have a question on for this....any help would be great!!!

[scotish_bagpipe]

system file watcher? maybe we can accord the file creation time compare with current determine to decide which file we need?

Dim FileDateInfo As New FileInfo(SourcePath_and_Name)
dim fileinfo as string = filedateinfo.lastwritetime.tostring

[Ggalla1779]

well plan was when I plug in USB pen drive...it looks at the folder on c drive and copies latest files to Pen....then when I got home plugged it in and it copies latest files to main dev box.... that way I have a backup of dev work

[Ggalla1779]

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=450710

[scotish_bagpipe]

I think the logical driver always got name like (E:\ or G:\)
Dim strRoots() as string= Directory.GetLogicalDrivers
Dim s as string
dim m as string =""
For each s in strRoots
m=m &s
Next
msgbox(m)

this code will diplay all the name of driver in your computer
i guess is it possiable to use before name of driver length to compare with the pen driver you inserted length? i also found DirectorySearch componet in vb.net, i am not sure its can be use as a trigger to help you detect when the pen driver inserted?

[Ggalla1779]

Well it certainly gets drive letters...wonder if we could do a normal drives and now and see if there is diff...thats would give pen drive?? Check for _Work folder then check for changes??

[scotish_bagpipe]

in my opinion, you can try to use the FileSystemWatcher to Check whether your pen drive has been plugged in or not. (as a trigger)
First You can set File watch path as you Pen Drive name (E:\ or G:\)
if your pen drive plugged in, then You can write directory compare code within the FileSystemWathcher_Created Sub routine to compare your pen drive and your local drive, If file has been modified, copy files to pen drive.
if watcher can't found pen drive then do nothing.(which also means pen drive is not plug in yet)


about How to compare files... every file havs the latest write time. you can based on your pen drivers folder's file to find out the latest write time which is greater than this time from the work folder.
once you select out these files, you are able to copy them from work folder to your pen drive

this is only my personal idea. because i don't have and USB Drive at moment so i unable to write code write now,, but it still worry a try

build a service to implement this will be a better choise

[jtrout]

Instead of comparing just based on the file name. You would also check the Creation date of the file.

System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(strFileName)

Prophet, Can you give an example of this? I am trying to see if any of the files in strSecondDir don't match the strFirstDir. I have if they aren't there via your example and I can't figure out how to do the checking of the file time. I need to check for a different date/time of every file. Can you help me out. I think I need more coffee.

Thanks!

[ProphetBeal]

I haven't tested this cause I don't have the VB.NET IDE on this machine yet, but these changes should work.

First add the date to the statement as the key to the hashtable

For Each strDir As String In IO.Directory.GetDirectories(strSecondDir)
    colDirList.Add(strDir.Replace(strSecondDir, "").ToUpper, strDir.Replace(strSecondDir, "").ToUpper)
    For Each strFile As String In IO.Directory.GetFiles(strDir)
        colFileList.Add(strFile.Replace(strDir, "").ToUpper & System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(strDir).ToString, strDir) 'Add the date here.
    Next
Next

Use the date in the comparison of the hashtable key.

For Each strFile As String In IO.Directory.GetFiles(strDir)
    If colFileList.ContainsKey(strfile.Replace(strDir, "").ToUpper & System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(strDir).ToString) = False Then'Added the date info.
        IO.File.Copy(strfile, strSecondDir & strDir.Replace(strFirstDir, "") & strfile.Replace(strDir, ""))
    End If
Next

[jtrout]

I haven't tested this cause I don't have the VB.NET IDE on this machine yet, but these changes should work.

First add the date to the statement as the key to the hashtable

For Each strDir As String In IO.Directory.GetDirectories(strSecondDir)
    colDirList.Add(strDir.Replace(strSecondDir, "").ToUpper, strDir.Replace(strSecondDir, "").ToUpper)
    For Each strFile As String In IO.Directory.GetFiles(strDir)
        colFileList.Add(strFile.Replace(strDir, "").ToUpper & System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(strDir).ToString, strDir) 'Add the date here.
    Next
Next

Use the date in the comparison of the hashtable key.

For Each strFile As String In IO.Directory.GetFiles(strDir)
    If colFileList.ContainsKey(strfile.Replace(strDir, "").ToUpper & System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(strDir).ToString) = False Then'Added the date info.
        IO.File.Copy(strfile, strSecondDir & strDir.Replace(strFirstDir, "") & strfile.Replace(strDir, ""))
    End If
Next

Unsure what exactly is happening but looks like it is telling me every file is missmatched now. Let me know once you get to a place you can test. I have to head out for a bit thanks for your help!

[ProphetBeal]

I see the problem in line #2 of the second example above change

System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(strDir).ToString)

to

System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(strFile).ToString)

[jtrout]

I see the problem in line #2 of the second example above change

System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(strDir).ToString)

to

System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(strFile).ToString)

I changed your code from GetCreationTime to GetLastWriteTime and that fixed it!

Thanks!

[jtrout]

OK, it works great, but (yes I hate that word!) if I have a file with the same name in two different directories
C:\folder1\temp1\mylog.txt #5/19/2008 6:00:00 PM#
C:\folder1\temp2\mylog.txt #5/20/2008 7:00:00 PM#

Yes this is correct as far as the same file is under two different directories. It is a install log for two different parts of the same software. Is there a way to instead of adding it to the hashtable with \mylog.txt #5/19/2008 6:00:00 PM# to be like \temp1\mylog.txt #5/19/2008 6:00:00 PM#

Thanks for the help. You all have been great with help on a closed thread!

[ProphetBeal]

If you look at the code where it populates the hashtable and checks if the key is in the hashtable, you will see a replace statement like this

strFile.Replace(strDir, "").ToUpper

you would want to remove that replace statement so it would look more like this...

strFile.ToUpper