C# Sorting Directory Names using LINQ

Question

I found something similar here but have been unable to get it working. I'm very new to LINQ and so not entirely sure what's going on with it. Any help would be appreciated. I have directory names like:

directory-1
article-about-something-else

I want to sort these by name but have been unable thus far. They are on a network drive residing on a RedHat server. The directory listing comes in a garbled mess in a seemingly random order.

Here's some of what I've tried:

DirectoryInfo dirInfo = new DirectoryInfo("Z:\\2013");
var dirs = dirInfo.GetDirectories().OrderBy(d => dirInfo.Name);
foreach (DirectoryInfo dir in dirs)
{
    string month = dir.Name;
    Console.WriteLine(dir.Name);
    var monthDirInfo = new DirectoryInfo("Z:\\2013\\" + month);
    var monthDirs = monthDirInfo.GetDirectories().OrderBy(d => monthDirInfo.CreationTime);
    foreach (DirectoryInfo monthDir in monthDirs)
    {
        string article = monthDir.Name;
        Console.WriteLine(monthDir.Name);
        sb.AppendLine("<li><a href=\"/2013/" + month + "/" + article + "\">" + TextMethods.GetTitleByUrl("2013/" + month + "/" + article) + "</a></li>");
    }
}

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm sort of at a loss at the moment. I'm sure I'm missing something obvious, too.

I'll give a try, but that hasn't worked either when I used f => f.Name — ahwm
– ahwm, Commented Jun 21, 2013 at 15:46
Two things... monthDirInfo should be exactly the same as dir so why create a new object? Also Sayse is correct you need to use d => d.Name. — Dave Williams
– Dave Williams, Commented Jun 21, 2013 at 15:46

Tim Schmelter · Accepted Answer · 2013-06-21 15:47:02Z

5

You are ordering by the name of your root folder instead of the name of each sub-directory.

So change...

var dirs = dirInfo.GetDirectories().OrderBy(d => dirInfo.Name);

to ...

var dirs = dirInfo.EnumerateDirectories().OrderBy(d => d.Name);

and

var monthDirs = monthDirInfo.GetDirectories()
    .OrderBy(d => monthDirInfo.CreationTime);

to ...

var monthDirs = monthDirInfo.EnumerateDirectories()
    .OrderBy(d => d.CreationTime);

I have used EnumerateDirectories because it is more efficient. GetDirectories would collect all directories first before it would begin ordering them.

answered Jun 21, 2013 at 15:47

Tim Schmelter

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1 Comment

Dave Williams Over a year ago

Erm.. that would be d.name or n => n.Name surely?

Patrick Magee · Accepted Answer · 2013-06-21 15:45:56Z

3

dirInfo.GetDirectories().OrderBy(d => d.Name);

answered Jun 21, 2013 at 15:45

Patrick Magee

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Comments

Haney · Accepted Answer · 2013-06-21 15:46:42Z

2

var dirs = dirInfo.GetDirectories().OrderBy(d => d.Name);

LINQ is about creating "functions" on the fly... So you're creating a function here that takes in a variable called "d" representing the current record and returns d.Name to sort.

answered Jun 21, 2013 at 15:46

Haney

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