Create directory in C++

Question

I'm making a simple game in DirectX and C++. But I want to create a directory in Documents for the settings etc.

But I don't know how I need to do this?

Can someone help me?

possible duplicate of [Create a Directory if it doesn't exist](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9235679/create-a-directory-if-it-doesnt-exist) — BlackDwarf, Jun 19 '15 at 11:44
Did you try OpenGL or more recently Vulkan instead of DirectX? You live in a dying world... — Sandburg, May 13 '19 at 15:56

Basile Starynkevitch · Answer 1 · 2018-12-28T07:08:24.983

The C++11 standard n3337 does not know about directories. C++17 has <filesystem> standard header.

If your implementation is C++17 compliant (it probably is not), use std::filesystem::create_directory

Otherwise, use operating system primitives. Be aware that the notion of directory can be OS specific (i.e. different in one OS from another, perhaps even between different file systems). For Windows, study the WinAPI (so consider CreateDirectoryA). For Linux, look into its syscalls(2) (so consider mkdir(2))

Some frameworks, notably Qt, POCO, Boost, provide common wrappers above them.

score 7 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 28 '18 at 06:51

7

You can use a simple mkdir from <direct.h> to create directory

_mkdir("C:\\Data\\FolderName");

answered Dec 28 '18 at 06:51

gameon67

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7

This is a Windows-only solution. (which is good related to this question) – Sandburg May 13 '19 at 15:54
What it returns? It says `Return value ignored: _mkdir()`. – maDeveloper Jan 05 '21 at 06:40

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 19 '15 at 11:44

You can use Visual Studio's <filesystem>

There is a function create_directory that has the signature

template<class Path>
inline bool create_directory(
   const Path& Pval
);

You can find the user's Documents directory using SHGetKnownFolderPath which has the signature

HRESULT SHGetKnownFolderPath(
  _In_     REFKNOWNFOLDERID rfid,
  _In_     DWORD            dwFlags,
  _In_opt_ HANDLE           hToken,
  _Out_    PWSTR            *ppszPath
);

In this case the REFKNOWNFOLDERID you want to use is FOLDERID_Documents

Note this is specific to Visual Studio. The C++ <filesystem> library is still in the works (i.e. experimental) for now, but hopefully is coming soon!

As a note, for settings you should use ``FOLDERID_LocalAppData`` as your root folder rather than ``FOLDERID_Documents``. Documents would be an appropriate place for screenshots and 'save games', but settings are not files users need to see polluting up their Documents. — Chuck Walbourn, Jun 24 '15 at 06:08

transistor · Answer 4 · 2020-12-02T08:43:44.463

0

If you don't have C++17 yet and look for a platform agnostic solution, use ghc::filesystem. The header-ony code is compatible to C++17 (in fact a backport) and easy to migrate later on.

edited Dec 02 '20 at 08:43

answered Dec 02 '20 at 08:33

transistor

649
6
11

score -3 · Answer 5 · answered Oct 07 '19 at 16:06

-3

For visual studio:

System::IO::Directory::CreateDirectory(yourDir);

answered Oct 07 '19 at 16:06

Kai Wang

3,303
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The question is about C++, not .NET – RubyNaxela Nov 20 '22 at 01:40

Create directory in C++

5 Answers5

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