Closing a file after File.Create

Question

I check to see if a file exists with

if(!File.Exists(myPath))
{
    File.Create(myPath);
}

However, when I go to create a StreamReader with this newly created file, I get an error saying that

The process cannot access the file '[my file path here]' because it is being used by another process.

There isn't a File.Close(myPath) that I can call so that it is closed after being created, so how do I free this resource so that I can open it later in my program?

Use it like this `File.Create(myPath).Close();`. – Beyondo Jul 08 '20 at 10:31 — Beyondo, Jul 08 '20 at 10:31

Donut · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-01T15:20:34.413

File.Create(string) returns an instance of the FileStream class. You can call the Stream.Close() method on this object in order to close it and release resources that it's using:

var myFile = File.Create(myPath);
myFile.Close();

However, since FileStream implements IDisposable, you can take advantage of the using statement (generally the preferred way of handling a situation like this). This will ensure that the stream is closed and disposed of properly when you're done with it:

using (var myFile = File.Create(myPath))
{
   // interact with myFile here, it will be disposed automatically
}

score 58 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 01 '11 at 15:09

58

The function returns a FileStream object. So you could use it's return value to open your StreamWriter or close it using the proper method of the object:

File.Create(myPath).Close();

answered Mar 01 '11 at 15:09

Mario

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And what happen, if your path is wrong and make an error, never close File. and then you were in troubles, or I am wrong?. – Juan Ruiz de Castilla Jul 14 '15 at 15:09
@JuanRuizdeCastilla if his path is wrong no file will be created and no stream will be open. – Jéf Bueno May 11 '17 at 13:26

score 5 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 17 '14 at 07:17

5

File.WriteAllText(file,content)

create write close

File.WriteAllBytes--   type binary

:)

edited Jun 17 '14 at 07:17

bluish

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answered Feb 13 '13 at 17:24

danis

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Excellent and Fashion solution my friend. Get out my 5 lines of code by one... thank you – Gabriel Simas Aug 18 '15 at 19:29

score 5 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 01 '11 at 15:09

5

File.Create returns a FileStream object that you can call Close() on.

answered Mar 01 '11 at 15:09

Klaus Byskov Pedersen

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score 5 · Answer 5 · answered Mar 01 '11 at 15:10

The reason is because a FileStream is returned from your method to create a file. You should return the FileStream into a variable or call the close method directly from it after the File.Create.

It is a best practice to let the using block help you implement the IDispose pattern for a task like this. Perhaps what might work better would be:

if(!File.Exists(myPath)){
   using(FileStream fs = File.Create(myPath))
   using(StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(fs)){
      // do your work here
   }
}

Closing a file after File.Create

5 Answers5

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