How to delete directory content in Java?

Question

After enumerating a directory, I now need to delete all the files.

I used:

final File[] files = outputFolder.listFiles();
files.delete();

But this hasn't deleted the directory.

Does it even compile? you are calling delete on array. – Alpedar Oct 14 '11 at 13:11 — Alpedar, Oct 14 '11 at 13:11

NCode · Answer 1 · 2011-10-14T13:49:43.303

136

You have to do this for each File:

public static void deleteFolder(File folder) {
    File[] files = folder.listFiles();
    if(files!=null) { //some JVMs return null for empty dirs
        for(File f: files) {
            if(f.isDirectory()) {
                deleteFolder(f);
            } else {
                f.delete();
            }
        }
    }
    folder.delete();
}

Then call

deleteFolder(outputFolder);

edited Oct 14 '11 at 13:49

answered Oct 14 '11 at 13:10

NCode

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+1. However, the last line should be `outputFolder.delete()` instead of `output.delete()`. – spork Oct 14 '11 at 13:16
I tried it but when I open browser, folder is still here and contains all files... – lola Oct 14 '11 at 13:18
3

Wont work if one of the files is a non empty directory. You have to delete directory contents recursively. if(f.isDirectory())myDelete(f) – josefx Oct 14 '11 at 13:20
Your're right, changed the code – NCode Oct 14 '11 at 13:37
I got nullPointerExcpetion on for(File f: files) { – lola Oct 14 '11 at 13:44
Fixed it: http://download.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/io/File.html#listFiles%28%29 sometimes returns null – NCode Oct 14 '11 at 13:51
This deletes `folder` too, which is not wanted in the question. To not delete `folder`, move `folder.delete()` to the end of `if(f.isDirectory()) {..}` block. – palindrom Jan 31 '17 at 12:48

score 110 · Answer 2 · edited Dec 05 '20 at 12:25

110

To delete folder having files, no need of loops or recursive search. You can directly use:

FileUtils.deleteDirectory(<File object of directory>);

This function will directory delete the folder and all files in it.

edited Dec 05 '20 at 12:25

Mark Rotteveel

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answered Dec 26 '11 at 04:24

Dhruv

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19

i guess you mean the commons-io method: org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils.deleteDirectory(File) – cproinger Sep 11 '12 at 09:34
75

Almost there! The question was how to delete the folder's content (not the filter itself) - commons-io has a method for that as well: FileUtils.cleanDirectory(File); – Daniel Mar 23 '13 at 22:09
Is there a similar way to delete only the files inside the folder and not the folder itself?? – Lucy Nov 03 '14 at 06:27
@Lucy check the comment above. You can use FileUtils.cleanDirectory(File) method as Daniel has mentioned – vnkid Nov 09 '18 at 08:21
I'm using org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils.deleteDirectory(File) but still get "IOException: Unable to delete directory" with no other information. The application I am running (locally on MacOS) creates the directory and clones a git repo into it. When I restart the application, FileUtils.deleteDirectory(File) is called to reset things and that's when I get the error. The same app that creates the directory cannot delete the directory upon a second startup. It always runs under my user, which has full access to that directory. What am I missing? :) – Jack Straw Mar 16 '23 at 00:46

score 11 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 14 '11 at 13:12

11

All files must be delete from the directory before it is deleted.

There are third party libraries that have a lot of common utilities, including ones that does that for you:

answered Oct 14 '11 at 13:12

Bozho

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Unfortunately, [`Files.deleteRecursively()` was removed from Guava](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8320376/why-is-files-deletedirectorycontents-deprecated-in-guava) in version 11.0. – Jonik Jan 13 '14 at 10:11
1

FileUtils.forceDelete() belongs to commons-io. – niaomingjian Jul 19 '18 at 09:36

score 8 · Answer 4 · answered Oct 14 '11 at 13:12

You can't delete on an array ! This should work better :

for (File f : files) f.delete();

But it won't work if the folders are not empty. For this cases, you will need to recursively descend into the folder hierarchy and delete everything. Yes it's a shame Java can't do that by default...

score 5 · Answer 5 · edited Apr 16 '15 at 16:49

5

Here is one possible solution to solve the problem without a library :

public static boolean delete(File file) {

    File[] flist = null;

    if(file == null){
        return false;
    }

    if (file.isFile()) {
        return file.delete();
    }

    if (!file.isDirectory()) {
        return false;
    }

    flist = file.listFiles();
    if (flist != null && flist.length > 0) {
        for (File f : flist) {
            if (!delete(f)) {
                return false;
            }
        }
    }

    return file.delete();
}

edited Apr 16 '15 at 16:49

Michal Kordas

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answered Jul 03 '13 at 10:25

user2546090

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This code block: "if (!delete(f)) { return false; }" could be replaced with "return delete(f);" could it not? – Eliezer Miron Jan 05 '22 at 22:50

score 4 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 14 '11 at 13:16

4

You can't delete an File array. As all of the other answers suggest, you must delete each individual file before deleting the folder...

final File[] files = outputFolder.listFiles();
for (File f: files) f.delete();
outputFolder.delete();

answered Oct 14 '11 at 13:16

fireshadow52

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score 2 · Answer 7 · answered Jan 31 '13 at 14:42

2

Use FileUtils with FileUtils.deleteDirectory();

answered Jan 31 '13 at 14:42

Dellanio

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4

13

Better mention that `FileUtils` is a part of Apache Commons IO. – Isaac Oct 15 '13 at 21:58

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Oct 14 '11 at 13:13

0

for(File f : files) {
    f.delete();
}    
files.delete(); // will work

answered Oct 14 '11 at 13:13

Vaandu

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How to delete directory content in Java?

8 Answers8