System.IO.FileAttributes Enumeration

Provides attributes for files and directories.

Syntax

[System.Flags]
[System.Runtime.InteropServices.ComVisible(true)]
public enum FileAttributes

Remarks

You can get attributes for files and directories by calling the File.GetAttributes(string) method, and you can set them by calling the File.SetAttributes(string, FileAttributes) method.

It is not possible to change the compression status of a System.IO.File object by using the File.SetAttributes(string, FileAttributes) method. Instead, you must actually compress the file using either a compression tool or one of the classes in the System.IO.Compression namespace.

Members

Member NameDescription
Archive

The file is a candidate for backup or removal.

Compressed

The file is compressed.

Device

Reserved for future use.

Directory

The file is a directory.

Encrypted

The file or directory is encrypted. For a file, this means that all data in the file is encrypted. For a directory, this means that encryption is the default for newly created files and directories.

Hidden

The file is hidden, and thus is not included in an ordinary directory listing.

IntegrityStream

The file or directory includes data integrity support. When this value is applied to a file, all data streams in the file have integrity support. When this value is applied to a directory, all new files and subdirectories within that directory, by default, include integrity support.

Normal

The file is a standard file that has no special attributes. This attribute is valid only if it is used alone.

NoScrubData

The file or directory is excluded from the data integrity scan. When this value is applied to a directory, by default, all new files and subdirectories within that directory are excluded from data integrity.

NotContentIndexed

The file will not be indexed by the operating system's content indexing service.

Offline

The file is offline. The data of the file is not immediately available.

ReadOnly

The file is read-only.

ReparsePoint

The file contains a reparse point, which is a block of user-defined data associated with a file or a directory.

SparseFile

The file is a sparse file. Sparse files are typically large files whose data consists of mostly zeros.

System

The file is a system file. That is, the file is part of the operating system or is used exclusively by the operating system.

Temporary

The file is temporary. A temporary file contains data that is needed while an application is executing but is not needed after the application is finished. File systems try to keep all the data in memory for quicker access rather than flushing the data back to mass storage. A temporary file should be deleted by the application as soon as it is no longer needed.

Requirements

Namespace: System.IO
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Assembly Versions: 1.0.5000.0, 2.0.0.0, 4.0.0.0