Browsing files in a folder using VB.NET

This small piece of code will give an idea to browse file in a given folder.

Start your VB.NET application and create a new project (Ctrl+Shift+N) in Windows Application and design your form as you like. I have design my form as below (Figure 1.):

Now drag a FolderBrowseDialog from Toolbox and name it FolderBrowserDialog1.

On click event of btnBrowse open FolderBrowserDialog1 to select folder and then assign that path to txtPath.

Private Sub btnBrowse_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnBrowse.Click  
FolderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog() 
txtPath.Text = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath  
End Sub

Now on Click event of btnSearch we have to search test pattern. Following piece of code will do it for you.

Private Sub btnSearch_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnSearch.Click  
lstSeachResult.Items.Clear()  
Dim dir_info As New DirectoryInfo(txtPath.Text)  
Dim file_infos() As FileInfo  
file_infos = dir_info.GetFiles(txtsearch.Text)  
For Each file_info As FileInfo In file_infos  
lstSeachResult.Items.Add(file_info.Name)  
Next file_info  
End Sub

Now your complete code will look like as below:

Imports System.IO  
 
Public Class Form1
 
Private Sub btnBrowse_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnBrowse.Click
 
FolderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog()
 
txtPath.Text = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath
 
End Sub
 
 
Private Sub btnSearch_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnSearch.Click
 
lstSeachResult.Items.Clear()
 
Dim dir_info As New DirectoryInfo(txtPath.Text)
 
Dim file_infos() As FileInfo
 
file_infos = dir_info.GetFiles(txtsearch.Text)
 
For Each file_info As FileInfo In file_infos
 
lstSeachResult.Items.Add(file_info.Name)
 
Next file_info
 
End Sub

Note:

Here you can search files with pattern like:
 
 
*.* for search all files
 
*.js files ends with .js (JavaScript files)
 
*.vb file ends with .vb (visual basic files
 
*sys* files which contain text ‘sys’

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