Delete a file
You are encouraged to solve this task according to the task description, using any language you may know.
In this task, the job is to delete a file called "input.txt" and delete a directory called "docs". This should be done twice: once "here", i.e. in the current working directory and once in the filesystem root.
Ada
<lang ada>with Ada.Directories; use Ada.Directories;</lang> and then <lang ada>Delete_File ("input.txt"); Delete_File ("/input.txt"); Delete_Tree ("docs"); Delete_Tree ("/docs");</lang> Naming conventions for the file path are OS-specific. The language does not specify the encoding of the file paths, the directory separators or brackets, the file extension delimiter, the file version delimiter and syntax. The example provided works under Linux and Windows.
Aikido
The remove
function removes either a file or a directory (the directory must be empty for this to work). Exception is thrown if this fails.
<lang aikido>
remove ("input.txt")
remove ("/input.txt")
remove ("docs")
remove ("/docs")
</lang>
ALGOL 68
Note: scratch does not appear to do anything on ALGOL 68G. Also note that file names are Operating System dependent. <lang algol68>main:(
PROC remove = (STRING file name)INT: BEGIN FILE actual file; INT errno = open(actual file, file name, stand back channel); IF errno NE 0 THEN stop remove FI; scratch(actual file); # detach the book and burn it # errno EXIT stop remove: errno END; remove("input.txt"); remove("/input.txt"); remove("docs"); remove("/docs")
)</lang>
AutoHotkey
<lang AutoHotkey>FileDelete, input.txt FileDelete, \input.txt FileRemoveDir, docs, 1 FileRemoveDir, \docs, 1</lang>
AWK
Assuming we are on a Unix/Linux or at least Cygwin system: <lang awk>system("rm input.txt"); system("rm /input.txt"); system("rm -rf docs"); system("rm -rf /docs");</lang>
Batch File
<lang dos>del input.txt rd /s /q docs
del \input.txt rd /s /q \docs</lang>
BASIC
Some versions of Qbasic may have had a builtin RMDIR command. However this is not documented in the manual, so we use the external MSDOS command in this example.
<lang qbasic> KILL "INPUT.TXT" KILL "C:\INPUT.TXT" SHELL "RMDIR /S /Q DIR" SHELL "RMDIR /S /Q C:\DIR" </lang>
The ZX Spectrum microdrive had only a main directory, and filenames did not have file extensions. Here we delete the file named INPUTTXT from the first microdrive:
<lang zxbasic> ERASE "m"; 1; "INPUTTXT" </lang>
BBC BASIC
If the names are known as constants at compile time: <lang bbcbasic>
*DELETE input.txt *DELETE \input.txt *RMDIR docs *RMDIR \docs
</lang> If the names are known only at run time: <lang BBC BASIC> OSCLI "DELETE " + file$
OSCLI "RMDIR " + dir$</lang>
C
ISO C: <lang c>#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
remove("input.txt"); remove("/input.txt"); remove("docs"); remove("/docs"); return 0;
}</lang>
POSIX: <lang c>#include <unistd.h>
int main() {
unlink("input.txt"); unlink("/input.txt"); rmdir("docs"); rmdir("/docs"); return 0;
}</lang>
C++
<lang cpp>#include <cstdio>
- include <direct.h>
int main() { remove( "input.txt" ); remove( "/input.txt" ); _rmdir( "docs" ); _rmdir( "/docs" );
return 0; }</lang>
C#
<lang csharp>using System; using System.IO;
namespace RosettaCode {
class Program { static void Main() { try { File.Delete("input.txt"); Directory.Delete("docs"); File.Delete(@"\input.txt"); Directory.Delete(@"\docs"); } catch (Exception exception) { Console.WriteLine(exception.Message); } } }
}</lang>
Clojure
<lang lisp>(import '(java.io File)) (.delete (File. "output.txt")) (.delete (File. "docs"))
(.delete (new File (str (File/separator) "output.txt"))) (.delete (new File (str (File/separator) "docs")))</lang>
Common Lisp
<lang lisp>(delete-file (make-pathname :name "input.txt")) (delete-file (make-pathname :directory '(:absolute "") :name "input.txt"))</lang> To delete directories we need an implementation specific extension. In clisp this is ext:delete-dir.
<lang lisp>(let ((path (make-pathname :directory '(:relative "docs"))))
(ext:delete-dir path))
(let ((path (make-pathname :directory '(:absolute "docs"))))
(ext:delete-dir path))</lang>
Or you can use the portability library CL-FAD:
<lang lisp>(let ((path (make-pathname :directory '(:relative "docs"))))
(cl-fad:delete-directory-and-files path))</lang>
D
<lang d>import std.file: remove;
void main() {
remove("data.txt");
}</lang>
<lang d>import tango.io.Path;
void main() {
remove("input.txt"); remove("/input.txt"); remove("docs"); remove("/docs");
}</lang>
POSIX: <lang d>import tango.stdc.posix.unistd;
void main() {
unlink("input.txt"); unlink("/input.txt"); rmdir("docs"); rmdir("/docs");
}</lang>
Delphi
<lang e>procedure TMain.btnDeleteClick(Sender: TObject); var
CurrentDirectory : String;
begin
CurrentDirectory := GetCurrentDir;
DeleteFile(CurrentDirectory + '\input.txt'); RmDir(PChar(CurrentDirectory + '\docs'));
DeleteFile('c:\input.txt'); RmDir(PChar('c:\docs'));
end; </lang>
Factor
<lang factor>"docs" "/docs" [ delete-tree ] bi@ "input.txt" "/input.txt" [ delete-file ] bi@</lang>
Forth
There is no means to delete directories in ANS Forth. <lang forth> s" input.txt" delete-file throw s" /input.txt" delete-file throw</lang>
Fortran
I don't know a way of deleting directories in Fortran <lang fortran>OPEN (UNIT=5, FILE="input.txt", STATUS="OLD") ! Current directory CLOSE (UNIT=5, STATUS="DELETE") OPEN (UNIT=5, FILE="/input.txt", STATUS="OLD") ! Root directory CLOSE (UNIT=5, STATUS="DELETE")</lang>
GAP
<lang gap># Apparently GAP can only remove a file, not a directory RemoveFile("input.txt");
- true
RemoveFile("docs");
- fail</lang>
Go
<lang go>package main import "os"
func main() {
os.Remove("input.txt") os.Remove("/input.txt") os.Remove("docs") os.Remove("/docs") // recursively removes contents: os.RemoveAll("docs") os.RemoveAll("/docs")
}</lang>
Haskell
<lang haskell>import System.IO import System.Directory
main = do
removeFile "output.txt" removeDirectory "docs" removeFile "/output.txt" removeDirectory "/docs"</lang>
HicEst
<lang hicest>SYSTEM(DIR="docs") ! create docs in current directory (if not existent), make it current OPEN (FILE="input.txt", "NEW") ! in current directory = docs WRITE(FIle="input.txt", DELETE=1) ! no command to DELETE a DIRECTORY in HicEst
SYSTEM(DIR="C:\docs") ! create C:\docs (if not existent), make it current OPEN (FILE="input.txt", "NEW") ! in current directory = C:\docs WRITE(FIle="input.txt", DELETE=1)</lang>
Io
<lang io>Directory fileNamed("input.txt") remove Directory directoryNamed("docs") remove RootDir := Directory clone setPath("/") RootDir fileNamed("input.txt") remove RootDir directoryNamed("docs") remove</lang>
Icon and Unicon
Icon supports 'remove' for files. <lang Unicon>every dir := !["./","/"] do {
remove(f := dir || "input.txt") |stop("failure for file remove ",f) rmdir(f := dir || "docs") |stop("failure for directory remove ",f) }
</lang> Note Icon and Unicon accept both / and \ for directory separators.
J
The J standard library comes with a set of file access utilities. <lang j> load 'files'
ferase 'input.txt' ferase '\input.txt' ferase 'docs' ferase '\docs'
NB. Or all at once...
ferase 'input.txt';'/input.txt';'docs';'/docs'</lang>
The function above actually uses a foreign conjunction and defined in the files library like so: <lang j>NB. ========================================================= NB.*ferase v erases a file NB. Returns 1 if successful, otherwise _1 ferase=: (1!:55 :: _1:) @ (fboxname &>) @ boxopen</lang>
This means that you can directly erase files and directories without loading the files library. <lang j>1!:55 <'input.txt' 1!:55 <'\input.txt' 1!:55 <'docs' 1!:55 <'\docs'</lang>
Java
<lang java>import java.util.File; public class FileDeleteTest {
public static boolean deleteFile(String filename) { boolean exists = new File(filename).delete(); return exists; } public static void test(String type, String filename) { System.out.println("The following " + type + " called " + filename + (deleteFile(filename) ? " was deleted." : " could not be deleted.") ); } public static void main(String args[]) { test("file", "input.txt"); test("file", File.seperator + "input.txt"); test("directory", "docs"); test("directory", File.seperator + "docs" + File.seperator); }
}</lang>
JavaScript
<lang javascript>var fso = new ActiveXObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject");
fso.DeleteFile('input.txt'); fso.DeleteFile('c:/input.txt');
fso.DeleteFolder('docs'); fso.DeleteFolder('c:/docs');</lang>
or
<lang javascript>var fso = new ActiveXObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject"); var f; f = fso.GetFile('input.txt'); f.Delete(); f = fso.GetFile('c:/input.txt'); f.Delete(); f = fso.GetFolder('docs'); f.Delete(); f = fso.GetFolder('c:/docs'); f.Delete();</lang>
Liberty BASIC
<lang lb>' show where we are print DefaultDir$
' in here kill "input.txt" result=rmdir("Docs")
' from root kill "\input.txt" result=rmdir("\Docs") </lang>
Locomotive Basic
<lang locobasic>|era,"input.txt"</lang> (AMSDOS RSX command, therefore prefixed with a vertical bar. Also, there are no subdirectories in AMSDOS.)
Logo
UCB Logo has no means to delete directories. <lang logo>erasefile "input.txt erasefile "/input.txt</lang>
Lua
<lang lua>os.remove("input.txt") os.remove("/input.txt") os.remove("docs") os.remove("/docs")</lang>
Mathematica
<lang Mathemtica>wd = NotebookDirectory[]; DeleteFile[wd <> "input.txt"] DeleteFile["/" <> "input.txt"] DeleteDirectory[wd <> "docs"] DeleteDirectory["/" <> "docs"]</lang>
MATLAB
On Unix-Systems: <lang matlab>if system('rm input.txt') == 0
disp('input.txt removed')
end if system('rm /input.txt') == 0
disp('/input.txt removed')
end if system('rmdir docs') == 0
disp('docs removed')
end if system('rmdir /docs') == 0
disp('/docs removed')
end</lang>
MAXScript
There's no way to delete folders in MAXScript <lang maxscript>-- Here deleteFile "input.txt" -- Root deleteFile "\input.txt"</lang>
Objective-C
<lang objc>NSFileManager *fm = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
// Pre-OS X 10.5 [fm removeFileAtPath:@"input.txt" handler:nil]; [fm removeFileAtPath:@"/input.txt" handler:nil]; [fm removeFileAtPath:@"docs" handler:nil]; [fm removeFileAtPath:@"/docs" handler:nil];
// OS X 10.5+ [fm removeItemAtPath:@"input.txt" error:NULL]; [fm removeItemAtPath:@"/input.txt" error:NULL]; [fm removeItemAtPath:@"docs" error:NULL]; [fm removeItemAtPath:@"/docs" error:NULL];</lang>
Objeck
<lang objeck> use IO;
bundle Default {
class FileExample { function : Main(args : String[]) ~ Nil { File->Delete("output.txt"); File->Delete("/output.txt"); Directory->Delete("docs"); Directory->Delete("/docs"); } }
} </lang>
OCaml
<lang ocaml>Sys.remove "input.txt";; Sys.remove "/input.txt";;</lang>
with the Unix library: <lang ocaml>#load "unix.cma";; Unix.unlink "input.txt";; Unix.unlink "/input.txt";; Unix.rmdir "docs";; Unix.rmdir "/docs";;</lang>
Oz
<lang oz>for Dir in ["/" "./"] do
try {OS.unlink Dir#"output.txt"} catch _ then {System.showInfo "File does not exist."} end try {OS.rmDir Dir#"docs"} catch _ then {System.showInfo "Directory does not exist."} end
end</lang>
PARI/GP
GP has no built-in facilities for deleting files, but can use a system call: <lang parigp>system("rm -rf docs"); system("rm input.txt"); system("rm -rf /docs"); system("rm /input.txt");</lang> PARI, as usual, has access to all the standard C methods.
Perl
<lang perl>use File::Spec::Functions qw(catfile rootdir);
- here
unlink 'input.txt'; rmdir 'docs';
- root dir
unlink catfile rootdir, 'input.txt'; rmdir catfile rootdir, 'docs';</lang>
Without Perl Modules
Current directory
perl -e 'unlink input.txt' perl -e 'rmdir docs'
Root Directory
perl -e 'unlink "/input.txt"' perl -e 'rmdir "/docs"'
PHP
<lang php><?php unlink('input.txt'); unlink('/input.txt'); rmdir('docs'); rmdir('/docs'); ?></lang>
PicoLisp
<lang PicoLisp>(call 'rm "input.txt") (call 'rmdir "docs") (call 'rm "/input.txt") (call 'rmdir "/docs")</lang>
Pike
<lang pike>int main(){
rm("input.txt"); rm("/input.txt"); rm("docs"); rm("/docs");
}</lang>
PowerShell
<lang powershell># possible aliases for Remove-Item: rm, del, ri Remove-Item input.txt Remove-Item \input.txt # file system root
Remove-Item -Recurse docs # recurse for deleting folders including content Remove-Item -Recurse \docs</lang>
PureBasic
<lang PureBasic>DeleteFile("input.txt") DeleteDirectory("docs","") ; needs to delete all included files DeleteFile("/input.txt") DeleteDirectory("/docs","*.*") ; deletes all files according to a pattern
DeleteDirectory("/docs","",#PB_FileSystem_Recursive) ; deletes all files and directories recursive</lang>
Python
<lang python>import os
- current directory
os.remove("output.txt") os.rmdir("docs")
- root directory
os.remove("/output.txt") os.rmdir("/docs")</lang> If you wanted to remove a directory and all its contents, recursively, you would do: <lang python>import shutil shutil.rmtree("docs")</lang>
R
<lang R>file.remove("input.txt") file.remove("/input.txt")
- or
file.remove("input.txt", "/input.txt")
- or
unlink("input.txt"); unlink("/input.txt")
- directories needs the recursive flag
unlink("docs", recursive = TRUE) unlink("/docs", recursive = TRUE)</lang>
The function unlink allows wildcards (* and ?)
Raven
<lang raven>'input.txt' delete '/input.txt' delete 'docs' rmdir '/docs' rmdir</lang>
REBOL
<lang REBOL>; Local. delete %input.txt delete-dir %docs/
- Root.
delete %/input.txt delete-dir %/docs/</lang>
Retro
<lang Retro>with files' "input.txt" delete "/input.txt" delete</lang>
Ruby
<lang ruby>File.delete("output.txt", "/output.txt") Dir.delete("docs") Dir.delete("/docs")</lang>
Scheme
<lang scheme>(delete-file filename)</lang>
Slate
(It will succeed deleting the directory if it is empty)
<lang slate>(File newNamed: 'input.txt') delete. (File newNamed: '/input.txt') delete. (Directory newNamed: 'docs') delete. (Directory newNamed: '/docs') delete.</lang>
Also:
<lang slate> (Directory current / 'input.txt') delete. (Directory root / 'input.txt') delete.</lang>
Smalltalk
(It will succeed deleting the directory if it is empty)
<lang smalltalk>File remove: 'input.txt'. File remove: 'docs'. File remove: '/input.txt'. File remove: '/docs'</lang>
Standard ML
<lang sml>OS.FileSys.remove "input.txt"; OS.FileSys.remove "/input.txt"; OS.FileSys.rmDir "docs"; OS.FileSys.rmDir "/docs";</lang>
Tcl
<lang tcl>file delete input.txt /input.txt
- preserve directory if non-empty
file delete docs /docs
- delete even if non-empty
file delete -force docs /docs</lang>
Toka
<lang toka>needs shell " docs" remove " input.txt" remove</lang>
TUSCRIPT
<lang tuscript> $$ MODE TUSCRIPT - delete file SET status = DELETE ("input.txt") - delete directory SET status = DELETE ("docs",-std-) </lang>
UNIX Shell
<lang bash>rm -rf docs rm input.txt rm -rf /docs rm /input.txt</lang>
Vedit macro language
Vedit allows using either '\' or '/' as directory separator character, it is automatically converted to the one used by the operating system. <lang vedit>// In current directory File_Delete("input.txt", OK) File_Rmdir("docs")
// In the root directory File_Delete("/input.txt", OK) File_Rmdir("/docs")</lang>
VBScript
<lang vb>Set oFSO = CreateObject( "Scripting.FileSystemObject" )
oFSO.DeleteFile "input.txt" oFSO.DeleteFolder "docs"
oFSO.DeleteFile "\input.txt" oFSO.DeleteFolder "\docs"
'Using Delete on file and folder objects
dim fil, fld
set fil = oFSO.GetFile( "input.txt" ) fil.Delete set fld = oFSO.GetFolder( "docs" ) fld.Delete
set fil = oFSO.GetFile( "\input.txt" ) fil.Delete set fld = oFSO.GetFolder( "\docs" ) fld.Delete
</lang>
Visual Basic .NET
Platform: .NET
<lang vbnet>'Current Directory IO.Directory.Delete("docs") IO.Directory.Delete("docs", True) 'also delete files and sub-directories IO.File.Delete("output.txt")
'Root IO.Directory.Delete("\docs") IO.File.Delete("\output.txt")
'Root, platform independent IO.Directory.Delete(IO.Path.DirectorySeparatorChar & "docs") IO.File.Delete(IO.Path.DirectorySeparatorChar & "output.txt")</lang>
X86 Assembly
<lang asm>
- syscall numbers for readability.
- ]
%define sys_rmdir 40 %define sys_unlink 10
section .text global _start
_start: mov ebx, fn mov eax, sys_unlink int 0x80 test eax, eax js _ragequit
mov ebx, dn mov eax, sys_rmdir int 0x80
mov ebx, rfn mov eax, sys_unlink int 0x80 cmp eax, 0 je _exit
_ragequit: mov edx, err_len mov ecx, err_msg mov ebx, 4 mov eax ,1 int 0x80
_exit: push 0x1 mov eax, 1 push eax int 0x80 ret
section .data fn db 'inutput.txt',0 rfn db '/input.txt',0 dn db 'doc',0
err_msg db "Something went wrong! :[",0xa err_len equ $-err_msg </lang>
Yorick
Yorick does not have a built-in function to recursively delete a directory; the rmdir function only works on empty directories. <lang yorick>remove, "input.txt"; remove, "/input.txt"; rmdir, "docs"; rmdir, "/docs";</lang>
- Programming Tasks
- File System Operations
- Ada
- Aikido
- ALGOL 68
- AutoHotkey
- AWK
- Batch File
- BASIC
- ZX Spectrum Basic
- BBC BASIC
- C
- C++
- C sharp
- Clojure
- Common Lisp
- CL-FAD
- D
- Tango
- Delphi
- Factor
- Forth
- Fortran
- GAP
- Go
- Haskell
- HicEst
- Io
- Icon
- Unicon
- J
- Java
- JavaScript
- Liberty BASIC
- Locomotive Basic
- Logo
- Lua
- Mathematica
- MATLAB
- MAXScript
- Objective-C
- Objeck
- OCaml
- Oz
- PARI/GP
- Perl
- PHP
- PicoLisp
- Pike
- PowerShell
- PureBasic
- Python
- R
- Raven
- REBOL
- Retro
- Ruby
- Scheme
- Slate
- Smalltalk
- Standard ML
- Tcl
- Toka
- TUSCRIPT
- UNIX Shell
- Vedit macro language
- VBScript
- Visual Basic .NET
- X86 Assembly
- Yorick
- Befunge/Omit
- TI-83 BASIC/Omit
- TI-89 BASIC/Omit