empty directory not deleting in android

Question

Can anyone tell why this code is not working for deleting an empty directory even that path.exists() returns true but not performing delete operation..

  @Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    File file = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()
            .getAbsolutePath() + "/directoryName");
    boolean isDeleted = deleteDirectory(file);
    System.out.println(isDeleted);
}

static public boolean deleteDirectory(File path) {
    if (path.exists()) {
        System.out.println("MainActivity.deleteDirectory()");
        File[] files = path.listFiles();
        for (int i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
            if (files[i].isDirectory()) {
                deleteDirectory(files[i]);
            } else {
                files[i].delete();
            }
        }
    }
    return (path.delete());
}

Please paste the log if you are getting any kind of error log in logcat. — Chintan Soni, Dec 30 '13 at 10:00
You are trying to delete contents in "directoryName" folder. But your code cannot delete "directoryName" folder. — saa, Dec 30 '13 at 10:01
I found this function from here: http://stackoverflow.com/a/6425744/1739882. Check if it works.. — Chintan Soni, Dec 30 '13 at 10:02
in that directory if any files or sub directories are available i want to delete that files first later i m deleting that directory...but it is not deleting any file or directory — anand, Dec 30 '13 at 10:09

Melquiades · Answer 1 · 2013-12-30T10:22:05.667

Change the sequence a bit to:

boolean deleteDirectory(File path) {
    if(path.exists()) {
        if (path.isDirectory()) {
            File[] files = path.listFiles();
            for (int i=0; i<files.length; i++) {
                deleteDirectory(files[i]);
            }
        }
        return path.delete();
    }

    return false;
}

And remember to declare permission:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

empty directory not deleting in android

1 Answers1