| Recycling Files and Folders Part 1 If your software can be used to delete files or folders, it can be advisable to move them to the Recycle Bin rather than permanently deleting them. This removes the problems caused by accidental deletion, as recycled files can be easily recovered. |
| Getting Connected Drive Information When writing software that accesses the file system, it can be important to obtain a list of the drives that are available. It is also useful to know further details about each disk, such as the type, capacity and free space for each connected drive. |
| Checking Lockable Key Statuses in .NET 1.1 The Scroll Lock, Caps Lock and Num Lock keys are three toggling keys on a standard keyboard. The status of each of these keys can affect a Windows application. However, when using the .NET framework 1.1, there is no simple way to obtain their status. |
| Checking Scroll Lock Status The Scroll Lock key is a toggle key that behaves in a similar manner to Caps Lock and Num Lock. The principle purpose for Scroll Lock is to fix the position of the caret, or text cursor, and instead scroll the window when the arrow keys are pressed. |
| Generating Temporary Files When you need to store information for a short period of time, you may decide to hold the data in a temporary file located on the user's hard disk drive. The .NET framework provides two standard methods that assist in selecting a temporary file name. |
| Getting the Current Assembly's Folder When you obtain the current working folder for an executing program, this may be a different location to the directory in which the program's assemblies are stored. This article explains how to find the physical location of the current assembly's file. |
| Checking Num Lock Status The Num Lock status determines whether the numeric keypad on a keyboard can be used to enter numbers or is set to control the cursor position. On notebook computers, Num Lock may alternate between numbers and letters. |
| Checking Caps Lock Status Textboxes can be set to hide secret information, such as passwords. If such a textbox receives the focus whilst Caps Lock is on a warning is displayed. There are other situations where you may want to check the Caps Lock status. This tip explains how. |
| Console Applications and Colour Console applications are useful for simple applications and tools, particularly where complex user interfaces are not required. However, plain white on black text can be difficult to read quickly. Using colour in console applications can improve output. |
| Detecting File Changes with FileSystemWatcher If you are developing a Windows Explorer-style application or integrating with a legacy or third-party system that can only provide information via files, you may need to monitor the files within a folder. The FileSystemWatcher class permits this. |