File Listing & Indexing

ByteHide Storage provides powerful methods to list and organize your files efficiently.

Basic Listing

List Directory Contents

Get files in a directory:

// List root directory
var rootFiles = await storage.ListAsync("/");

// List specific directory
var imageFiles = await storage
    .In("images")
    .ListAsync();

// List with full paths
var files = await storage
    .In("documents/reports")
    .ListAsync();

foreach (var file in files)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Path: {file.FullPath}");
}

Recursive Listing

List files in all subdirectories:

// Get all files recursively
var allFiles = await storage
    .In("documents")
    .ListAsync(recursive: true);

// Process recursive results
foreach (var file in allFiles)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Directory: {file.Directory}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Name: {file.Name}");
}

Advanced Listing

Navigate through directory structure:

// List files in nested directories
var reports = await storage
    .In("company")
    .In("finance")
    .In("2024")
    .ListAsync();

// Get parent directory contents
var parentFiles = await storage
    .In("documents/reports/2024")
    .In("..")
    .ListAsync();

File Filtering

Filter files based on properties:

var files = await storage
    .In("documents")
    .ListAsync();

// Filter by type
var pdfFiles = files.Where(f => f.Name.EndsWith(".pdf"));

// Filter by size
var largeFiles = files.Where(f => f.Size > 1024 * 1024); // > 1MB

// Filter by security
var encryptedFiles = files.Where(f => f.IsEncrypted);
var publicFiles = files.Where(f => f.IsPublic);

Tag-Based Organization

Add and filter files using tags:

// Add multiple tags when uploading
await storage
    .SetTags("report", "finance", "2024")
    .Set("reports/q1.pdf", reportData);

// Add tags to files in a directory
var taggedStorage = storage
    .In("documents/contracts")
    .SetTags("legal", "confidential");

Tag Search

Search files directly by tags:

// Search files with specific tag
var financeFiles = await storage.SearchByTag("finance");

// Search in specific directory
var legalDocs = await storage
    .In("documents")
    .SearchByTag("legal");

// Combine multiple tags in search
var reports2024 = await storage.SearchByTag("report", "2024");

// Search with tag in nested directories
var confidentialContracts = await storage
    .In("legal/contracts")
    .SearchByTag("confidential");

Tag Filtering

Filter already listed files by tags:

// Get all files and filter (use SearchByTag instead for better performance)
var files = await storage
    .In("documents")
    .ListAsync();

// Filter by tags
var financeFiles = files.Where(f => f.ContainsTag("finance"));
var reports2024 = files
    .Where(f => f.ContainsTag("report"))
    .Where(f => f.ContainsTag("2024"));

// Combine tags with other filters
var confidentialPdfs = files
    .Where(f => f.ContainsTag("confidential"))
    .Where(f => f.Name.EndsWith(".pdf"));

Performance Tips

Use SearchByTag() when you only need files with specific tags
Use ListAsync() with ContainsTag() when you need to combine tag filtering with other criteria
SearchByTag() is more efficient for large directories

Tag Best Practices

Use consistent tag naming conventions
Consider creating a tag hierarchy (e.g., "department:finance", "year:2024")
Combine tags with directory structure for better organization
Use tags for cross-cutting categories that span multiple directories

Organization

Directory Structure

Organize files by type and date:

// List files by type
await storage
    .In("images")
    .In("2024")
    .In("Q1")
    .ListAsync();

// List files by department
await storage
    .In("departments")
    .In("marketing")
    .In("assets")
    .ListAsync();

Best Practices

Use consistent directory structures
Keep directory depths manageable
Consider using date-based organization for time-sensitive files
Use meaningful directory names

Performance Considerations

Efficient Listing

Optimize listing operations:

// List specific directory instead of recursive when possible
var currentFiles = await storage
    .In("current")
    .ListAsync();

// Cache results if needed frequently
var cachedFiles = await storage
    .In("static-content")
    .ListAsync();

Large Directories

When dealing with directories containing many files:

Avoid deep recursive listings when possible
Consider implementing pagination
Cache results when appropriate