dir (MATLAB Functions)

MATLAB Function Reference

dir

Display directory listing

Graphical Interface

As an alternative to the dir function, use the Current Directory browser.

Syntax

```
dir
dir name
files = dir('name')
```

Description

dir lists the files in the current working directory. Results are not sorted, but presented in the order returned by the operating system.

dir name lists the specified files. The name argument can be a pathname, filename, or can include both. You can use absolute and relative pathnames and wildcards (*).

files = dir('directory') returns the list of files in the specified directory (or the current directory, if dirname is not specified) to an m-by-1 structure with the fields

name
Filename

date
Modification date

bytes
Number of bytes allocated to the file

isdir
1 if name is a directory; 0 if not

`name`	Filename
`date`	Modification date
`bytes`	Number of bytes allocated to the file
`isdir`	`1` if name is a directory; `0` if not

Remarks

On Windows, obtain a list of drives available using the DOS net use command. In the Command Window, run

```
dos(`net use')
```

Or run

```
[s,r] = dos('net use')
```

to return the results to the character array r.

Examples

List Directory Contents

To view the contents of the matlab/audiovideo directory, type

dir(fullfile(matlabroot, 'toolbox/matlab/audiovideo'))

Using Wildcard and File Extension

To view the MAT files in your current working directory that include the term java, type

```
dir *java*.mat
```

MATLAB returns all filenames that match this specification:

java_array.mat  javafrmobj.mat  testjava.mat

Using Relative Pathname

To view the M-files in the MATLAB audiovideo directory, type

dir(fullfile(matlabroot,'toolbox/matlab/audiovideo/*.m'))

MATLAB returns

Contents.m           aviinfo.m          render_fullaudiotoolbar.m
audiodevinfo.m       aviread.m          sound.m
audioplayerreg.m     lin2mu.m           soundsc.m
audiorecorderreg.m   mmcompinfo.m       wavfinfo.m
audiouniquename.m    mmfileinfo.m       wavplay.m
aufinfo.m            movie2avi.m        wavread.m
auread.m             mu2lin.m           wavrecord.m
auwrite.m            prefspanel.m       wavwrite.m
avifinfo.m           render_basicaudiotoolbar.m

Returning File List to Structure

To return the list of files to the variable av_files, type

av_files = dir( ...
     fullfile(matlabroot, 'toolbox/matlab/audiovideo/*.m'))

MATLAB returns the information in a structure array.

av_files = 
26x1 struct array with fields:
    name
    date
    bytes
    isdir

Index into the structure to access a particular item. For example,

av_files(3).name
ans =
   audioplayerreg.m

See Also
cd, copyfile, delete, fileattrib, filebrowser, fileparts, genpath, isdir, ls, matlabroot, mkdir, mfilename, movefile, rmdir, type, what

diff dir (ftp)