File.mkdir() and mkdirs() are creating file instead of directory

Question

I use the following code:

final File newFile = new File("/mnt/sdcard/test/");
newFile.mkdir(); // if I use mkdirs() result is the same

And it creates an empty file! Why?

Procrustes

are you sure, it is an empty file? – Claudetta

----rwxr-x system sdcard_rw 9873 – Procrustes

cat /mnt/sdcard/test —> /mnt/sdcard/test: invalid length – Procrustes

You should, at a minimum, always check the return values of functions that can return errors. – Eterne

are you sure /mnt/sdcard exists? – Gluey

also are you sure that a file and a dir with the same name can exits? – Gluey

Answer 1

You wouldn't use mkdirs() unless you wanted each of those folders in the structure to be created. Try not adding the extra slash on the end of your string and see if that works.

For example

final File newFile = new File("/mnt/sdcard/test");
newFile.mkdir();

Bosh

There isn't a "/mnt/sdcard" that points to the real sdcard on all Android devices (KitKat). I tried also the two slashes trick at the end with "/storage/external_SD/Android/data/<package_name>/files/dummy//" and it now creates a directory files which is visible on Windows, but dummy is still a file. With ES3 both are directories. Good enough for me :)) – Crabbing

Answer 2

When I need to ensure that all dirs for a file exist, but I have only filepath - i do

   new File(FileName.substring(0,FileName.lastIndexOf("/"))).mkdirs();

Delighted

Answer 3

First of all you shouldn't use a file path with "/mnt/sdcard/test", this may cause some problems with some android phones. Use instead:

public final static String APP_PATH_SD_CARD = "/Test";

String fullPath = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory().getAbsolutePath() + APP_PATH_SD_CARD;

It creates an empty file since you added the dash.

Now that you have your path use the following code:

try {
    File dir = new File(fullPath);
    if (!dir.exists()) {
         dir.mkdirs();
    }
}
catch(Exception e){
    Log.w("creating file error", e.toString());
}

Committal

>> First of all you shouldn't use a file path with "/mnt/sdcard/test" >> It's OK, because it's example code. In fact, it's part of file manager and I'm trying to create directory with user-defined path. So, I don't use hardcoded "/mnt/sdcard/" path in real code. – Procrustes

Answer 4

Try to use

    String rootPath=Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory().getAbsolutePath()+"/test/";
            File file=new File(rootPath);
if(!file.exists()){
file.mkdirs();
}

Rhodic