How Can I List Files and Folders in a Directory Using SQL Server Without xp_cmdshell?

Listing Files within a Folder Using SQL Server without xp_cmdshell

Finding a way to list files within a folder using SQL Server can be a common requirement, especially when working with file system data. While the xp_cmdshell stored procedure is a convenient option, its usage may be restricted due to security concerns. To cater to this need, we present an alternative approach using the xp_dirtree stored procedure.

Using xp_dirtree

xp_dirtree is a built-in SQL Server stored procedure that allows us to traverse and list the contents of a directory structure. It accepts three parameters:

1. Path of the Root Directory: The root directory from which we want to list files and folders.
2. Depth: The number of subdirectories to traverse.
3. Type: Specifies what to list - 0 for folders only and 1 for both folders and files.

Example

To list all files and folders within the "C:" drive up to two levels deep:

EXEC xp_dirtree 'C:\', 2, 1

Execution Results

xp_dirtree will output a table containing the following columns:

• Name: Name of the file or folder
• Path: Full path to the file or folder
• CreationDate: Creation date of the file or folder
• LastWriteDate: Last modified date of the file or folder
• Size: Size of the file in bytes (0 for folders)
• Type: Type of the object (0 for folder and 1 for file)

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