File.WriteAllLines(String, String[], Encoding) Method in C# with Examples
Last Updated :
28 Apr, 2025
File.WriteAllLines(String, String[], Encoding) is an inbuilt File class method that is used to create a new file, writes the specified string array to the file by using the specified encoding, and then closes the file.
Syntax:
public static void WriteAllLines (string path, string[] contents, System.Text.Encoding encoding);
Parameter: This function accepts three parameters which are illustrated below:
- path: This is the specified file where specified string array are going to be written.
- contents: This is the specified string array to write to the file.
- encoding: This represents the character encoding applied to the string array.
Exceptions:
- ArgumentException: The path is a zero-length string, contains only white space, or one or more invalid characters as defined by InvalidPathChars.
- ArgumentNullException: Either path or contents are null.
- PathTooLongException: The specified path, file name, or both exceed the system-defined maximum length.
- DirectoryNotFoundException: The specified path is invalid.
- IOException: An I/O error occurred while opening the file.
- UnauthorizedAccessException: The path specified a file that is read-only. OR the path specified a file that is hidden. OR this operation is not supported on the current platform. OR the path specified a directory. OR the caller does not have the required permission.
- NotSupportedException: The path is in an invalid format.
- SecurityException: The caller does not have the required permission.
Below are the programs to illustrate the File.WriteAllLines(String, String[]) method.
Program 1: Initially, no file was created. Below code itself create a file file.txt and write the specified string array into the file.
C#
// C# program to illustrate the usage
// of File.WriteAllLines(String, String[],
// Encoding) method
// Using System, System.IO and
// System.Text namespaces
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
class GFG {
public static void Main()
{
// Specifying a file
string path = @"file.txt";
// Creating some string array to
// write into the file
string[] createText = { "GFG", "is a", "CS portal." };
// Calling WriteAllLines() function to write
// the specified string array into the file
File.WriteAllLines(path, createText, Encoding.UTF8);
// Reading the file contents
string[] readText = File.ReadAllLines(path, Encoding.UTF8);
foreach(string s in readText)
{
Console.WriteLine(s);
}
}
}
Output:
GFG
is a
CS portal.
After running the above code, the above output is shown, and a new file file.txt is created shown below-
Program 2: Initially, a file file.txt is created with some contents shown below-
Below code overwrites the file contents with the specified string array.
C#
// C# program to illustrate the usage
// of File.WriteAllLines(String,
// String[], Encoding) method
// Using System, System.IO and
// System.Text namespaces
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
class GFG {
public static void Main()
{
// Specifying a file
string path = @"file.txt";
// Creating some string array to
// write into the file
string[] createText = { "GFG", "Geeks", "GeeksforGeeks" };
// Calling WriteAllLines() function to overwrite
// the specified string array into the file
File.WriteAllLines(path, createText, Encoding.UTF8);
// Reading the file contents
string[] readText = File.ReadAllLines(path, Encoding.UTF8);
foreach(string s in readText)
{
Console.WriteLine(s);
}
}
}
Output:
GFG
Geeks
GeeksforGeeks
After running the above code, the above output is shown, and the file file.txt contents became like shown below-
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