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Home Interviews How do you compare last modified time between two versions of a file? – MindStick
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1 Answers

ICSM Computer
ICSM Computer 15 May 2025
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To compare the last modified time between two versions of a file in C#, you can use File.GetLastWriteTime() or FileInfo.LastWriteTime.

Example Using File.GetLastWriteTime

using System;
using System.IO;

class FileComparer
{
    public static void CompareFileModificationTimes(string filePath1, string filePath2)
    {
        DateTime file1Time = File.GetLastWriteTime(filePath1);
        DateTime file2Time = File.GetLastWriteTime(filePath2);

        Console.WriteLine($"File 1: {file1Time}");
        Console.WriteLine($"File 2: {file2Time}");

        if (file1Time > file2Time)
            Console.WriteLine("File 1 is newer.");
        else if (file1Time < file2Time)
            Console.WriteLine("File 2 is newer.");
        else
            Console.WriteLine("Both files were modified at the same time.");
    }
}

Usage

FileComparer.CompareFileModificationTimes("version1.txt", "version2.txt");

Tips

  1. Use FileInfo.LastWriteTimeUtc for comparing across time zones.
  2. You can compare CreationTime instead if needed.
  3. Always check that both files exist before comparing to avoid exceptions.

Read More

  1. How do you prevent a file from being modified while reading it?
  2. How can you determine the creation time or last modified time of a file?
  3. How to create a Cookie in C#, which is both side modifiable.
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