# Read all files in a directory
**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/read-all-files-in-a-directory/39285
**Category:** Beginners
**Created:** [October 15, 2022, 6:49pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/read-all-files-in-a-directory/39285 "2022-10-15T18:49:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@5x9x7x2x7x9](https://discourse.processing.org/u/5x9x7x2x7x9)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2022, 6:49pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/read-all-files-in-a-directory/39285/1 "2022-10-15T18:49:29Z")
How would I read all files in a directory?
For example, I would have a bunch of images in a folder and would want to load them in.
Or would have a bunch of levels as .txt files and would load them?
---
### Author:  [@NumericPrime](https://discourse.processing.org/u/NumericPrime)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/read-all-files-in-a-directory/39285/2 "2022-10-15T19:26:30Z")
This code is based on an exerp of a library I am developing:
```auto
ArrayList files=new ArrayList();
void visitFile(File f) {
try {
if (f.isDirectory()) {
final File[] children=f.listFiles();
if (children!=null) {
for (File child : children) visitFile(child);
}
} else files.add(f);
}
catch(Exception e) {
}
}
```
This code takes a file Object and checks if it is a directory. If that is the case it will check the contents of the folder.
You can easily create a File Object by invoking it’s constructor using the _ **absolute** _ path of the directory. You can get it from a relative Path using `sketchPath(String)`.
This doc might be useful to you:
[File (Java Platform SE 7 ) (oracle.com)](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/io/File.html)
---
### Author:  [@GoToLoop](https://discourse.processing.org/u/GoToLoop)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2022, 7:42pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/read-all-files-in-a-directory/39285/3 "2022-10-15T19:42:28Z")
> [@5x9x7x2x7x9](#):
>
> How would I read all files in a directory?
> [@File Listing Order](https://discourse.processing.org/t/file-listing-order/7148/41):
>
> [Docs.Oracle.com/en/java/javase/11/docs/api/java.base/java/util/Arrays.html#sort(java.lang.Object[])](http://Docs.Oracle.com/en/java/javase/11/docs/api/java.base/java/util/Arrays.html#sort(java.lang.Object%5B%5D)) static final String PICS\_EXTS = "extensions=,png,jpg,jpeg,gif,tif,tiff,tga,bmp,wbmp"; static final float FPS = .25; PImage[] images; void setup() { size(1200, 600); frameRate(FPS); imageMode(CENTER); final File dir = dataFile(""); println(dir); String[] imagePaths = {}; int imagesFound = 0; if (dir.isDirectory()) { imagePaths = listPaths(dir.getPath(), "files", "recursi…