Is it possible with Java to delete to the Recycle Bin?

Question

Java is the key here. I need to be able to delete files but users expect to be able to "undelete" from the recycle bin. As far as I can tell this isn't possible. Anyone know otherwise?

Answer 1

For various reasons Windows has no concept of a folder that simply corresponds to the Recycle Bin.

The correct way is to use JNI to invoke the Windows SHFileOperation API, setting the FO_DELETE flag in the SHFILEOPSTRUCT structure.

• SHFileOperation documention
• Java example for copying a file using SHFileOperation (the Recycle Bin link in the same article doesn't work)

Answer 2

Ten years later, with Java 9, finally there is a builtin way to move files to the Trash Bin

java.awt.Desktop.moveToTrash(java.io.File):

public boolean moveToTrash​(File file)

Moves the specified file to the trash.

Parameters:

file - the file

Returns:

returns true if successfully moved the file to the trash.

The availability of this feature for the underlying platform can be tested with Desktop.isSupported​(Desktop.Action.MOVE_TO_TRASH).

Answer 3

I have found this RFE on suns site: http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=5080625

This tells me there is not a native java way to do this. and as @John Topley just posted the only solution is a JNI call.

Answer 4

See the fileutil incubator project (part of the Java Desktop Integration Components project):

This incubator project is created to host those file utility functionalities, most of which are extensions to the java.io.File class in J2SE. There are frequent requests from Java developers for such features like: sending a file to trash bin, checking free disk space, accessing file attributes etc. This project addresses such frequently requested APIs.

Note, this should work not only on Windows, but on other platforms (Linux, Mac OS X) as well.

Answer 5

Here's the correct link to the example for using SHFileOperation to send a file to the recycle bin.

Answer 6

As John Topley suggests, you must do this with a native operation. In case you don't want to get your hands dirty with some JNI, you could use a library called Java Native Access to do the native calls.

Answer 7

Java 9 has new method but in my case I am restricted to Java 8. I found Java Native Access Platform that has hasTrash() and moveToTrash() method. I tested it on Win 10 and Mac OS (Worked) for me.

static boolean moveToTrash(String filePath) {
        File file = new File(filePath);

        FileUtils fileUtils =  FileUtils.getInstance();
        if (fileUtils.hasTrash()) {

            try {
                fileUtils.moveToTrash(new File[] { file });
                return true;
            } catch (IOException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
                return false;
            }
        } else {
            System.out.println("No Trash");
            return false;
        }
    }

Maven Repository https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/net.java.dev.jna/jna-platform/5.1.0

Don't confuse It is Java Native Access Platform not Java Native Access

Answer 8

My 3 cents - use cmd util Recycle.exe with -f to force recycle (no prompt). Works perfectly.

public class Trash {

    public void moveToTrash(File ... file) throws IOException {
        moveToTrash(false, file);
    }

    public void promptMoveToTrash(File ... file) throws IOException {
        moveToTrash(true, file);
    }

    private void moveToTrash(boolean withPrompt, File ... file) throws IOException {
        String fileList = Stream.of(file).map(File::getAbsolutePath).reduce((f1, f2)->f1+" "+f2).orElse("");
        Runtime.getRuntime().exec("Recycle.exe "+(withPrompt ? "" : "-f ")+fileList);
    }

}