Should You Pre-Check File Permissions in .NET Before Accessing Files?

.NET File Access Permission Check: Reasons to No Pre-Check

Verifying file access permissions before trying to open a file may seem prudent, but in .NET, this practice is fraught with potential pitfalls. Here's why relying on pre-checking is a flawed approach:

File permissions are volatile

Both permissions and file existence can change in a split second, and any checks performed prior to access may become obsolete. This variability, combined with external factors such as network availability and path resolution, makes pre-checking unreliable.

Exception situations determine exception handling

Even with pre-checking, exception handling must be in place. Regardless of whether you check permissions beforehand or not, you need to handle file access exceptions. Additionally, exception handlers can provide the same functionality as existence and permission checks.

Pre-check: slow and redundant

Starting a check before file access is redundant and counterproductive. It introduces unnecessary I/O operations, reduces performance and increases maintenance overhead. The gain in error handling is offset by the extra code and the possibility of introducing bugs.

Alternative: access and handle exceptions directly

Instead of pre-checking, take a direct approach: directly try to open the file and handle possible exceptions. This approach simplifies code, reduces I/O operations, and provides powerful error handling.

Conclusion

Checking file access permissions before opening a file in .NET is futile. Pre-checking is unreliable, redundant, and introduces more complexity without any real benefit. Exception handling is still a necessary mechanism for handling file access problems, and it should be implemented regardless of any pre-checking.

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