File.ReadAllLines(String, Encoding) Method in C# with Examples

File.ReadAllLines(String, Encoding) is an inbuilt File class method that is used to open a text file then reads all lines of the file into a string array with the specified encoding and then closes the file.
Syntax:

public static string[] ReadAllLines (string path, System.Text.Encoding encoding);

Parameter: This function accepts two parameters which are illustrated below: 

• path: This is the specified file to open for reading.
• encoding: This is applied to the contents of the file..

Exceptions:

• ArgumentException: The path is a zero-length string, contains only white space, or one or more invalid characters as defined by InvalidPathChars.
• ArgumentNullException: The path is 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 this operation is not supported on the current platform. OR the path specified a directory. OR the caller does not have the required permission.
• FileNotFoundException: The file specified in the path was not found.
• NotSupportedException: The path is in an invalid format.
• SecurityException: The caller does not have the required permission.

Return Value: Returns a string array containing all lines of the file.
Below are the programs to illustrate the File.ReadAllLines(String, Encoding) method.
Program 1: Initially, a file file.txt is created with some contents shown below-

C#

// C# program to illustrate the usage
// of File.ReadAllLines(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";

        // Calling the ReadAllLines(String, Encoding) function
        string[] readText = File.ReadAllLines(path, Encoding.UTF8);
        foreach(string s in readText)
        {
            // Printing the string array containing
            // all lines of the file.
            Console.WriteLine(s);
        }
    }
}

Output:

GFG
Geeks
GeeksforGeeks

Program 2: Initially, no file was created. Below code itself create a file file.txt with some specified contents.

C#

// C# program to illustrate the usage
// of File.ReadAllLines(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";

        // Adding below contents to the file
        string[] createText = { "GFG is a CS portal." };
        File.WriteAllLines(path, createText, Encoding.UTF8);

        // Calling the ReadAllLines(String, Encoding) function
        string[] readText = File.ReadAllLines(path, Encoding.UTF8);
        foreach(string s in readText)
        {
            // Printing the string array containing
            // all lines of the file.
            Console.WriteLine(s);
        }
    }
}

Output:

GFG is a CS portal.