How do I get %LocalAppData% in C#?
If you would like to use an enumeration, try the following:
Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData)
Using this technique, you can also find all other Window's file paths (i.e Program Files, My Documents, etc).
Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("LocalAppData") for C#, since Visual Studio isn't a language, unless you're looking to get that variable in one of the VS dialogs or something.
Related
I work for an IT company where we all carry around flash drives that have our most used programs on them.In my spare time I am hoping to create a "main menu" item that is kind of a fun and convenient way to access these files. I am working on creating this using Visual Studio 2013 and using visual C# windows forms. I have come across a snag however that I can't seem to find a workaround for. I am by no means fluent in C#, but I need to have a button on the windows form open a file without specifying what drive it comes from. I understand that I have to specify a path, but as these will be stored on the flash drives of myself and my coworkers I cannot foresee that the path will always begin with E:. Depending on what USB slot the drive is plugged into it could be N: or F: or the like. I have provided an example below:
Using what I currently know I am opening files using this line of code:
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("C:/Users/Myname/Desktop/Asmodeus/Anti-Virus/Anti-Virus Installers/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe");
Is there any way possible I can have the file open simply from
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("Asmodeus/Anti-Virus/Anti-Virus Installers/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe");
or something of that nature?
Thanks in advance.
There must have been some mis-communication when I asked my question previously. what I am looking to do is open an executable file via a button click on the windows form using a relative path. I am not able to specify the absolute path because the application will be run from a flash drive and therefore will change depending on what USB slot it is currently inserted into.
What I am hoping to accomplish is insert a line of code that will allow me to open an executable file that is located in the \bin\debug folder along with the application itself. I have a picture for clarification but apparently do not have enough reputation to post it. Thank you and sorry for the earlier confusion.
Usually you can just use Environment.GetFolderPath (MSDN) to give you what you need. It doesn't do absolutely everything, but if you need Desktop and the like, that is plenty.
Depending on the target version of .Net, the SpecialFolders exposed are not all there. It may turn out that you need more than they provide, but in your case it doesn't sound like it.
If there is more you need that is not covered in the default, check out this project. I'm sure there are others like it, but it does a little more than the default BCL version, using the API directly. It is at least something to read and learn (and translate from vb.. use an online translator, very quick). I haven't looked at it, but it seems like you are learning this c#/.net thingy, so it might be helpful
This article is about accessing Windows special folders.
These folders include your “Favorites”, “Cookies”, system libraries and the like.
Here is code, including a large number of constant definitions, plus documentation,
allowing access to and creation of these folders.
I'm wondering is there any way to use the normal shortcuts form windows like %PROGRAMFILES%, %APPDATA%,.... when using System.Diagnostics.Process.Start ?
What I want to do there is using one of those shortcuts to dynamically create the path that is being used to tart the program I want to start with Process.Start.
Example:
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("%PROGRAMFILES%\MyApp\MyApp.exe");
Edit: As a comment to the accepted answer:
As one important thing was mentioned in the comments I want to also put it here:
If the solution does not work as the file is not found, one should print out the result of the System.Environment.ExpandEnvironmentVariables command. It can be that it points unintendedly to the x86 program files location instead of the program files location (or vice versa) depending on if for the application itself (project properties) "Prefer 32-bit" or platform target is set accordingly. If that is kept in mind the solution works quite nicely.
Use System.Environment.ExpandEnvironmentVariables to perform the expansion first, then pass the result to Process.Start:
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(
System.Environment.ExpandEnvironmentVariables(#"%PROGRAMFILES%\MyApp\MyApp.exe"));
I am almost sure this does not work, however, there is an environment class in the .NET library that can return the information you are looking for.
Probably like:
// Change the directory to %WINDIR%
Environment.CurrentDirectory = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("windir");
If you use 'programfiles' instead it might work (could not check here).
You can use
Environment.GetFolderPath(System.Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFilesX86)`
To get the path to a special folder (in this case, 32-bit program files directory). There's more in that class that would be of help as well.
Also, I expect that Process.Start with the non-expanded path will work fine if you use UseShellExecute - the shell is capable of expanding paths on its own.
However, this is still probably a bad solution. What if the user installed your target application somewhere else? Are you sure there's no better way to get path to the application?
so what I'm trying to do is open a file (well, actually two folders, but I figure I'll start with a single file for now) using a third party comparison tool called UltraCompare. I'm working in a C# website project in Visual Studio 2010 (Express edition). I've seen how to open a file using a different program, here: Open a file with Notepad in C#.
Problem is, this only lets you open it using the default program for that file type. But I want to open it in a specified program. For example, a text file should open in UltraCompare, not notepad. Here's the code which does this:
string textBoxContents1 = TextBox1.Text;
Process.Start(textBoxContents1);
The textbox on the webform accepts a string, in which the user types the file's full path (not the most user-friendly design I know, but I'm not sure how to allow them to browse for a folder using a GUI interface in asp.NET). The file is then passed into the Process.Start() method, which opens it using the default program for that file type.
Is there any way to modify this to make it open using UltraCompare??
You can specify the program you want to open the file in:
Process.Start("yourprogram.exe", textBoxContents1);
Update
To open two files in Ultracompare, you'd probably do something like that:
Process.Start("yourprogram.exe", "file1.txt file2.txt");
Keep in mind that the second parameter of Process.Start method are the arguments passed to the program.
I said this is probably going to work because I assumed to be very likely that Ultracompare expects 2 arguments, but this might not be the case.
Quick question: Are you trying to do this for the client machine? Hope not
And I guess it looks into the PATH variable for finding your exe
In the Visual Studio, do we have a tool to find a file based on file name insdie a project, like typing a few letters of beginging of a file, it will autocomplete to show all files starting with that letters. In the Java Eclipse, we can use Ctrl+Shift+R , do we have similar in the VS ?
Thanks
Yes, there is something like that.
You can use the Find text box you use for normal searches as input for the Command Window. Then in the Command Window you have the of command to search files.
To do it:
CTRL + /to select the Find text box.
Type > of then the file name (or part of) you want to search for.
A dropdown list will show all files that match your typing (so you do not have to know the full file name as with CTRL + SHIFT + R).
If file list is pretty long you may use the normal Find in Files dialog, simply set Use to Wildcards, in Find what type * and write the search pattern in Look at these file types. Check the Display file name only option. Using the Look in field you can limit the search to current project, entire solution or whatever you need.
Try ctrl-spacebar, it's the normal shortcut for intelisense. If it doesn't work for file path and name, there is surely a plugin out there just for this.
I use VS with only resharper as a plugin and I can do this, I don't know if its resharper that does it or if its prebuilt.
EDIT: It is resharper that does it. I would recommend using it if you intent to work with VS as it greatly helps out on a lot of refactoring and shortcuts.
I don't think this exists, but I'll throw this out there anyway. Is it possible, while debugging, to search for a value in memory?
For example, if I have a string "uniqueString" cached somewhere in memory, but I don't know under which variable it's stored--can I do a search for it? As in, find out which variable(s) have "uniqueString" as their value?
This is for C# managed code.
windbg will let you do the search directly. 's' is the command you're looking for, here's a very good cheat sheet. sos extension lets you scan for string objects too in managed code though the s command should find them too (must use unicode aware search).
You have the same functionality in Visual Studio, available from the immediate window. Although, you'd have to manually somehow limit the address range to search in (see the syntax in the link).
(edit) BTW, you can easily create dumps from VS too: Debug->Save Dump As.