I've been looking around but I have not found a solution for this problem: I want to create a class library that has a configuration file under a sub-directory called Configuration. I want that class library to be deployed anywhere and I want it to find its configuration files by knowing its own location.
Previous attempts with Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location did not work.
It would return temp locations such as
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Temporary ASP.NET Files\root\7c00e0a3\38789d63\assembly\dl3\9c0a23ff\18fb5feb_6ac3c901
instead of the desired
bin/Configuration path.
So:
Can a class library be aware of its own location on disk?
How would I go about witting test scripts for this functionality since it seems that directories change based on how you run the app (debugging inside VS, deploying on IIS, etc)
This should work -
string assemblyFile = (
new System.Uri(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().CodeBase)
).AbsolutePath;
The below code worked for me to get the physical path of the Images folder in-class library file.
string fullFilePath = Path.Combine((new System.Uri(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().CodeBase)).AbsolutePath.Split(new string[] { "/bin" }, StringSplitOptions.None)[0]
, "#/Images/test.png");
I hope, it will help someone.
Related
I have a seemingly basic question, but I can't access a folder inside my project (actually, it is a project that is one of the references of the main project), which is a folder called "pdfs" that contains 1 PDF that I want to convert to base64.
I put the "pdfs" folder in the same level of the file from where I call it, as I thought it would be easier to access (actionDB.cs file, which is in services/actions/actionDB.cs). The "pdfs" folder is in services/actions/pdfs).
But there is no way to get the correct path of this folder.
On the contrary, if I put the folder in c: , getting path = "c:\\pdfs", and the pdf file there, I can easily find it and convert the pdf perfectly in the code.
Any idea how to access these folders that are inside the projects, as if they were assets? I already put 'copy always: to the destination' and 'type of compilation: content' in the pdf properties, but I still can't access it.
I have already tried the following options:
string path = Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location), #"pdfs");
string path = Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location), #"services\actions\pdfs");
string path = Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(Environment.CurrentDirectory), #"services\actions\pdfs");
The namespace of the actionsDB is ProjectName.Data.services.actions.
I got results such as IIS/.., or other paths inside VS installation…, Assembly and some weird hashes.
Nothing works...
Could you help me with this?
Thank you very much,
CBD
AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory is probably the most useful for accessing files whose location is relative to the application install directory.
I'm developing a C# library with .Net Framework 4.5.1 to use it in a Windows 8.1 desktop application.
Inside this library project I have a JSON file, and I want to load it. First, I have tried to get current directory with this:
string currentDir = Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location);
But, I have test it and Assembly.GetEntryAssembly() is null.
Maybe, I can use a resource file instead of a JSON file.
This is the method:
private void LoadData()
{
string currentDir =
Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location);
string file =
Path.Combine(currentDir, cardsDir, cardsFile);
string json =
File.ReadAllText(file);
Deck = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Card[]>(json);
}
Any idea? Is there a better approach? How can I get current dir?
Yeah, you have to take into account #Hagai Shahar answer, the way to go would be using AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory
try this
Environment.CurrentDirectory
this will return the current working directory of your application. now you can access any file relative to your application
string currentDir = Path.GetDirectoryName(Environment.CurrentDirectory);
Pay attention that Environment.CurrentDirectory does not necessarily return the directory that contains the application files. It depends on where you started the application from.
For example, if the exe file is located at C:\User\ProgramName\prog.exe but you start the application from cmd like this:
C:\> C:\User\ProgramName\prog.exe
...the result of Environment.CurrentDirectory will be C:\ and not C:\User\ProgramName.
Furthermore, it happens also in shortcuts:
See the "Start In" property? If this is set it will become the result of Environment.CurrentDirectory because the application will be started from there.
Another solution is to get the location of the assembly which runs the application, something like this:
typeof(Program).Assembly.Location
You can't refer something within your class library using paths relative to it because you library will be a .dll file, not a folder structure. What you can do is to set the file's Copy if newer property to Copy always. This way, your json will be copied to the debug folder, along with the project.
It means that your file will be placed in the Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location) folder, which means that your LoadData() will work fine
I have a solution containing two projects. One project is just for doing all data stuff and the other one, the startup project, do all the web stuff.
Now I want to get the TasksDataBase.xml from the TaskManagerHelpers class by first getting the projects root directory. But all I get is the TaskManager.Web root directory. (I call the method inside TaskManagerHelpers.cs from a controller inside TaskManager.Web)
How do I get the TaskManager.Data root directory when I'm in a class in the same project?
I've tried with theese methodes and similar ones.
HttpContext.Current.Request.PhysicalApplicationPath;
System.IO.Path.GetFullPath();
AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory;
Thanks in advance!
One possibility is to embed the XML file into the assembly of the class library and then read it as resource in your web application. Remember that when you publish your web application to a web server all that will get into the package will be the files of this web application. There's no physical relation to some projects that might have lived into the Visual Studio solution that this web application was part of.
You may take a look at the GetManifestResourceStream method which will allow you to read the embedded XML from the referenced assembly.
Here's an example:
// you could use any type from the assembly here
var assembly = typeof(TaskManagerHelper).Assembly;
using (var stream = assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("TaskManager.Data.DataBase.TasksDataBase.xml"))
using (var xmlReader = XmlReader.Create(stream))
{
// ... do something with the XML here
}
Bear in mind though that since the file is embedded into the assembly you will not be able to modify it. It is readonly. If you need to modify it then an alternative approach would consist into copying this file to your web application. For example a good place is the App_Data special folder. You could even setup a post compilation step that will copy the XML file in this location.
And then you can reference it easily:
string xmlFile = HostingEnvironment.MapPath("~/App_Data/TasksDataBase.xml");
using (var xmlReader = XmlReader.Create(xmlFile))
{
// ... do something with the XML here
}
In this case since the XML file is now physically part of the web application and lives on the hard drive you could also modify it.
Just because the two projects are located in the same folder tree during development, says nothing about where they'll be located at run time. It's entirely possible that that could be on different machines.
"No," you say. They'll will definitely be on the same machine in the same c:\inetpub tree. That may be true, but that's your policy, not a requirement.
If you are going to establish a hard policy about where they are located, then you can hard-code that into you code.
Right-click the XML file and select properties, then change the Copy to Output Director to one of the other settings than "Do Not Copy". That will place the file into your \bin\ folder alongside the other project output. You can then use AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory as your base path
IF you are running a web project, all the referenced dll files are copied to the bin directory (unless they are in the GAC) and used from there, no matter if you add a reference to another project, Visual Studio first compile it and then copies it to the bin folder of the web project. You can mark your xml file as Content (Compilation Action) and with the copy always option so it always copy it to the bin directory .... the problem is that it sometime look for this files outside of the bin folder but I think that you can handle this.
I need some help with paths please!
Basically I have a project with the following folder structure:
Project (root directory which contains the .sln file etc.)
Project/MyProj (contains the code)
Project/MyProjTest (the test folder)
Project/TestResults
Now with this Project I need to have a common folder where I can stick a bunch of files for use with the Application without having to copy the files to multiple locations etc. What is the best way to do this? Ideally I would like to have the folder as Project/ResourcesFolder, so that both the Code folder and Test folder can access it. Now if this is the case how do I call this folder from within C#? I've tried Application.StartupPath, Environment.GetCurrentDirectory but they both just return the CURRENT folder which is not what I want.
Thanks in advance.
You can add a solution folder to your solution and place common files in it.
You'll have to copy the files, you'll want your program to operate the same way after it is deployed. The simplest way to do so is by adding them to your project. In the Properties window, set Build Action = None, Copy to Output Directory = Copy if Newer. The latter setting ensures that you don't waste time copying the files over and over again.
This ensures that the files will be present in the same directory as your EXE. Both when you debug and after you deploy it. Simply use Application.StartupPath to locate them. Creating the Setup project for the app is now very simple as well.
Note that if the files are small you really want to embed them as resources.
.. goes one directory up. That is, from Project/MyProjTest you could access Project/MyProj via ../MyProj.
Use Server.MapPath("~") to get to the root folder of your application. From there you can get to wherever you need.
I am developing an application in C#. I have a folder called myfolder it contains a file called mypoints.bmp. The folder myfolder is in my project folder it is in D drive. The path is D:\Myproject\myfolder\mypoints.bmp.
Now, in my program, whereever I need mypoints.bmp I have hardcoded the whole path. When my project is copied in to a different system under C drive, I am not able to run my project because of the hardcoded path. How can I give the path so that there will not be any problem even if it is loaded in to a different system under a different drive.
The best would be to store the path in a configuration file.
Add -> New Item -> Application Configuration File
Then you can use the following class to pull the value you're looking for:
System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager
Have a look here on the usage.
If the images you are referring to are non-changing and are simply acting as a resource for your application then you could consider embedding them in resource files which are compiled as part of your assembly. That way you need never worry about paths or copying them.
If the BMP file is used in the code and is accessed in runtime, there is no point in keeping it just in the project directory. it should be also present in the outputdirectory.
i.e you could write a post-build command to copy your folder to the output directory.
like copy "$(ProjectDir)\MyFolder\*.*" "$(OutDir)"
then in the code you could just write the relative path i.e "MyFolder\MyPoints.bmp"
But please remember one thing. If this BMP file is not going to change through out your program execution, it is better that you put it as a resource.
You can use something like GetCurrentPath(), which will return your .exe file path, then add to this path your \myfolder\mypoints.bmp. This will not be depend on C or D or ... drive and folder
There is one path that you can always reliably find, no matter how your program got deployed to the target machine: the directory in which your .exe is stored.
Take advantage of this, put the .bmp file in the same directory. Or a subdirectory of the install directory. You didn't say what kind of program you wrote, it is easy with Application.ExecutablePath in Windows Forms. But the generic solution that works everywhere:
public static string GetImagePath(string filename) {
string exeFile = System.Reflection.Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location;
string exePath = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(exeFile);
string imgPath = System.IO.Path.Combine(exePath, #"images");
string imgFile = System.IO.Path.Combine(imgPath, filename);
return imgFile;
}
Which assumes the images are stored in a subdirectory named "images". Tweak as necessary.
Last but not least: don't forget that you can add images to your program's resources so it is baked in the .exe file. Project + Properties, Resources tab. Highly recommended.
You can also use predefined or existed system variable. Anyway you must decide when the user (or you) have to define that path (in config file or wherever) - during instalaltion, first run, before first run or in any time when app is running.
Personally I would use the Environment class in C#. Then I will locate the local app settings folder using the Environment.SpecialFolder enum.
I will then store all my applications specific files inside a folder in the local app settings folder.
This way you are also UAC safe, since UAC will complain if you want to store files in Program Files if you are not Administrator.