I'm currently programming an app that need to access to some Excel files.
So what I need is to create a folder in the app files with these Excel files in it but I want that folder to be created at the app install, so they would be accessible for every device that install the app.
The files also need to be modifiable in the future by the user.
The problem is that I don't know how to do it right. Should I just create a new folder in the Solution Explorer and put the Excel files in it ? Should I create the folder programmatically and force the user to put them manually in that folder ?
I don't really know how to do it so that the application will not be too complicated to be modified by the user.
EDIT : Also, if I put the files in the Assets, will the user be able to change them later ?
So what I need is to create a folder in the app files with these Excel files in it but I want that folder to be created at the app install, so they would be accessible for every device that install the app. The files also need to be modifiable in the future by the user.
For your requirement, you could use ApplicationData.LocalFolder to store Excel files, LocalFolder has full access permission. LocalFolder exists in the app's sandbox path and will be created after the app is installed.
Also, if I put the files in the Assets, will the user be able to change them later ?
Assets folder exists in Windows.ApplicationModel.Package.Current.InstalledLocation and it is read only that often use to store some static resource. You can't modify the file at run time.
For more details about file access permissions please refer this document.
Forget the installer. It is deprecated and the new apps on Windows are installed over the store.
If you want to copy some files (Excel templates), you have to put them in your resources. At startup you can check if there is a folder in your App-Data folder with your files, if you don't find them, you can copy it from your resources. So even if the file is deleted, your app can copy them in the next start.
If you use Windows Forms with .NET, you can check this page:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.windows.forms.application.localuserappdatapath?view=netframework-4.8
If you are writing an UWP-app, check this page:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/design/app-settings/store-and-retrieve-app-data
Related
Say I use some .json files to descript some object data which effect to the program's behavior, I hope to use these files in the following scenarios
The default values, for this purpose, I need a set of files follows with the application to be packed and installed.
I wish it could be edited by human manually. (Because something have no interface to be modify on UI)
Both user and the program need to kwnow the location the files will be placed after installation.
In debugging stage, I could put these files in the user\AppData\Local.. folder and I know how to access them, but I don't know how to put files into the package and will them generated to anywhere after install?
Thank you for any suggestion.
ps.
I use the "Blank App (WinUI 3 in UWP)" template to create my
application.
I'm new in UWP and WinUI, I used to write traditional Windows Form programs.
How to include externel user files into UWP side-loading package?
You could place the json file into app's project and set the file property as Content, then it will deploy into installtion folder after package install. and please note the json file is readonly in the installtion folder.
so you could call CopyAsync method copy the file to the destination folder that app's local folder with full permission.
For more details about file access permissions please refer this document.
I need to deploy a genexus C# in a shared hosting.
I only have access to the ftp, so my idea is put in public_html the files that i have in C:/Models/Project/CSharpModel/web but i don't know if this will work because i never put this archives in a shared hosting, only in a IIS.
Someone can explain me how the genexus will create the database/tables of my application?
There's some else that i have to do?
You need to take of the database reorganization yourself. Keep in mind thou, that GeneXus has a feature called Export Reorganization that will allow you to export a reorganization program, and the doc tells you how to execute that reorg program.
Also, I wouldn't copy the entire web directory in your shared folder. You should use the Deploy Engine in order to get the only minimum required file for your app.
Edit: You need to copy the folder where all the files are placed... commonly there's a folder named after the Deployment Unit's name, and inside that folder, on folder for every deploy you've made. Those folder are named after a timestamp, so you'll easily find the latest deploy.
I have a windows service project which contains a Test.xml file. In the properies it is changed to copy always.
I have created a setup for service and after installing the service the Test.xml is present in the C:\program files(86)\service folder.
Now I want to edit the Test.xml file throgh a UI. So i have created a small Winforms project 'EditXml'. The EditXml is accessing the Test.xml like this
document = XDocument.Load(System.IO.Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "Test.xml"));
I have added the EditXml.exe also to the setup of services. So after installing the service the EditXml.exe is also present in the folder.
But when I edit using EditXml I cant see the changes in test.xml.
Why values are different from Test.xml? Is this a correct approach? Let me know if question is not clear.
I think that you have an issue with inssuficient permissions and windows file virtualization. When your installer creates a file inside Program Files folder, it usually sets permission only for read operations.
When you try to modify the file using an application running at user account that has now write permissions, windows makes an illusion that the file has been successfully written, but puts it in a virtual store - check if such directory/file exists in c:\users\CurrentUserName\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\YourFolderName
Only your application can see modified file version, but all other application see original version written by installer.
To be able to modify the file using an application, you need to add write permissions to the file.
Everything in Visual Studio seems to lead one to putting data files with the application.The app.config goes there, when I create an .XML data file, there is a Copy to Output property that will automatically copy that file to the exe folder. Howerver, it seems that under Vista and Win7 UAC doesn't want the application to be able to write data to any file in the application directory. So I'm changing my evil ways so that I use the LocalApplicationData folder for files I want to read and write. (I just read the app.config so I'm leaving it alone)
I'm using a VS2010 Visual Studio Installer project to create the installer for this app and I can't seem to find a way to target the folder for my .xml file to the LocalApplicationData folder. I can click on the file and see a Folder property but the dialog only has options for Application Folder, User's Desktop and User's Program Menu. Is there some way to do this in the installer or do I have to write code that checks for the file and copies it over from the .exe folder when it doesn't exist? I figure I'm late to this particular party and there must be a canonical way of handling this.
Also, I'm wondering about debugging, is there something similar to the copy if newer functionality in the build process that will now copy this .xml file automatically over to the LocalApplicationData folder whenever I update it?
The Setup project doesn't expose LocalApplicationData in the Special Folders list. You can use it anyway by doing this:
Add a Custom Folder and set the DefaultLocation property to [LocalAppDataFolder]
In my project I have to create some files and directories into my app folder which is into program files. But in vista it is giving me error that I dont have access to create file.
What should I do now for giving access ? Also it not let me access the registry !!
The program folder is not the place to store application data. There is an %APPDATA% folder for that - you are supposed to store your data there.
Use System.Environment.SpecialFolder and System.Environment.GetFolderPath to obtain the path leading to the correct directory.
Also, you need to differentiate between just creating a folder and putting some files in there (for example during installation) or writing to the program folder at runtime, while typically running under a limited account.
The reason for this difference is simply that installation routines and setups run with elevated privileges under Vista / Windows 7, thus those are allowed to create folders and files there. Still, those files are not supposed to be written to at runtime of your application.
So, what is it you want to do? Write data at runtime, or put some files (i.e. dependencies) in your application folder at a single time? If it's the first, comply with the rules and use the %APPDATA% folder. If it's the second, create an installer / setup routine.
Vista and Win 7 have the Program Files folder locked down so you can't write to it with a basic user account. If you need to create folders there, then you should do it in the installer. Otherwise you can use the user's Application Data folder in their profile.
The only other way is to modify the permissions on the installation folder at install time.
Can you turn the UAC off? Or Login as administrator? The chances are that you are creating the folder in the wrong place.