Develop Reference

interacting with blob storage on MS Azure from ASP.NET C#

I am working on a website, I should deploy this on Azure cloud after I finish development, the thing is that my web app should upload a blob from the user local machine to the blob storage
my question is , how do I get the file path of the file?
I use upload control to enable the user to upload a file
when the user clicks the submit button there is code executed to upload the file specified in the upload control to the blob storage
how can I get the value of the filepath variable in my code?
does the file need to be uploaded on the server that is hosting my web app, or I can just use the path of the file from the client's local machine?
this is the upload web form code:
using Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Storage;
using Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Storage.Auth;
using Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Storage.Blob;
using Microsoft.Azure;
namespace myProject
{
public partial class popout : System.Web.UI.Page
{
protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string filePath;
if (FileUpload1.PostedFile != null)
{
filePath = FileUpload1.PostedFile.FileName;
}
else { filePath = null; }
// file name with path of the file uploaded using FileUpload1 control
CloudStorageAccount storageAccount = CloudStorageAccount.Parse(CloudConfigurationManager.GetSetting("connectionstringWhatever"));
// Create a blob client.
CloudBlobClient blobClient = storageAccount.CreateCloudBlobClient();
// Get a reference to a container named “myContainer”
CloudBlobContainer container = blobClient.GetContainerReference("myContainer");
//setting the permission to public
container.SetPermissions(new BlobContainerPermissions { PublicAccess = BlobContainerPublicAccessType.Blob });
// Retrieve reference to a blob named "blob1".or if doesn't exist, create one
CloudBlockBlob blockBlob = container.GetBlockBlobReference("blob1");
if (filePath != null)
{
using (var fileStream = System.IO.File.OpenRead(filePath))
{
blockBlob.UploadFromStream(fileStream);
}
}
else {
string msg = "FileUpload1 = null";
ClientScript.RegisterStartupScript(this.GetType(), "myalert", "alert('" + msg + "');", true);
}
}
}
}

Take a look at this page on MSDN, particularly the example:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.ui.webcontrols.fileupload.postedfile(v=vs.110).aspx
This is a similar scenario to yours. The example saves the uploaded file to the server, then performs additional operations on it. However, you may also be able to write the file data to the blob so long as the file data is in memory, using the PostedFile property.
You won't be able to provide the file path to the file on the user's machine. The upload path is provided through the upload dialog only; you don't have access to that path from your application.

Create folder google cloud storage bucket .NET Client Library

I'm looking to at a way to create a folder inside a bucket using the following client library:
https://cloud.google.com/storage/docs/json_api/v1/json-api-dotnet-samples
I've looked at the following thread, and it appears I need to use the simple method upload.
Creating folder in bucket google cloud storage using php
I can't see any way of being able to specify a uploadtype, all requests appear to be uploadType=resumable.
Looking at the above post and a fiddler trace I need to use uploadType=media. Is there away to accomplish this?

It is a bit more straighforward to do this in the latest version of the API.
You still have to make sure that you check for the "/" as Salem has suggested.
public void AddFolder(string folder)
{
StorageClient storageClient = StorageClient.Create();
if (!FolderName.EndsWith("/"))
FolderName += "/";
var content = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("");
storageClient.UploadObject(bucketName, folder, "application/x-directory", new MemoryStream(content));
}

This worked for me! Don't know if it's the right way to do it, but there are not enough on this.
public void CreateDir(string FolderName)
{
if (!FolderName.EndsWith("/"))
FolderName += "/";
var uploadStream = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(""));
Storage.Objects.Insert(
bucket: BucketName,
stream: uploadStream,
contentType: "application/x-directory",
body: new Google.Apis.Storage.v1.Data.Object() { Name = FolderName}
).Upload();
}
EDIT: Just found out that you can directly upload the file to your destination objects, and if the directories/sub-directories don't exist the upload function will create them for you.

All you need to do is put the folder(s) you want before the file name
using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(json)))
{
string fileName = $"/test/somefolder/{sourceId}_{DateTime.Now.ToString("yyyyMMddHHmmss")}.json";
await gcpClient.UploadObjectAsync(gcpBucketName, fileName, null, ms);
}

How to create and save a temporary file on Microsoft Azure virtual server

I am using a free MS Azure virtual webserver for my site.
On my dev machine I can successfully create a CSV file, save it to a relative temp directory, and then download it to the browser client.
However, when I run it from the Azure site, I get the following error:
System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: Could not find a part of the
path 'D:\home\site\wwwroot\temp\somefile.csv'.
Does the free version of Azure Websites block us from saving files to disk? If not, where are we allowed to create/save files that we generate on the fly?
Code Example
private FilePathResult SaveVolunteersToCsvFile(List<Volunteer> volunteers)
{
string virtualPathToDirectory = "~/temp";
string physicalPathToDirectory = Server.MapPath(virtualPathToDirectory);
string fileName = "Volunteers.csv";
string pathToFile = Path.Combine(physicalPathToDirectory, fileName);
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
// Column Headers
sb.AppendLine("First Name,Last Name,Phone,Email,Approved,Has Background Check");
// CSV Rows
foreach (var volunteer in volunteers)
{
sb.AppendLine(string.Format("{0},{1},{2},{3},{4},{5},{6}",
volunteer.FirstName, volunteer.LastName, volunteer.MobilePhone.FormatPhoneNumber(), volunteer.EmailAddress, volunteer.IsApproved, volunteer.HasBackgroundCheckOnFile));
}
using (StreamWriter outfile = new StreamWriter(pathToFile))
{
outfile.Write(sb.ToString());
}
return File(Server.MapPath(virtualPathToDirectory + "/" + fileName), "text/csv", fileName);
}

Make sure that the ~/temp folder gets published to the server, as it's possible your publish process isn't including it.

Azure Websites provide environment variables that you can use to get to things like a temporary storage folder. For example, there is a "TEMP" variable you could access to get a path to the TEMP folder specific to your Website.
Change line 2 in your method to this:
//string physicalPathToDirectory = Server.MapPath(virtualPathToDirectory);
string physicalPathToDirectory = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("TEMP");
Then change the last line to this:
//return File(Server.MapPath(virtualPathToDirectory + "/" + fileName), "text/csv", fileName);
return File(pathToFile, "text/csv", fileName);

How to download a file in IIS?

I have written two methods such as FileUpLoad() and FileDownLoad() to Upload and Download a single file in my local system.
void FileUpLoad()
{
string hfBrowsePath = fuplGridDocs.PostedFile.FileName; //fuplGridDocs is a fileupload control
if (hfBrowsePath != string.Empty)
{
string destfile = string.Empty;
string FilePath = Path.Combine(#"E:\Documents\");
FileInfo FP = new FileInfo(hfBrowsePath);
hfFileNameAutoGen.Value = PONumber + FP.Extension;
destfile = FilePath + hfFileNameAutoGen.Value; //hfFileNameAutoGen is a hidden field
fuplGridDocs.PostedFile.SaveAs(destfile);
}
}
void FileDownLoad(LinkButton lnkFileName)
{
string filename = lnkFileName.Text;
string FilePath = Path.Combine(#"E:\Documents", filename);
fuplGridDocs.SaveAs(FilePath);
FileInfo fileToDownLoad = new FileInfo(FilePath);
if (fileToDownLoad.Exists)
{
Process.Start(fileToDownLoad.FullName);
}
else
{
lblMessage.Text = "File Not Saved!";
return;
}
}
While running the application before hosting it in IIS, I can upload a file to the desired location and can also retrieve a file from the saved location. But after publishing it in the localhost, I can only Upload a file. I could not download the saved file. There is no exception too. The Uploaded file is saved in the desired location. I don't know why it is not retrieving the file? Why I cant download the file in IIS? I have searched a lot in the internet, but couldn't find the solution. How to solve this? I am using Windows XP and IIS 5.1 version.

How do you expect your Web Application to do a Process.Start when you deploy this site to a server, your just going to be opening pictures on the server, not on the client PC.
I think this will answer your question: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/74654/File-Download-in-ASP-NET-and-Tracking-the-Status-o
Also the download file is missing a slash after E:\Documents

another option is to add your wildcard to IIS MIME types

How to upload an image file to Active Directory user profile in C#?

I need a method which will take an *.jpg image file and upload it to a user profile in the Active Directory of Windows AD 2003.
Also a method to retrieve the photo as stream or expose it as secure web service to be called by cross platform apps in java etc (Damn! am I asking too much!!!)
The file being uploaded will be a *.jpg which is basically a visual signature file created by a user.
Does anyone having any experience working with Active Directory in C# provide some information as to how this can be done with minimum implication related to security.
From the point of view of the Windows Active Directory Administrator what does he have to
do to make this possible.Changes/provisions to schema of user profile etc.
The image is being uploaded so that it can be later retrieved from the AD to be inserted into PDF document for signature purposes.
Can this be done in C#? Or is there any done libraries etc?

Here's a series of blog postings with code that shows how to do it:
(The first shows how to get a photo in, the second shows how to get it out)
Using the jpegPhoto attribute in AD - Part I
Using the jpegPhoto attribute in AD - Part II
EDIT: Here's a generic function implementing the code from Part I:
void AddPictureToUser(
string strDN, // User Distinguished Name, in the form "CN=Joe User,OU=Employees,DC=company,DC=local"
string strDCName, // Domain Controller, ie: "DC-01"
string strFileName // Picture file to open and import into AD
)
{
// Open file
System.IO.FileStream inFile = new System.IO.FileStream(strFileName, System.IO.FileMode.Open, System.IO.FileAccess.Read);
// Retrive Data into a byte array variable
byte[] binaryData = new byte[inFile.Length];
int bytesRead = inFile.Read(binaryData, 0, (int)inFile.Length);
inFile.Close();
// Connect to AD
System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry myUser = new System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry(#"LDAP://" + strDCName + #"/" + strDN);
// Clear existing picture if exists
myUser.Properties["jpegPhoto"].Clear();
// Update attribute with binary data from file
myUser.Properties["jpegPhoto"].Add(binaryData);
myUser.CommitChanges();
}
EDIT: I found that in my organisation, the correct attribute to set was "thumbnailPhoto" like this:
myUser.Properties["thumbnailPhoto"].Add(binaryData);
This also seems to tbe the one that the commercial product Exclaimer is setting (but it might be only doing that in my organization)

The common AD attribute for a user photo is jpegPhoto but you can use what ever name you want
This sample shows the basic AD way to get and set an image stream. You need to flesh these methods out to be a useful class
Consider making your web service to just return the URL of the image. The request handler for that URL should then return the image with the correct content type etc. Much more useful in a web environment
using System;
using System.DirectoryServices;
using System.Collections;
using System.IO;
public class ADPhoto {
public void Set() {
try {
var de = new DirectoryEntry("LDAP://cn=username,cn=users,DC=domain, DC=com");
de.Username = "username";
de.Password = "password";
var forceAuth = de.NativeObject;
var fs = new FileStream("path\\photo.jpg", FileMode.Open);
var br = new BinaryReader(fs);
br.BaseStream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);
byte[] ba = new byte[br.BaseStream.Length];
ba = br.ReadBytes((int)br.BaseStream.Length);
de.Properties["jpegPhoto"].Insert(0, ba);
de.CommitChanges();
}
catch(Exception ex) {
Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
}
}
public Stream Get() {
var fs = new MemoryStream();
try {
var de = new DirectoryEntry("LDAP://cn=username,cn=users,DC=domain, DC=com");
de.Username = "username";
de.Password = "password";
var forceAuth = de.NativeObject;
var wr = new BinaryWriter(fs);
byte[] bb = (byte[])de.Properties["jpegPhoto"][0];
wr.Write(bb);
wr.Close();
}
catch (Exception e) {
Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
}
return fs;
}
}

Found an article that describes how to upload pictures to Active Directory and how to get them to show on the end-users computers.
http://blog.jocha.se/tech/ad-user-pictures-in-windows-10

Each Active Directory User Profile will have a home folder.
If you are not sure about this please checkout the below article
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816313
I believe that you have to upload the image file to this directory.
Also if this doesn't solve your problem, please update if you find something else.
MNK...