Develop Reference

CredentialManagement returning empty strings in production but not development

I'm having an issue using the Windows credential manager in a project. I am using it to replace the username and password on the connectionString in my appsettings, and in the development and QA environments everything works fine, but in the production environment (which I don't have complete access to) it does not. The issue is its returning empty string when I load the credentials from the target.
Here is where I am loading it:
public static CredentialModel GetCredential(string target)
{
CredentialModel credentialDto = new CredentialModel();
using var credential = new Credential
{
Target = target
};
credential.Load();
credentialDto.UserName = credential.Username;
credentialDto.Password = credential.Password;
return credentialDto;
}
And this is the CredentialModel
public class CredentialModel
{
public string UserName { get; set; }
public string Password { get; set; }
}
And where I replace the credentials in the connectionString:
StringBuilder connectionString = new(host.Configuration.GetConnectionString("RemessasConnectionString"));
var credential = CredentialService.GetCredential("Pegasus");
connectionString.Replace("$userId", credential.UserName);
connectionString.Replace("$password", credential.Password);
ConnectionString = connectionString.ToString();
For debugging's sake I added a line to the log in order to see what was being added to the connectionString, and it is replacing it with an empty string in production, but the actual values in development.
I have one idea about the reason for this, the application is running with a windows user and that user does not have access to the windows credential manager in the production server (but I think this would return an error not just empty strings).
If anyone can point me in the right direction, or has any suggestions for me to try I am all ears.

As #richard-deeming pointed out, the its because the user running the application does not have access to the credentials stored since they were stored under a different account than the one running the service. Look at his comment for more detail.

An attempt to attach an auto-named database failed

THE GOAL
I'm trying to have a class library shared between an ASP.NET Core web app and other projects/solutions and the class should be able to interact with whatever database is being used by the calling process/environment.
THE PROBLEM
I have a class library that is throwing up a weird error when used in my ASP.NET Core 3.1 web app. The class library is actually shared between the front end (the website) and the backend app that takes care of some recurring, heavy load processes. I'm using EF Core with both front and back ends and the database is on Azure, not my local machine. Yet, when the web app tries to do some work I am getting the following error:
An attempt to attach an auto-named database for file C:...\bin\Debug\netcoreapp3.1\aspnetdb.mdf failed. A database with the same name exists, or specified file cannot be opened, or it is located on UNC share.
This doesn't make sense to me at all since the DB is on Azure. Also, calling the same exact method in the library using the backend app doesn't throw up this error. The connection string is stored in appsettings.json for the website and app.config for the backend.
This is block of code that is throwing the error, but again this is only happening on the ASP.NET Core project on the SaveChanges() call:
public static void AddLogEvent(int Severity, DateTime EventTime, string EventType, string User, string Message)
{
DBEntities context = new DBEntities();
DbSet<LogEvent> dbSet = context.Set<LogEvent>();
LogEvent NewRecord = new LogEvent();
NewRecord.Id = Guid.NewGuid();
NewRecord.Severity = Severity;
NewRecord.EventTime = EventTime;
NewRecord.EventType = EventType;
NewRecord.User = User;
NewRecord.Message = Message;
dbSet.Add(NewRecord);
context.SaveChanges();
}
Within DBEntities, I am overriding the OnConfiguring() method to ensure proper connection for whatever environment is making the call as such:
protected override void OnConfiguring(DbContextOptionsBuilder optionsBuilder)
{
if (!optionsBuilder.IsConfigured)
{
bool FoundValidConnection = false;
if (ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings.Count > 0)
{
foreach (ConnectionStringSettings connstr in ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings)
{
if (FoundValidConnection == false)
{
if (string.Compare(connstr.Name.Trim().ToUpper(), "DefaultConnection".ToUpper()) == 0)
{
optionsBuilder.UseSqlServer(connstr.ConnectionString);
FoundValidConnection = true;
break;
}
}
}
foreach (ConnectionStringSettings connstr in ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings)
{
if (FoundValidConnection == false)
{
if (string.Compare(connstr.Name.Trim().ToUpper(), "DBEntities".ToUpper()) == 0)
{
optionsBuilder.UseSqlServer(connstr.ConnectionString);
FoundValidConnection = true;
break;
}
}
}
if (FoundValidConnection == false)
{
//if still haven't found one of the expected connection string names, then take whatever the first one is.
optionsBuilder.UseSqlServer(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings[0].ConnectionString);
FoundValidConnection = true;
}
}
else
{
//nothing to do. there are no connection strings in the ConfigurationManager
}
}
}
Lastly, when I step through debugging on the website, I can see that the only connection string located in ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings is 1 with a name of LocalSqlServer and a connection string set to:
data source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Integrated Security=SSPI;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|aspnetdb.mdf;User Instance=true
Which seems to be my local testing SQLExpress instance but is not used anywhere in the web app. All references or connection strings to the local testing database in SQLExpress have been removed so I am confused as to how this is showing up and the one in appsettings.json is being ignored. I also don't understand how optionsBuilder.IsConfigured is returning FALSE on the web app. I expected that context to already be configured.

I ended up changing the last if statement to the following:
if (FoundValidConnection == false)
{
try
{
//read from appsettings.json directly instead
string connString = new ConfigurationBuilder().SetBasePath(System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory()).AddJsonFile("appsettings.json").Build().GetSection("ConnectionStrings").GetSection("DefaultConnection").Value;
optionsBuilder.UseSqlServer(connString);
FoundValidConnection = true;
}
catch (System.Exception ex)
{
}
}
As Ivan noted in the comments above, ConfigurationManager from System.Configuration only works with app.config, which is XML based. ASP.NET Core utilizes appsettings.json which is, obviously, JSON based. So the solution was to modify the last check to be such that if the app.config checks fail and produce nothing then we assume the code is being called by something using appsettings.json and that one line uses ConfigurationBuilder to get the app's directory, build the configuration based on that file and get the expected connection by it's section and name.
References to Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.FileExtensions and Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json were required for SetBasePath() and AddJsonFile(), respectively.
The try/catch block is needed in the event there is some unforeseen error and the appsettings/json doesn't contain the expected section/name. Although, an error would eventually get thrown up somewhere when trying to interact with the database if nothing was set.

How to include file in Source Control and edit it later

I'm creating a game using C# and trying to incorporate a CSV for parsing previous scores into a leaderboard and also writing to the file when a player finishes their game.
This is the data stored relating to a score
If this was a sole project I would store the csv in the bin > Debug folder and pass the file path to a StreamReader. Although, this is a group project using Azure Devops/TFS as source control so I'm not too sure what way is best to do this.
I have tried storing the CSV in the Resources of the project but I didn't realise this embeds the file in the project and only allows for reading from the file.
The CSV is currently read like:
var file = Properties.Resources.highscores;
char[] splitter = "\r\n".ToCharArray();
string[] scoresCsv = Properties.Resources.highscores.Split(splitter);
foreach (string score in scoresCsv)
{
if(!String.IsNullOrEmpty(score))
{
var values = score.Split(',');
highScores.Add(new HighScore(values[0], Convert.ToInt32(values[1]), Convert.ToDateTime(values[2])));
}
}
this.highScores = highScores.OrderByDescending(x => x.Score).ToList();

Select the "Team Explorer" window and go to "Source Control Explorer"
Here you will see a global view of the project.
You can add files to your project in any folder you wish outside of the actual source. If you want to you can add your bin folder into the source control and keep that file in the bin folder.
Where-ever you put the file you just need to know the location to it from your project and you are able to map to it and edit it in runtime.
Another option is to create a folder in the C:\ProgramData folder for your game and you can write the leaderboards directly into their C drive when they run the game. People would be able to modify the leaderboards but, obviously the game is for learning purposes of coding and usually you wouldn't store the leaderboards on the client side anyway it would be on a server.

This assumes that the high score data is not shared, and stores it locally. It doesn't require the file to be added to source control.
public class ScoreFileHandler
{
private static string appPath = Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData), "YourAppName");
private static string scoreFileName = "highscores.txt";
private static string filePath = Path.Combine(appPath, scoreFileName);
public string ReadFile()
{
if (!Directory.Exists(appPath))
{
Directory.CreateDirectory(appPath);
}
if (File.Exists(filePath))
{
return File.ReadAllText(filePath);
}
return string.Empty; // TODO - caller needs to handle this
}
public void WriteFile(string csvScoreData)
{
if (!Directory.Exists(appPath))
{
Directory.CreateDirectory(appPath);
}
File.WriteAllText(filePath, csvScoreData);
}
}

How to locate the correct Service Endpoint Uri

I am working on an application which is deployed to a TEST and then a LIVE webserver.
I want the class library I am working on to use the correct service endpoint when it is deployed.
Currently the code is as follows;
var data = new SettingsViewModel()
{
ServiceURI = Constants.LIVE_ENDPOINT_SERVICE_ADDRESS,
AutoSync = Constants.DEFAULT_AUTO_SYNC,
AppDataFolder = Path.Combine(ApplicationData.Current.LocalFolder.Path, Constants.ROOT_FOLDER, Constants.DATA_FOLDER),
MapKey = Constants.BASIC_MAP_KEY,
Logging = false
};
#if DEBUG
data.ServiceURI = Constants.DEV_ENDPOINT_SERVICE_ADDRESS;
#endif
As you can see, this can only pick up the DEV or the LIVE endpoints. This code cannot distinguish whether the webserver is LIVE or TEST
I thought about setting up an App.Config file and get the correct Endpoint from there. But when I create a new item, the Config template is not listed. So how do I do this?

For now I could propose this solution :
public static class Constants
{
public static string GetEndPoint()
{
// Debugging purpose
if (System.Diagnose.Debug.IsAttached)
{
return DEV_ENDPOINT_SERVICE_ADDRESS;
}
else if ( Environment.MachineName == "Test Server" ) // You need to know your test server machine name at hand.
{
return "Return test Server endpoint"
}
else
{
return "Return live server endpoint";
}
}
}
You can used it in your SettingsViewModel like this:
var data = new SettingsViewModel()
{
ServiceURI = Constants.GetEndPoint(),
AutoSync = Constants.DEFAULT_AUTO_SYNC,
AppDataFolder = Path.Combine(ApplicationData.Current.LocalFolder.Path, Constants.ROOT_FOLDER, Constants.DATA_FOLDER),
MapKey = Constants.BASIC_MAP_KEY,
Logging = false
};
The drawback for this solution is, if you change your test server you need to change is manually in your code.

Having done some research I realise I need to clarify something. The application I am working on is a Windows RT application and this does not allow config files. The solution I am meant to use is to use local settings, but these do not reference an external file like an App.Config. If I want to change the location of an EndPoint then I am going to have to specify where that is in the code.

C# Xamarin android File creation\writing and SQLite

This is my first post, but I have been scouring the stack for how I might use a text file or a SQLite database in Xamarin for Visual Studio. All the examples I have found end up in java, or in the old Mono android code.
The jist of the application is to read GPS data, display it, and save the latitude and longitude along with some identifying info such as room number. I have the display portion of the app working nicely, so now I need to find a way to save the information, so that the data can be passed along to a future class to finish creating a campus navigation app.
Here are some of the related portions:
path = GetDir("MCCMapping/",FileCreationMode.Append).ToString();
I am not sure this is correct to set the directory for the file creation.
String location = String.Format("{0}|{1}|{2}|{3}", roomNum.Text, campus.SelectedItem.ToString(), current.Latitude.ToString(),
current.Longitude.ToString());
using (data_file = new StreamWriter(path+"/MCC_ROOM_DATA.txt", true))
{
data_file.WriteLine(location);
}
This is not quite working. I need to be able to access the .txt file from outside the application, or even implement a SQLite database to store the same information. I have all the necessary manifest permissions. My device does not have external storage, so it will emulate it if that is the route that must be taken.
Anything you might have to help me along would be appreciated. Thanks.
Update 1:
folder = System.Environment.GetFolderPath(System.Environment.SpecialFolder.Personal);
conn = new SQLiteAsyncConnection(System.IO.Path.Combine(folder, "MCC_ROOMS.db"));
conn.CreateTableAsync<Room>().ContinueWith(t => {});
and this
public class Room
{
[PrimaryKey, AutoIncrement]
public int Id { get; set; }
public string Campus { get; set; }
[Unique]
public string Room_Num { get; set; }
[Unique]
public decimal Room_Latitude { get; set; }
[Unique]
public decimal Room_Longitude { get; set; }
}
I am not quite sure what to put in the continue with portion. Also, would this allow me to access the table from a different application later? Thanks.
Update 2: Thanks to Jason, I have a working application. I used the external storage directory that is built in, and can then access the file if I turn usb debugging off.

Xamarin provides enumerations that help you get the folder paths of the folders that you are allowed to access. You cannot just write to arbitrary file paths.
var path = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData);
var filename = Path.Combine(path, "mydata.txt");
Once you have the path, you can use normal file IO operations to read and write.
using (data_file = new StreamWriter(filename, true))
{
data_file.WriteLine(location);
}
Xamarin's SQLite.Net component has documentation that demonstrates how to create and utilize a db from within your app.
string folder = Environment.GetFolderPath (Environment.SpecialFolder.Personal);
var conn = new SQLiteConnection (System.IO.Path.Combine (folder, "stocks.db"));