Access File from Other Solution Folder - c#

I have two projects , both are web applications. In my web application I have a upload page to allow users to upload their files. I used Server.MapPath(#"~/something/") for the directory, but how do I retrieve that file in my other application For download?
For both i use
string fileName = "SomeFile";
string filePath = Server.MapPath("~/something/") + fileName;

you may create request response page
in which
one application is request file to another one
and second application give response with file attachment
at receiver end page receive response as stream off byte and convert to specific extension.

The "~" in Server.MapPath stays for the application root and you can't use it if your upload folder is not under it. I would suggest to have a configuration key in the web.config and use it to determine the upload path.
How to: Read Application Settings from the Web.config File

Related

Image src pointing on a file outside my project folder in WEB FORM

I'm looking to do this exactly :
set src property in view to a url outside of the MVC3 project
Fine but in web form ?
I tried simply putting the path as a string into the src of the image :
<asp:Image ID="imgInside" runat="server" src="\\serverName.com\dfs$\APPL-ADM\FichiersDev\MandatsInfo\SAR220-2020_1.jpg" >
Obviously not working, so I made src pointe on this function I wrote like so :
<asp:Image runat="server" Width="160px" src='<%# getImage(Container.DataItem as MandatMobile.DAL.MandatsEcoleCC_Result) %>' ></asp:Image>
In back end C# :
protected Byte[] getImage(MandatsEcoleCC_Result p)
{
using (MandatsDatas db = new MandatsDatas())
{
GROUPE_ARTICLE g = db.GROUPE_ARTICLE.First(t => t.ID_GROUPE == p.ID_GROUPE);
if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(g.image))
return null;
FileStream fs = null;
try
{
fs = new FileStream(#"\\serverName.com\dfs$\APPL-ADM\FichiersDev\MandatsInfo\" + g.MANDAT.NO_MANDAT + g.image, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read);
}
catch
{
}
BinaryReader br = new BinaryReader(fs);
return br.ReadBytes((int)fs.Length);
}
}
Still not working, I've been searching but I just can't figure it out and I'm stuck trying all sorts of non-sens.
Well, you confusing two things:
Code behind:
Anytime you run code that uses a file, then you writing 100% server side code. As such any file path is a proper windows FULL qualified path name. It has ZERO ZERO to do with web URL's.
Read the above a dozen times. Your code does not use URL path names - end of story.
Web site:
Anytime you reference a file, picture, script files or anything? You are and MUST use a URL based on the path names of the web site, and more so path names that resolve to the folders that represent the site.
root:
\Pictures (say a folder in the web site folder list with pictures.
So, a src, or ANY URL in the web site? They do NOT use windows path names like code behind.
So, if there is a cat.png picture in folder pictures? When your URL will be this:
www.mywebsite.com/Pictures/cat.png
If you write code to read/load/see/use that cat.png picture? Then you convert in code from that extenral URL to a full qualifed standard windows path name (with back slaches).
So, in code behind if you want to read, or do somthing with the above file?
You use
dim strFile as string
strFile = Server.MapPath("www.mywebsite.com/Pictures/cat.png")
map path will now return a full qualified windows server path
eg:
c:\inetpub\wwwrootmysite\Pictures\cat.png
Ok, so now we realize that to use a VALID link to pictures on teh web site, we MUST use a valid URL.
So, what happens if say we have a network connected HUGE massive say SAN drive or some other huge server on the network that has huge storage, and has our pictures in that site?
Say:
\SANSERVER\WebPictures\cat.png
Well, obviosity that file folder can't be used in a URL. ONLY URL's in the web folder path name can be used. And this is a good thing. Since when I go to www.amazon.com it is a VERY good thing I can't type in a URL to get at their intenral accouting files server and steal all the credit card information of all customers.
So, now, how can I get at that cat.png, and turn it into a valid URL?
There are two ways:
One:
You make the decision to expose and INCLUDE the above path name as part of the web site. This is typical done with what is called a virutal folder. You need IIS, and during development with IIS + Visual Studio, it is a "pain" to setup such path names. But if you have full version of IIS, then you can add the virutal folder to the web site though the IIS user interface tools.
So, you add a virutal folder called MyPictures, and it will be mapped to:
\SANSERVER\WebPictures\cat.png
So, now the web site URL becomes:
www.mycoolsite.com/MyPictures/cat.png
And in code if you do a server.map path, the above url will return this:
\SANSERVER\WebPictures\cat.png
Ok, next issue:
I don't want to expose that other folder to the web site. I don't want a valid URL, and I don't even want users to be able to type in say this:
www.mycoolsite.com/MyPictures/doggie.png
So, if you DO expose another folder or add a folder to the web site hiarchy, then users ARE FREE to type in a URL that will resolve to that other folder (but you are assumed to have added a virtual folder to the web site).
Now, with a valid URL resolution, then you can place markup code on teh web site, and provide valid full URL path names to the picture or whatever for the web site.
However, lets say for reason of security, I do NOT want that other server to be exposed to as a URL?
Well, it it is NOT exposed as a valid web URL folder, then you can NOT put in a valid URL - it that's simple.
However, that don't mean the code behind can't read/load/open that file on the server. In fact the web site code behind can often read any file on the server, and in fact read any file anyplace on the network that the web server is running. And as noted, code behind does not use URL
s, and does not use "forward" "/" for the file - but a plan jane old fashting fully qualfied windows path name.
Since the code behind can darn near read any file and do anything it wants?
Ok, then how can we get the code behind to dish out a file, or send that file to the web site?
Two simple ways:
Your code behind could read the cat.png file, and copy it to a folder that is part of the web server folder layout. Once one, then you can provide a valid URL. However, with a huge picture library, that would be pain full.
And in some cases the picture might come from a database row(s) that store pictures, and once again no valid path name exists for the web site.
So, what you can do is read the file in code behind and then "stream" the data directly to the web site.
When you steam contents from code behind, then you don't care nor even require a valid URL, because the code behind is pumping out the object data (in this case a picture cat.png) directly to the web browser. So this is often done because your pictures don't even exist in a file, or in fact it not practical to include that folder in the web site folder list for reasons of security.
As noted, if this was/is just a folder of pictures OUTSIDE of the folders for the web site? Well then 99% of the time, then adding a mapped folder (a virtual folder) to the web site that points to the picture hard drive is common done, and is practical.
however, you might have a HUGE library of pictures on a big file server, and you have a database that has key words for searching the pictures, and the database row stores a valid path name to the hard drive/server that has all the pictures in a Hodge podge folder hierarchy that is not practical to expose as web based urls.
So, how to stream a file?
You code is close, but you need to include additional information. And unfortantly the server can't stream the file down as 100% binary format.
So, say we drag + drop a image control onto the form. You have this:
<asp:Image ID="Image1" runat="server" />
So, now in code behind to stream + set the picture to a picture on the hard drive?
You can use this:
Dim strFile As String = "c:\Test4\pcards.bmp"
Me.Image1.ImageUrl = Gimage2(strFile)
Now of course the URL path name to the above Test4 folder does not exist.
Gimage2 - it just converts the file as a byte array, and then to a string coded as base64.
Function Gimage2(strPath As String) As String
Dim PicData As Byte() = Nothing
PicData = File.ReadAllBytes(strPath)
Dim ContentType As String = "image/" & Path.GetExtension(strPath)
Return "data:" & ContentType & ";base64," & Convert.ToBase64String(PicData, 0, PicData.Length)
End Function
So I spent some time with a long post. The reason is you attempted to use a URL with standard windows back slashes, and that means in your mind, you are using the concept of a windows full path name and MAJOR confusing that with a URL path name. Failure to make this distingishing will cause you years of pain and suffering. You must have BEYOND CRYSTAL clear this concpet of a URL and that of a file name in code behind. They are two VERY different things.
If that addtional folder is "ok" to expose to the web site? Then create a Virtural folder.
That means:
wwww.mycoolsite.com/MyPictures/dog.png
Could in fact point to ANY mapped folder on your server. And this means the web server will require permisions to that folder, and in most cases thus a user (or your code) can type in and use a full web path name to the picture.
However, as noted, for pdf documents and many other types of files, then it is out of the question to have a valid URL and a mapped folder. So you can use the 100% file based approach as per above, and read the file as bytes, and then stream + output the file to the browser.
You can even do a response.write and pump out the file directly to the browser, but then again you don't have much control as to where it will be. Do realize that pumping out a string as base 64 data as per above can and will cause some bloat and expansion in the size of the string sent to be rendered as a picture. So for a simple image - sure that's ok. But for a larger high quality high resolution image, then of course I don't recommend you send the picture as a base64 string due to the expansion that string will result in.
I ended up putting a fonction in another MVC project that works correctly to retrieve images.
So my src path point on an URL instead of a file on a server path.
src='https://NameOf_MVC_webSite.csdn.qc.ca/imageBank/ForMandat?name=' + (Container.DataItem as MandatMobile.DAL.MandatsEcoleCC_Result).image
Dirty solution using another deployed app that has a (better / easy to use / functional) framework
But this is not an "OK" solution

No webpage was found for the web address when trying to download file

I have the following structure:
AppName
Content
img
file.png
I can navigate directly to mysite.com/Content/img/file.png without any issues.
However when I add test.txt to img and set to Copy Always and type Content (same as file.png), I get No webpage was found for the web address when visiting the link, when I want to be able to enable folks to download the publicly accessible file (no auth needed), just like the image. Why isn't this working?
I can see test.txt in the bin folder of the app. Does something else need to be configured to enable direct file downloads?
Make sure your IIS site settings or web.config have mime type associated with .txt extension.
https://www.iis.net/configreference/system.webserver/staticcontent/mimemap

downloading files outside application root folder on the same server in asp.net

I have two asp.net applications hosted on the same server. I need to access files uploaded in one application from another. For instance, I have my original files in www.crm.sample.com/ImportedFiles/ and I want to access or download those files from www.gmc.sample.com. How can I achieve it.
You can do it with classes in System.IO namespace. Create a web page in your app that instead of rendering HTML, sends desired file's bytes to the client:
var bytes = File.ReadAllBytes("d:\\Site1\\img1.jpg");
Response.OutputStream.Write(bytes, 0, bytes.Length);
Response.ContentType = "image/jpeg";
Reponse.End();
you can use QueryString to send parameters that show witch file the client wants.
Personally I would create some virtual folders in IIS on Site 1, which map to the download destination in Site 2. Then by calling Server.MapPath("~/site2download") on the virtual folder and using the System.IO namespace you can read the files and do whatever you like from there.
Heres some info on how to create a virtual directory in IIS 7

how to get directory files name from web

i want to read web directory files.
when i use this code.
string[] files;
string webfilepath = "http://www.anydomain.com/templates/images";
files = Directory.GetFiles(webfilepath, #"*.*", SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly);
code shows error url format not support.is there any other way to read web directory.
thanks in advance.
is there any other way to read web directory
No. HTTP has no "directory index" you can retrieve, unless the server (or software running on it) generates it itself, for example Apache's Options +Indexes configuration. But then that index is generated in HTML, which you'll have to parse to get the full filename.
you cant do this in a generic way. Because its up to the web server how it dump the directory content on to client if it does that at all.
First you need to make sure that your server send out the content using some protocol. then you can use HttpWebRequest to send a HTTP request and get the result. you will have to do your own parsing on the result at the end of the day.
You are trying to pass url to Directory.GetFiles instead of passing physical path of folder, You can use Server.MapPath to get the physical path of url if it is accessible i.e. the code for accessing folder is running on the machine url is point to. If url is on different machine then you can not use Directory.GetFiles.

Folder Link of the uploaded file

Here is my situation
I am developing a project management application in asp.net.
In that when a customer gives the project detail to the employee, he also uploads a file with that (~ 100 mb).
I don't want that to be uploaded by the customer.
We have all the drives connected in a local network.
What I'm thinking is instead of uploading a file he can give the link to the folder location and by clicking on that link in the browser itself the employee would be able to access the file.
How should I implement this OR please suggest some good practice or method to solve this type of a problem.
Since it's all intranet, you could just have the user provide you a UNC path that the ASP.Net Application Pool identity has access to.
In order to provide the file back to the user, you can either provide the UNC path as an href such as:
<a href="file://///server/path/to/file.txt"/>
Or write the file to the response:
Response.Clear();
Response.Buffer= true;
Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition","inline;filename=file.txt");
Response.Charset = "";

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