Develop Reference

Hide Json file containing GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS when building executable file in Visualstudio [SOLVED]

currently I am developing a tool that interacts with a Firebase Firestore database. When I want to make the C# Forms Application an executable file I get the .exe but also the json file which contains the Google App Credentials. However, I want to forward the tool so that you can't see the json file or read the contents of the file, so you only need the .exe file. Is there a way to achieve this? For example, define the app credentials in a C# script so that it compiles to the .exe file? If so how?
My current implementation looks like this:
string path = AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory + #"cloudfire.json";
Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS", path);
The cloudfire.json file is directly contained in the namespace "LUX".
I also tried making the cloudfire.json file a resource, since i read this post but then the problem is, that i can't set the path of the .json, if i try it like that:
var assembly = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
string resourceName = assembly.GetManifestResourceNames()
.Single(str => str.EndsWith("cloudfire.json"));
Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS", resourceName);
I get the error: System.InvalidOperationException: "Sequence contains no matching element"
Is there maybe a way to set the "GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS" to the embedded cloudfire.json ressource file?
EDIT:
I solved the problem by adding the "cloudfire.json" file to Resources.resx and changed the modifier to public. Like mentioned here.
Since you can only set the GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS by using this code:
Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS", "path to file");
I solved it by creating a temporary file:
byte[] resourceBytes = Properties.Resources.cloudfire;
// Write the resource to a temporary file
string tempPath = Path.GetTempFileName();
File.WriteAllBytes(tempPath, resourceBytes);
// Set the GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS environment variable
Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS", tempPath);

Add you file as embedded resource with name. And try to read by following code:
var resources = new ResourceManager("<namespace>", Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly());
var obj = resources.GetObject(<embedded_resource_key>);
or
var str = resources.GetString(<embedded_resource_key>)

how to read a file from a different project?

how to read a file from a different project?
I have a solution:
Solution1
-MyProject
-MyProject.Artifacts
----Message.XML
-MyProject.Tests
I am attempting to read the contents of Message.XML from MyProject.Tests.
How do I read the contents of Message.XML from MyProject.Tests?
Unfortunately, right now I'm doing something like this, but it's not very pretty:
var currentDir = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory();
var parentDir = Directory.GetParent(Directory.GetParent(currentDir).FullName).FullName;
var parentParentDir = Directory.GetParent(Directory.GetParent(Directory.GetParent(currentDir).FullName).FullName).FullName;
var parentParentParentDir = Directory.GetParent(Directory.GetParent(Directory.GetParent(Directory.GetParent(currentDir).FullName).FullName).FullName).FullName;

You can store a path to the file in app settings of app.config / web.config using that read the file contents.
That way if you need to deploy your software in a different way you have the flexibility

If your path is fixed, you can write the path like "c:\projects\solution ... Message.xml"
If you want a relative path, the simplest way is this:
var DI = new DirectoryInfo("..\\..\\..\\..\\Your Folder\\Message.XML");
This path is started from CurrentDirectory and goes four folders up and the one folder down and finds the file.

Get File From an Assembly

I want to read a file path from the following structure
The Structure is like : AssemblyName -> MyFiles (Folder) -> Text.txt
Here I want to get the path of the Text.txt. Please help

I think what you're looking for is a file embedded in the assembly. Check out this question. The first answer explains how to set up an embedded file, as well as how to get it from code.

You can do
string assemblyPath = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location;
string assemblyDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(assemblyPath);
string textPath = Path.Combine(assemblyDirectory, "MyFiles", "Test.txt");
string text = File.ReadAllText(textPath);
...just to split it up some...but you could write it all in one line needless to say...
alternatively, if your Environment.CurrentDirectory is already set to the directory of your executing assembly's location, you could just do
File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine("MyFiles", "Text.txt"));

Jeff has covered how you get the path, wrt your comment on his answer is the file you want to open actually included in your project output?
Under the properties pane for the relevant file look at the Copy to Output Directory option - it generally defaults to Do not copy. You will want to set it to Copy Always or Copy if Newer if you want to include a file in the output directory with your compiled program.
As a general note you should always wrap any IO in an appropriate try catch block or use the static File.Exists(path) method to check whether a file exists

Read a file from an unknown location?

I have got this read file code from microsoft
#"C:\Users\computing\Documents\mikec\assignment2\task_2.txt"
That works fine when im working on it, but when i am to hand in this assignment my lecturer isn't going to have the same directory as me.
So i was wondering if there is a way to read it from just the file the program is held in?.
I was thinking i could add it as a resource but im not sure if that is the correct way for the assignment it is meant to allow in any file.
Thanks

You can skip the path - this will read file from the working directory of the program.
Just #"task_2.txt" will do.
UPDATE: Please note that method won't work in some circumstances. If your lecturer uses some automated runner (script, application whatsoever) to verify your app then #ken2k's solution will be much more robust.

If you want to read a file from the directory the program is in, then use
using System.IO;
...
string myFileName = "file.txt";
string myFilePath = Path.Combine(Application.StartupPath, myFileName);
EDIT:
More generic solution for non-winforms applications:
string myFilePath = Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location), myFileName);

If it is a command line application, you should take the file name as a command line argument instead of using a fixed path. Something along the lines of;
public static void Main(string[] args)
{
if (args == null || args.Length != 1)
{
Console.WriteLine("Parameters are not ok, usage: ...");
return;
}
string filename = args[0];
...
...should let you get the filename from the command.

You could use the GetFolderPath method to get the documents folder of the current user:
Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyDocuments)
and to exemplify:
string myDocuments = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyDocuments);
string file = Path.Combine(myDocuments, #"mikec\assignment2\task_2.txt");
// TODO: do something with the file like reading it for example
string contents = File.ReadAllText(file);

Use the relative path.
you can put your file inside the folder where your application resides.
you can use Directory.GetCurrentDirectory().ToString() method to get the current folder of the application in. if you put your files inside a sub folder you can use
Directory.GetCurrentDirectory().ToString() + "\subfolderName\"
File.OpenRead(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory().ToString() + "\fileName.extension")
StreamReader file = new StreamReader(File.OpenRead(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory().ToString() + ""));
string fileTexts = file.ReadToEnd();

FileInfo compact framework 3.5 - cannot find file

I am using the FileInfo class. However, the file info cannot find the file.
The file is called log4Net.config and I have added it to my project. I have set the properties to build action = 'Content' and copy output = 'copy always'
When I run the following code:
FileInfo logfileInfo = new FileInfo("Log4Net.config");
if (!logfileInfo.Exists)
{
Console.WriteLine("Cannot find file: " + logfileInfo.FullName);
return;
}
else
{
XmlConfigurator.Configure(logfileInfo);
}
Exists is always false. The exception is: Could not find file 'Log4Net.config'.
I have checked on my PDA and the Log4Net.config has been copied the PDA and is in the same directory as the executable. So not sure why it cannot find it.
Just some extra info the configure method expects a FileInfo as a parameter.
Am I doing something wrong.
Many thanks for any advice,
Steve

You have to point to the root of your project. FileInfo points to the root of the OS not the root of the exe. So you should change the code like this :
FileInfo logfileInfo = new FileInfo(Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().CodeBase) + #"\Log4Net.config");

A file not found exception is also thrown when the program does not have the security permission to access the file, so perhaps that's the case?
btw, there's a contradiction in your Post: First you say the file is called "logPDA.config", then it's suddenly called "Log4Net.config". Just to make sure, is the file always named the same?

You are assuming that the Program Folder is the current directory. Afaik that is not the case. You can investigate starting with System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory()

string logIOFilePath =
Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().CodeBase),
"Log4Net.config");