Develop Reference

How do I store the $(TargetDir) in a variable

I'm trying to store the Target Directory in a variable, However when I'm doing path.Combine it just ignores my parameters.
this._outputPath = "$(TargetDir)../../"
block.Name = "/Contracts/TestDTO";
var filePath = Path.Combine(this._outputPath, block.Name);
When I try this it ignores the output path probably because its not resolving properly.
As a Note this is being run from a T4 Generator meaning the application current directory is not the same as what I want.
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Common7\IDE"

So It seems path.combine does not like to work with mixed slashes.
I fixed this by removing the / from the second path
this._outputPath = "$(TargetDir)../../"
block.Name = "Contracts/TestDTO";
var filePath = Path.Combine(this._outputPath, block.Name);

Process.Start not working with UNC path to Filezilla

This code used to work below on the C Drive where it was installed. We moved it to a UNC path \share and now it doesnt seem to reload the config file. There are no errors, and Filezilla works fine as I can connect and transfer files over on this UNC Share, but from code I cant get this to actually do what it's suppose to anymore. Do I need to do anything special credential wise? My user account for the app pool of the site is the same as the share.
Process.Start("CMD.exe", "/C \"\\filezilla\\FileZilla Server.exe\" /reload-config");
Update
I ran this line from the command prompt on the actual computer and it does what it's suppose to.
Another Update
var path = string.Format("/C \"{0}FileZilla Server.exe\" /reload-config", Config.Paths.FileZillaPath); // \\filezilla\
Process.Start("CMD.exe", path);
Logger.Debug("Path: " + path); // Path: /C "\\filezilla\FileZilla Server.exe" /reload-config

Your first pair of backslashes in the UNC path aren't escaped properly and will result in a single backslash. Try
Process.Start("CMD.exe", "/C \"\\\\filezilla\\FileZilla Server.exe\" /reload-config");
You can see an example at MSDN
string g = "\\\\server\\share\\file.txt"; // \\server\share\file.txt
string h = #"\\server\share\file.txt"; // \\server\share\file.txt

I've done something similar but like this...
Process reloadConfig = new Process();
reloadConfig.StartInfo.FileName = #"\\MachineName\FileZilla Server\FileZilla Server.exe\";
reloadConfig.StartInfo.Arguments = #"/reload-config";
reloadConfig.Start();
and that works for me.

Calling G++ from C# Program

I've made a C++ code editor in C# and now am trying to invoke g++ to compile the source files. So I've copied the TDM-GCC installation besides my program and wrote a small batch script to call that.
#echo off
#set PATH="%~dp0TDM-GCC-32\bin\";%PATH%
call "%~dp0TDM-GCC-32\mingwvars.bat"
cd %1
"%~dp0TDM-GCC-32\bin\g++.exe" %2 -o %3
And from C# code, I'm trying to call this script by using CMD like in this script of code.
string fileName = Path.GetFileName(CurrentFile);
string exeName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(CurrentFile) + ".exe";
string workingDir = Directory.GetParent(CurrentFile) + "";
string compile = Directory.GetParent(Application.ExecutablePath) + "\\compile.cmd";
File.Delete(Path.Combine(workingDir, exeName));
StartProcess(true, "cmd", "/c", "\"" + compile + "\"", workingDir, fileName, exeName);
And here is the StartProcess method:
void StartProcess(bool hidden, string command, params string[] args)
{
ProcessStartInfo pStartInfo = new ProcessStartInfo();
pStartInfo.FileName = command;
pStartInfo.Arguments = string.Join(" ", args);
pStartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
if (hidden)
{
pStartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
pStartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
pStartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
}
Process proc = new Process();
proc.StartInfo = pStartInfo;
proc.Start();
logBox.Clear();
if (hidden)
{
while (!proc.StandardError.EndOfStream)
{
logBox.AppendText(GetTimestamp() + " Error: " + proc.StandardError.ReadLine() + Environment.NewLine);
}
}
}
Update: 26-9-14
I doubted whether the batch file is ever called, because if I call it from cmd, it simply works. So I tried to echo to the standard error from the batch file like this:
echo %PATH% 1>&2
And I can see that the GCC's bin folder is in the path too, but for some reason, the exe is not getting created. But sometimes, the script works, and the exe gets created.
But whenever I execute this, there will be nothing in the LOG and also, no executable is being created. I know that the TDM-GCC's bin folder must be in the PATH, but that is what the second line of the batch script needs to do. Dunno what this is and why this error.
End of update
Any suggestions on how can I get it working?
Thanks.

I don't know if anything written below really helps on this issue. But at least those hints should be useful in any case.
I suggest for the batch file
#echo off
call "%~dp0TDM-GCC-32\mingwvars.bat"
set "PATH=%~dp0TDM-GCC-32\bin;%PATH%"
cd /D %1
"%~dp0TDM-GCC-32\bin\g++.exe" %2 -o %3
PATH is modified after execution of mingwvars.bat. It could be that this batch file also modifies PATH. Or it runs commands like find.exe with the executables expected in %SystemRoot%\System32, but perhaps also existing in directory bin. I have seen already several times not working logon batch scripts because PATH on client computer contained as first folder path the bin directory of a compiler ported from Unix to Windows with executables also found in %SystemRoot%\System32, but working completely different as ported from Unix.
Folder paths should be added to environment variable PATH always without double quotes even if the folder path contains 1 or more spaces. The double quotes used in third line just make sure that a trailing space is not added additionally to PATH and that command set works even with not typical folder paths like an ampersand in path.
And folder paths should be added to environment variable PATH without a trailing backslash.
On command cd the parameter /D is additionally used in case of a change to a different drive must be performed, too. The command cd would not change the current directory if the specified path is on a different drive without parameter /D.
In C# code you have to make sure that workingDir, fileName and exeName are finally on execution of cmd.exe enclosed in double quotes in the arguments string as Erti-Chris Eelmaa already wrote.
And it would be perhaps better to read in your C# application the value of environment variable ComSpec and use this value instead of just cmd for executing the batch file.

This might, or might not be part of the problem, but you don't take care of spaces.
pStartInfo.Arguments = string.Join(" ", args);
you probably would want something like this:
pStartInfo.Arguments = string.Join(" ", args.Select(x => "\"" + x + "\""));

System.UnauthorizedAccessException while creating a file

I was trying to write a code so that I could log the error messages. I am trying to name the file with the date and would like to create a new log file for each day. After going through a little look around, I came with the following code...
class ErrorLog
{
public void WriteErrorToFile(string error)
{
//http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa326721.aspx refer for more info
string fileName = DateTime.Now.ToString("dd-MM-yy", DateTimeFormatInfo.InvariantInfo);
//# symbol helps to ignore that escape sequence thing
string filePath = #"c:\users\MyName\mydocuments\visual studio 2012\projects\training\" +
#"discussionboard\ErrorLog\" + fileName + ".txt";
if (File.Exists(filePath))
{
// File.SetAttributes(filePath, FileAttributes.Normal);
File.WriteAllText(filePath, error);
}
else
{
Directory.CreateDirectory(filePath);
// File.SetAttributes(filePath, FileAttributes.Normal)
//Throws unauthorized access exception
RemoveReadOnlyAccess(filePath);
File.WriteAllText(filePath, error);
}
}
public static void RemoveReadOnlyAccess(string pathToFile)
{
FileInfo myFileInfo = new FileInfo(pathToFile);
myFileInfo.IsReadOnly = false;
myFileInfo.Refresh();
}
/*Exception thrown:
* UnAuthorizedAccessException was unhandled.
* Access to the path 'c:\users\anish\mydocuments\visual studio 2012\
* projects\training\discussionboard\ErrorLog\04\12\2013.txt' is denied.
*/
}
I found a forum that has discussed about a similar problem but using
File.SetAttrributes(filePath, FileAttributes.Normal) did not help neither did the RemoveReadOnlyAccess (included in the code above). When I check the properties of the folder, it has read only marked but even when I tick that off it comes back again. I checked the permissions on the folder and except for the special permission, which I was not able to change, everything is allowed.
Any suggestion on how I should proceed would be appreciated.
Why is access to the path denied? the link discusses about a similar problem, but I wasn't able to get my thing working with suggestions listed there.
Thanks for taking time to look at this.

Your path is strange : "My documents" directory must be "C:\Users\MyName\Documents\"
You can use Environment in order to correct it easily :
String myDocumentPath = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyDocuments);
Note that it will acces to "My documents" folder of the user that running your exe.
Second error, CreateDirectory must have a path in argument, not a file. using like you do will create a sub-directory with the file name. So you can't create a file with this name !
Try this :
String fileName = DateTime.Now.ToString("d", DateTimeFormatInfo.InvariantInfo);
String filePath = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyDocuments)
+ #"\visual studio 2012\projects\training\discussionboard\ErrorLog\";
String fileFullName = filePath + fileName + ".txt";
if (File.Exists(fileFullName ))
{
File.WriteAllText(fileFullName , error);
}
else
{
Directory.CreateDirectory(filePath);
[...]
}
}

Some possible reasons:
your app is not running under account which is allowed to access that path/file
the file is being locked for writing (or maybe reading too) by some other process
The first situation could be solved by checking under which account the process is running and verifying that the account has the appropriate rights.
The other situation can be solved by checking if any other process is locking the file (e.g. use tools like 'WhosLocking' or 'ProcessExplorer'

I had to run my app as an administrator in order to write to protected folders in c:. For example if debugging your app in visual studio make sure to right click on "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" and choose "Run As Administrator". Then open your solution from there. My app was trying to write to the root of c:\

Check your antivirus, it might be blocking the file creation.

Write a text file to a sub-folder

I am trying to write out a text file to: C:\Test folder\output\, but without putting C:\ in.
i.e.
This is what I have at the moment, which currently works, but has the C:\ in the beginning.
StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(#"C:\Test folder\output\test.txt");
I really want to write the file to the output folder, but with out having to have C:\ in the front.
I have tried the following, but my program just hangs (doesn't write the file out):
(#"\\Test folder\output\test.txt");
(#".\Test folder\output\test.txt");
("//Test folder//output//test.txt");
("./Test folder//output//test.txt");
Is there anyway I could do this?
Thanks.

Thanks for helping guys.
A colleague of mine chipped in and helped as well, but #Kami helped a lot too.
It is now working when I have:
string path = string.Concat(Environment.CurrentDirectory, #"\Output\test.txt");
As he said: "The CurrentDirectory is where the program is run from.

I understand that you would want to write data to a specified folder. The first method is to specify the folder in code or through configuration.
If you need to write to specific drive or current drive you can do the following
string driveLetter = Path.GetPathRoot(Environment.CurrentDirectory);
string path = diveLetter + #"Test folder\output\test.txt";
StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(path);
If the directory needs to be relative to the current application directory, then user AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory to get the current directory and use ../ combination to navigate to the required folder.

You can use System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName to get the directory of your running application and then you can add to this the rest of the path..
I don't get clearly what you want from this question , hope this get it..

A common technique is to make the directory relative to your exe's runtime directory, e.g., a sub-directory, like this:
string exeRuntimeDirectory =
System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(
System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location);
string subDirectory =
System.IO.Path.Combine(exeRuntimeDirectory, "Output");
if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(subDirectory))
{
// Output directory does not exist, so create it.
System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(subDirectory);
}
This means wherever the exe is installed to, it will create an "Output" sub-directory, which it can then write files to.
It also has the advantage of keeping the exe and its output files together in one location, and not scattered all over the place.