Develop Reference

C# how to read a file from a folder under the project root directory

When a form loads, I need to read a binary file under the /skubin folder and use it to populate a List. But I’m unable to open the file. When I do, I receive an error indicating that the file doesn’t exist.
Below is the snippet of my code which I am trying to read the file from the folder.
string startpath = Application.StartupPath;
string BinDir = Path.Combine(startpath, "skubin");
binNanme = Path.Combine(BinDir, "skuen.bin");
if (!File.Exists(binNanme))
{
MessageBox.Show("Load bin fail");
return;
}
When checking the BinDir value, instead of pointing to <project_root>/skubin, it's pointing to <project_root>/bin/Debug/skubin.
I am not understanding why it is pointing to /bin/Debug folder.

Right-click on the .bin files in the skubin folder within solution explorer and select properties. Set "Copy to Output Directory" to "Copy Always". This should solve your problem without making any code changes. I am assuming you need those binary files at run-time.

When you compile your project, the results are placed into a {projectFolder}\bin\Debug, and when debugging, the application is run from there.
You have 2 choices:
Keep your code as-is, and in the properties window, mark your bin files as "Copy if newer" or "Copy always". This will copy the files into \bin\Debug\skubin when you compile, and access them from there. This would simulate deploying those files with your application.
-- Or --
Modify your code to move up 2 directories from Application.StartupPath:
string BinDir = Path.Combine(startpath, "..\\..\\skubin");
This would be the option if you're not thinking about deploying your application, and just running it from within your project folder.

string filepath = Server.MapPath("~/skubin")
filepath= Path.Combine(filepath, "skuen.bin")
// open the file
//if not in a controller, you may use this
HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~/skubin")
For Windows App, you may try Best way to get application folder path

Finding a specific file path when two files have the same name in different locations in C#

I'm trying to load and save an xml file called Modules.xml in my code. I have currently got the file path hardcoded as shown below. I am trying to get the file path within my code without it being hardcoded.
I have tried using Path.GetDirectoryName and new FileInfo("Modules.xml").Directory.FullName. However, both of these target the file in my debug folder, when the file I need is in the main solution folder.
Is there a way to target the file in my main solution folder instead of my debug folder? (both files are called Modules.xml)
doc.Save("C:\\Users\\Matthew\\Desktop\\Year4\\Object Oriented\\Project1\\Project1\\Modules.xml");
Both file locations are shown below:
C:\Users\Matthew\Desktop\Year4\Object Oriented\Project1\Project1\Modules.xml
^^^this is the file path I need for my code^^^
C:\Users\Matthew\Desktop\Year4\Object Oriented\Project1\Project1\bin\Debug\Modules.xml

The best approach here would be to use a configuration file, e.g. app.config, for storing such a string. Then you can change file path without recompiling the code, and your file can be stored in any location accessible by application.
If you really want to access your file the way you explained, AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory will provide you with the bin/Debug location in runtime. Then you can find a relative path from there like:
Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, #"..\..\", fileName);
where fileName is "Modules.xml" for example.

I have tried using Path.GetDirectoryName and new
FileInfo("Modules.xml").Directory.FullName. However, both of these
target the file in my debug folder, when the file I need is in the
main solution folder.
That's because bin\Debug is your working directory when you start and run the project. To change that, you can set the working directory environment variable to point to your solution directory (instead of bin\debug|release) which I wouldn't recommend that. Because when you finally endup with development, and release the application, there wouldn't be any solution directory that holds your XML file. What I can suggest is to copy your XML file to the output folder. Either you are in development (debug) or production (release) mode, the XML always going to be copied to final directory. And you can access the working directory with something like AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory. To enabling copy XML to output directory, right-click on it, choose Properties, set Build Action to None, and set Copy to Output Directory to Copy Always or Copy if newer. You're good to go now.

Read any file and packed file in c# winform

I have a problem.
I have a text file "hello.pdf"
I put the file to the resource of the project and read the file
string filename = #"C:\Users\vivio\Documents\Visual Studio 2015\Projects\STool\STool\Resources\hello.pdf";
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(filename);
I have a question: If I want packet STool to STool.exe, and then install this packet in the (D:)disk then I think I will not read file hello.pdf because in the code I set pathfile is "C:\Users\vivio\Documents\Visual Studio 2015\Projects\STool\STool\Resources\hello.pdf"
Help me to resolve this problem, thanks all

The following link is same with yours, maybe it would be helpful.
How to read embedded resource text file
Or this one.
How to open a PDF file that is also a project resource?

First, copy the file to your project directory and include it in your project. In the file's properties, set the Copy to Output Directory to Copy Always. Now it will always copy to the build directory when you compile.
It will be saved to Directory.GetCurrentDirectory(), so to reference the file you will always be able to use:
string filename = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Resources\\hello.pdf";

Folder in windows form c#

This is my first windows form application.
I need to work with folders that I have created in my project and I need to access the Data folder where I put .txt files.
I try :
string fileName = #"Data\TextFile1.txt";
string path = Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, fileName);
but i keep receiving this error :
impossible find part of path.
How can I combine the folder's path with file's name so when I release the project all works well?
This is what I do in an asp.net application:
Path.Combine(HttpRuntime.AppDomainAppPath, "Folder/FileName.txt");

Your data files need to be available in output folder along with you application .exe file. to do that:
Open properties of each file in Data folder.
Select Copy Always against Copy to output directory
Then build application
This will copy Data folder along with all files in Bin\Debug folder and will work with your existing code.

If I understand correctly, you are trying to read some file you have added to your solution in Visual Studio.
First, to have those files "deployed", click on them in the Solution Explorer, go to the Properties tool and have a look at the "Copy to Output Directory". Default is "Do not copy". Change that setting to "Copy always" or "Copy if newer". Now your files will be copied to the output directory when you build the solution.
Then, to get the current assembly path at runtime, have a look at:
Getting the path of the current assembly
string path = (new System.Uri(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().CodeBase)).AbsolutePath;
from the assembly path, you can get the containing folder's path, then you can use Path.Combine() to get your desired file path.

in C# .NET you can easy use the Environment Properties when working with Forms.
If you want e.g. the Appdata Path do this:
string MyPath = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData) + #"\" + MyFileName;
But please get sure that the File/Path Exists!
For this you can use File.Exists -Function:
if(File.Exists(MyPath))
{
//Do Something
}
(For File-Class you need the System.IO namespace!)
EDIT:
Example:
string MyPath = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData) + #"\MyConfig.txt";
if(File.Exists(MyPath))
{
MessageBox.Show($"{MyPath} exists!");
}
Hope that helped ;)

I would not create any path inside the application if possible. The NET framework provides the application configuration file for this kind of problems. You should simply add this section to your configuration file (app.config when developing, then application.exe.config after compilation)
<configuration>
<appSettings>
<add key="mydatafolder" value="e:\whateverpathyoulike"></add>
</appSettings>
</configuration>
Then at runtime read that value from your code
string path = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["mydatafolder"];
path = Path.Combine(path, fileName);
This is easily modifiable both automatically or manually to adapt to any environment you find on the destination computers

Use a file in a c# application

I'd like to add a config.json file to my project and have a class read from the file.
I added the file in VS and added the Build Action = Content and Copy to output directory = Copy always properties.
When building, the file is copied to C:\...\mysolution\myproject\bin\Debug.
But File.ReadAllText(#"config.json") throws a FileNotFoundException.
Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location); doesn't return the folder where the file is copied:
C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v4.0.30319\\Temporary ASP.NET Files\\root\\2158bea8\\d46fc01c\\assembly\\dl3\\eca14761\\49a747bf_be72d001

"\config.json" will read from ROOT, try "config.json"

as Steve said, you need to use "config.json", this will read from where the exe or application resides.
So you need to tell VS to copy this file to your output directory when building, to this do the following:
Right click the file in VS > Properties > Set "Copy to output Directory" to "Copy Always"