Managing folders in a deployed application

[Solarion]

I have this desktop application I've doctored up for a friend. One of its functions is to generate a PDF document from an HTML Template.

I have a folder in the project directory which holds the template. This is how I navigate to that folder in the application: string templateFolder = Directory.GetParent(Directory.GetParent(Environment.CurrentDirectory).ToString()).ToString() + @"\templates\";

I compile the app and take all of the files from the bin/debug and place them in a separate folder along with the templates folder.

When it is on his machine and I run the app, it throws an error saying cannot the template file in 'file:///C:/Users/Dev03/templates/HTMLTemplateForJson.html'. It is completely bypassing the app altogether.

I've not had to deal with paths and directories in this way before. How do I get around this please guys?

 

[mister]

var assemblyPath = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().CodeBase);

var templateFolder = Path.Combine(assemblyPath, "templates");

 

[Solarion]

Shot thanks mister I'll try that

 

[Solarion]

var assemblyPath = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().CodeBase);

var templateFolder = Path.Combine(assemblyPath, "templates");

It works and doesn't work. This seems to be the issue here, the boldened bit.

"file:\\C:\\Users\\Dev03\\Documents\\InvoiceMaker\\InvoiceMaker\\bin\\Debug\\templates\\"

Edit: Yeah this seems to do the job:

AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory + @"templates\";

 

[Solarion]

I think his machine is configured strange. Looks like Dropbox has messed with his pathing on a lot of directories. I've just put the project on C:\ and that takes care of that.

 

[Spacerat]

Mister’s suggestion is correct. I think there is something else wrong in yr app. However I would use GetEntryAssembly as opposed to GetExecutingAssembly. The former returns the exe location as opposed to the latter returning the path to the assembly executing the current code. Subtle diff.

 

[Solarion]

Mister’s suggestion is correct. I think there is something else wrong in yr app. However I would use GetEntryAssembly as opposed to GetExecutingAssembly. The former returns the exe location as opposed to the latter returning the path to the assembly executing the current code. Subtle diff.

Thanks Spacerate. I have reverted back to Mister's suggestion, it is better yes. There was something wrong with the machine the project was being deployed on. I check in the registry and even the pathings are all screwed up. Looks like Dropbox did a number on where all the folders are supposed to be.

Anyway @mister thanks again, your code was much better and works fine now!

 

[Solarion]

Found another one which may be helpful.

        public static string AssemblyDirectory
        {
            get
            {
                string codeBase = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().CodeBase;
                UriBuilder uri = new UriBuilder(codeBase);
                string path = Uri.UnescapeDataString(uri.Path);
                return Path.GetDirectoryName(path);
            }
        }

How do I get the path of the assembly the code is in?

Is there a way to get the path for the assembly in which the current code resides? I do not want the path of the calling assembly, just the one containing the code. Basically my unit test needs to

stackoverflow.com

This is helpful if you keep getting this boldened bit "file:\\C:\\Users" when trying to get the assembly path. On some machines there is an issue I've not fully gotten to the bottom of yet. So when using the following:

var assemblyPath = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().CodeBase);

var templateFolder = Path.Combine(assemblyPath, "templates");

or even this:

AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory

you end up with something I've described above. The answer from stackoverflow seems to forcefully strip that file path away..