How to read file from the installation folder of app using c#?

Question

I am reading a file using File.ReadAllText("filename.txt"). This file is located in very same folder where the .exe file is located (c:/program files/installation folder). But windows app looks into System32 folder for this file by default.

**I don't want to hard code the path of the file.

How is this `exe` launched? Maybe there's something that modifies the current working directory? — Darin Dimitrov, Apr 28 '10 at 15:22
Its a windows service...always running....just scheduled to invoke certain tasks based on specified time. — Jango, Apr 28 '10 at 15:27

score 10 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 28 '10 at 15:28

10

Try this function:

using System.Reflection;

private string MyDirectory()
    {
        return Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location);
    }

Then use

File.ReadAllText(MyDirectory() + @"\filename.txt");

answered Apr 28 '10 at 15:28

Longball27

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score 9 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 28 '10 at 15:22

string path = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().CodeBase );

Gives the directory of the exe. So using that with Path.Combine will give the desired result:

string filenamelocation = System.IO.Path.Combine(path, "filename.txt");

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 28 '10 at 15:35

4

A lot shorter

File.ReadAllText(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory + "filename.txt");

answered Apr 28 '10 at 15:35

Bastiaan Linders

1,606
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score 1 · Answer 4 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:01

1

So you need directory of your application? In that case, there are some good answers already on SO, for example:

Getting the application's directory from a WPF application

edited May 23 '17 at 12:01

Community

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answered Apr 28 '10 at 15:24

user218447

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How to read file from the installation folder of app using c#?

4 Answers4